Enginemen's Memories

[Backshophoss]

The LIRR GP38's were passenger geared from the factory,The MP15's were the "jack of all trades" units with gearing that was "freight friendly"
but could make passenger MAS as needed.

[photobug56]

re the LIRR GP38's

Back in the 1990's, I used to ride when I could on either the front or rear GP38-2's. For the back, it was for the view and how quiet and calm it was unless you had the power pack behind. For the front, I liked to stand outside and listen to the GP's and feel the breeze. I don't remember which run it was, but there were always 2 GP's, and they were really nice to listen to.

One odd memory. We once stopped just 1 station short of mine in the evening. Turns out the 'stem' that the engineer's seat was attached to had apparently rusted through and then broke en route. That's the only thing I can ever remember breaking on these engines. In contrast, the DE's and DM's seem to constantly be breaking down (and the C3's as well).

[Nasadowsk]

re the LIRR GP38's

Back in the 1990's, I used to ride when I could on either the front or rear GP38-2's. For the back, it was for the view and how quiet and calm it was unless you had the power pack behind. For the front, I liked to stand outside and listen to the GP's and feel the breeze. I don't remember which run it was, but there were always 2 GP's, and they were really nice to listen to.

I think one of the Montauk runs. Oyster Bay, as always, got shafted. We got MP-15s and a power pack. One year one of the Alco packs blasted a lowboy hung up on the crossing at Glen Street. After that, the LI put those signs up warning trucks of some crossings.

I remember watching them cut it up. Was in the Burger King parking lot. 10 feet away. You don't have that kind of access anymore, but back then, nobody cared as long as you weren't in the way.

The 38's were reliable, but slow and loud.

[John_Perkowski]

ADMIN NOTE:

Split from the Genesis thread in Amtrak.

[photobug56]

There are certain engines that to me at least, sound great. I have a mid 1920's Packard, with the engine that was later named the Super 8 (as in the hotel chain. Take 2 radiators and shells, have one upright, one opposite below it, you've got the Super 8 chain logo. It has a very nice sounding, low rev engine with piles of torque. You listen to engines like this and the one in the GP38-2, they sound great but also tell you what exactly the engine is doing. And they are very well designed (for their eras) and well built.

[BOMOPTSKWH]

The 11 car conventional out of Port Jeff. I think it was train 605. One GP38 and 11 2900s. Every stop- @15 lbs of brake, bail off the engine and power into the stop with the throttle wide open. Notching it back to idle brought it to a smooth stop. Kept the slack out too. Nothing sounded sweeter on a cool October morn!

[photobug56]

2 things I liked about those trains - the sound of the GP38-2's, and standing out on either a rear platform of the last car, or front platform of the first car. One train had 2 GP's going to PJ, and in good weather that could be a nice ride. Only problem I ever encountered with those GP's was when the seat pedestal of the lead loco broke east of Huntington.

The cars, otherwise, were mostly horrible. Electrical power, sometimes, the floor heaters could melt your shoes yet you would still be freezing higher up. Only cars that I liked, but seldom rode in, were the lounge cars with the movable seats! I once was on a train where most of the cars were these.

[BOMOPTSKWH]

I did two RTs between KO and GY with a GP38 east and a P unit west. Beautiful fall weekend. Five cars too, so the engine worked a bit. One of the best days in my career. Did a light engine move in November of 2000 to LIC- six engines altogether. GP38 in the lead with 2 others and three MP15s. Jay sent us down the Mainline. Another great trip.

[BOMOPTSKWH]

Oops-allow me to correct myself-it was November of ‘99- because in February of 2000- I took these in Jay. End of an era. Trains all around were sounding their horns.

[C-LINER 2001]

Oops-allow me to correct myself-it was November of ‘99- because in February of 2000- I took these in Jay. End of an era. Trains all around were sounding their horns.

Sad photo's indeed, my Dad was in Engine Service in 1964 when he photograph a few C-Liners line-out going to scrap or a line of L-1's C-420 line up in Morris Park waiting for a new life off the LIRR in 1976, Thank you for telling your story.

[northpit]

11 cars with gp in morning was tr. 609. i owned the job 30 years ago. it was run 4. i would run train 602 jamaica to pj . at port jeff we would run 602's engine around the wye.couple back to the cars then put it in the west yard.sometimes back then i would be doubleheaded on 602 because they needed an engine in port jeff. train 609 came off what they called the club line.would love to know how that name came about.on the morning westbound trip at lic we stopped to offload psgrs and then a car inspector cut me away from the consist then the yard crew would set over the 11 cars,sometimes i would go lite to morris park via the montauk and other times i would back up and hitch to the string of engines that would be turned by the yard crew. there was job satisfaction when you accomplished all this. i was a young man back then.thanks for reading

[photobug56]

I'm no experts, but I liked most of the locos, especially the GP 38's. I didn't like that LIRR kept them looking like rusted out hulks, though. And the cars may have once been nice, but they were really rusted out hulks, some with holes in the floor big enough to see the tracks pass by below.

[BOMOPTSKWH]

Train 602 was job 3 when I owned it. Ran it for two years. Day two and change. Occasionally a yard move in Port Jeff between 604 and 611. Good times-even with this DE/DM garbage. Port Jeff and Oyster Bay- the branches that tested an engineer. Especially the Bay. I’m glad I got to run the GP38s & MP15s in passenger service.

[4behind2]

507/562 had two MP 15's (E15's in LIRR Parlance) in tandem and seven 2900's.
Ah, Job 3..........
One E15 had its horn stuck open after New Hyde Park and couldn't be shut off. There was actually a cutout valve inside the body of the engine as some of the other cutouts didn't work. The Engr. (SC) almost became deaf from the experience.

[BOMOPTSKWH]

All of us engineers are deaf. Horns under the engineers seat on the M1s, M3s, M7s, M9s AND the C3 Cab Cars. Huh?Its gotta be done purposely.