With the completion of BCER 1225's rehabilitation coming soon the FVHRS is looking for a suitable genset to allow us to operate the car. We will begin testing and training in September, 2011 at our new location. (News on that is coming soon or see recent flimsie)
With that in mind we would like to get information from any organization that is operating or has operated an interurban using a genset. We have met and talked with the fine people in Astoria, Oregon, but feel we need a "bigger" power source as their streetcar is much smaller than BCER 1225. If you can help please contact me at rashton@dccnet.com

Thanks
Robert Ashton
Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society

http://www.fvhrs.com

Northern Ohio Railway Museum (NORM) operates 0711, a 1925 Differential crane on a genset. The car has 4 Westinghouse 340 motors of 50 hp each. Our genset is a 1958 Chrysler Hemi turning a 2 windings, three phase alternator. The windings are configured for 208 volt each placed in series for 416 volt AC. That is fed into solid state rectifier and we get 588 volt DC at 100 amps.

0711 has benn further temporarily been modified for 4 motor series in the series points and 2 motor series/parallel operation in the parallel points. The car originally was 2 motor series/parallel in the series points and 4 motor parallel in the parallel points. We did this to cut her speed for switching operations. 0711 is our "locomotive" for moving cars around the property. These electrical modifications also have the effect of cutting the her appetite for amperage. When we run 0711 it is always in the series points. Occasionally I will "hot rod" her to exercise the contactors in the HL cabinet that only are active in parallel operation. The Hemi really bears down on that 120 amp draw in the initial spike. It has nearly stalled the engine on a couple occasions.

Before Northern Ohio restored 0711 to operation and married her to the above described hemi powered genset, I did some electrical tests at the now long gone Trolleyville where I was a volunteer in addition to my NORM time. Below is the results of a couple hours of testing I did using various Trolleyville cars to document their appetite for amperage. We wanted to make sure what ever we restored to operation at NORM was within the capacity of our generator.

I hope the information below is helpful in figuring what BCER 1225's appetite for the amps will be. It does contain operation of a couple interurban cars.

Steve Heister
Northern Ohio Railway Museum
http://www.northernohio.railway.museum





Test Conditions: Saturday, November 27, 1999, Weather conditions were cloudy and cold, 40 degrees F. Rail dry. Only one car was on line at a time. All other test cars had poles hooked down when not under test. Lights and electric heaters were off on cars under test. Only essential systems were on. I.E.: Compressors, MG on PCC. Line voltage 550 volt DC from rectifier. Meter used reads up to 1000 amps in 20 amp increments. Each increment is about 1/16 of an inch. Test numbers may vary by plus or minus 10% from actual. This is due to the small nature of the increments on meter.

Amperage Numbers: The first number is the peak draw of power on that controller point. The second number is what the amperage fell to immediately after peak draw was registered. This took place within one or two seconds. Third number is what the amperage draw fell to after 5-6 seconds and held steady at. At that time another point on the controller would be engaged and the amperage would change and the series start over. Most times only three or four point of the controller would be engaged. By that time the car was up to a reasonable operating speed. We never achieved pure series operation.


Open Car 19, two ??? motors, 25hp per motor.

Point 1: 50, 40, 40
Point 2: 50, 40, 40
Point 3: 25, 20, 20


Fox River 304, four GE 265 motors, 35 hp per motor.

Hard Acceleration
Point 1: 80, 70, 70
Point 2: 100, 90, 90
Point 3: 120, 110, 90
Point 4: 120, 100, 90

Soft Acceleration
Point 1: 80, 70, 70
Point 2: 100, 90, 70


Shaker 1225, four West 340A motors, 50 hp per motor.

Compressor running only: 10

Hard Acceleration
Point 1: 120, 100, 80
Point 2: 120, 100, 80
Point 3: 100, 80, 60
Point 4: 100, 80, 60

Soft Acceleration
Point 1: 120, 100, 60
Point 2: 100, 80, 60


Toronto PCC 4602, four GE1220 motors, 55 hp per motor, car has ex Shaker trucks.

MG running Only: 20

Auto acceleration System, 4 motors
Gentle Acceleration: 250, 240, 240
Hard Acceleration: 275, 265, 265
Gentle Acceleration: 250, 240, 240

Auto acceleration System, 2 motors
Run 1: 160, 150, 150
Run 2: 180, 140, 140
Note: Car very sluggish to accelerate on 2 motors, braking very poor. My opinion, not safe for operation.


CA&E 451 & 460 mued, eight GE 739A motors (300 volt in series), 100 hp per motor.

Point 1: 540, 400, 400
Point 2: 440, 420, 420
Point 3: 460, 440, 440
Breaker in wire
Point 3: 420, 400, 400


CA&E 303, two GE 66B motors, 125 hp per motor.

Run 1
Point 1: 180, 160, 160
Point 2: 180, 160, 160
Point 3: 280, 260, 260

Run 2
Point 1: 160, 140, 140
Point 2: 160, 140, 140
Point 3: 280, 260, 240
Note: Points one and two on this car have nearly identical resistance.

Generally from an "engine" standpoint, one of the best types of engine to use for stationary power plant applications to power rail vehicles is a Detroit Diesel 4-71 or 6-71 (usually around 140 and 230 horsepower respectively). There are still quite a few of them around in a variety of applications, and the parts for them are still readily obtainable. A lot of them were used in farming and irrigation pump applications where they were skid mounted with cooling system and a weather enclosure. Many types of generators were produced for these engines in various voltages, the challenge would be locating a generator that is suitable for the application. They also show up occasionally in marine skid mountings with DC generators but these sometimes are not suitable voltage and current range for rail power use.

PC

Or, if you don't want the roar of the generator the predminant effect, find a noise attentuated housed commercial emergency genset off the shelf of greater than your known power consumption and run it through a diode box to iron it into something like DC. Your passengers will appreciate the lack of noise, and parts will be readily available as well as expert advice from the supplier.

Yes, it does cost more than kludging something from the motor off your brother in laws wrecked Pontiac and a WW II surplus genset, but the most expensive cost is the service you advertise, sell and then don't run due to equipment failure. Robust, reliable and supported is worth a lot of capital up front.

dave

Just make sure whatever you use will do a dead load pickup that is at least 80% of nominal rating, or you may have a stalled engine when you notch up (unless you way oversize the engine which will cut into your fuel efficiency). Many modern engines cannot accept that kind of load block, their fuel systems have been too restricted to meet emissions standards. The Detroit Diesels will do 95% of rating as a load block very consistently, and an EMD will do 100%.

PC