odd-loking diseasle at IRM

scrmcurator · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2007 12:05 pm

I wanted to ask this last week, but of course that wasn't possible. I'm glad the site is back!

If you go to the IRM mainline webcam during the week, there's usually a gray (possibly silver?) diseasle switcher sitting on the enginehouse lead. It's not there at the moment (Sunday) but it's usually there during the week. It has a very odd shaped cab roof and I can't figure out what the heck it is. The roster on IRM's website is no help. This is one of those little things that drives me nuts. What is this loco -- builder, type and heritage?

buzz_morris · **Joined:** Thu Feb 03, 2005 9:32 pm **Posts:** 344

I’m pretty sure you are seeing Commonwealth Edison 15, an EMD SW1. It is visible on the mainline web cam at this time.
This member photo shows a better view.

http://www.irm.org/gallery/petep-diesel/aav

I believe this was donated by Comm. Ed and came from the Byron IL nuclear power plant. There were some nice photos posted recently of its move to Union some years back, but I could not locate them.
In use quite a bit for moving rolling stock around.

scrmcurator · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:51 am

Yep, that's the beast.

What's the deal with that weird cab roof? Looks like it might have been notched for some special tight clearance?

Jim Vaitkunas · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:14 am

Hi Matt:

Diseasle? It that the equivalent to a diesel with a disease like cranky crankcase, or limp wheels or something?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

crij · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 12:15 am **Posts:** 585

Almost looks like someone added an Air Conditioner, or as you suggested notched to clear an obsticle.

Rich C

steaminfo · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:10 pm

Jim Vaitkunas wrote:

Hi Matt:

Diseasle? It that the equivalent to a diesel with a disease like cranky crankcase, or limp wheels or something?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Sure its the well known problem "Electromotive Diseasele" or ED for short.

wilkinsd · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:44 pm

Here is a photograph of the locomotive in question. (See Link Below)

I believe photo shows the notched roof, notice the headlight casing and how the short raised portion has the contour of a normal EMD switcher roof.

http://www.irm.org/gallery/petep-diesel/adu

scrmcurator · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:55 pm

Jim Vaitkunas wrote:

Hi Matt:

Diseasle? It that the equivalent to a diesel with a disease like cranky crankcase, or limp wheels or something?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

That comes from one of the Thomas videos that ran ad nauseum at the Late Great Train Store, where I worked for about 6 months. It was the episode where the two little 0-4-0Ts pester the big diesel. There's a line along the lines of "There's a sign in our shed that says 'coughs and wheezles cause diseasles.'" I liked the term, being a steam fan, and adopted it.

Dennis Storzek · **Posted:** Tue May 01, 2007 12:39 am

Is this the engine that used to be at the California St. generating plant (now gone) along the North Branch of the Chicago River at Addison St.? I recall when I was in high school, just before the plant closed, seeing a SW-1 or SW-600 occasionally. By this time the plant must have been on natural gas, as the coal pile was gone, and the plant closed about 1969.

Original operation was coal from barges on the river direct to a conveyor, with any for storage into railcars for the trip around the plant to the storage piles. The loading hopper frame at the barge unload looked small.

Original power for this operation was two GE 80T steeple cabs… IRM had both, scrapped one, still has CECo. 4.