Hats off to BigBoy.

Old Smokey · **Joined:** Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:58 pm **Posts:** 172

BigBoy 4023.

Robert,
Thanks for those very informative links you provided.
Have re-read them several times. There is so much to learn.

Visited Cheyenne in 1990.
Had forgotten about these old shots.
There, to my surprise, was one of those Turbine tenders.
I assume the place looks much different today..?

Dennis.

PaulWWoodring · **Posted:** Tue May 28, 2019 8:15 pm

I was with my family on an Intermountain West vacation in 1972 when I persuaded them to stop at the UP roundhouse in Cheyenne en route from the Black Hills to Rocky Mountain National Park so I could see (then) #8444. I was a foaming steam crazy 15 year old, so I totally ignored the line of dead GTE's (at least a dozen, probably) to get into the roundhouse to take some not-so-great too dark and closed in photos of the Northern and #5511. Of course time and reflection change one's perspective, and I wish I had spent a few frames of slide film on the turbines.

Tom F · **Joined:** Mon Jul 02, 2018 8:04 pm **Posts:** 314

BigBoy 4023 wrote:

There is a manual for the 8500hp turbines here. http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41427&start=45 Alot of good information and several arguments as well. My ideas to restore a turbine locomotive met with the usual BS about why it shouldn't, couldn't, won't happen. The problems of parts availability is a very serious issue, But not impossible to overcome. The Cooper Bessemer engine could give way to a GE 7FDL V8 since Cooper Bessemer parts are scarce. The electrical could be sorted out. The trucks would need heavy repair to replace the cut off traction motor brackets. I don't know of any available ARR "C" trucks to replace the messed up trucks under the UP turbines 18 and 26. Only 18 still has it's frame 5 turbine power plant and gear reduction drive. The turbine is said to be seized up.

Robert

Robert I was at the Illinois railroad museum a few years ago and asked them if I could film the interior of the turbine they have on display there as there was no photos or video of the insides of the turbines. I uploaded that video and there was a incredible amount of interest in that turbine. Some volunteers saw the video along with the comments, and said it lit a fire with the locomotive. There is no plans to restore it to operational condition but it does show the public would likely give into a fund raising effort to get it operational.

During my tour the generator was missing in the B unit but the diesel that used to shuttle the locomotive around in the A unit was still there. The A unit was in excellent condition and I did not see anything missing. I was surprised to read that the turbine that powered the locomotive was also used in many other applications and is still in use today. There is rebuilt and used turbines for sale as we speak. Not sure of the price but they are either really expensive or fairly cheap depending on what they were using them for.

Old Smokey · **Joined:** Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:58 pm **Posts:** 172

Drove around a bit and got these close-ups. Spring, 1990.
With the help of a magnifying glass, it seems the yellow one is 907857.
Using the list BigBoy 4023 provided, this became the present day "Joe Jordan".

Don't know the identity of the one with "5" on side.
Does anyone have a cross reference, as they all seem to have different single digit numbers.

(Interesting to see the yellow/silver tender behind '5').

Old Smokey · **Joined:** Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:58 pm **Posts:** 172

BigBoy 4023

Robert
Looked up Turbine X-18, that you and Tom F talked about, at Illinois Rail Museum.
The video interior tour was very illuminating. I can see why this would be a great prospect for restoration ..https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... P1U7errWU7

You would know... the heart of the whole thing is the turbine engine.

Here's a representative cut-away of a GE Frame 5. Helped me understand what was going on.
The Bunker-C was kept fluid in those insulated tenders. Then sprayed into the combustion pots..the flame tornado spun the power blades to spin the main generator.

Tom F · **Joined:** Mon Jul 02, 2018 8:04 pm **Posts:** 314

Old Smokey wrote:

Drove around a bit and got these close-ups. Spring, 1990.
With the help of a magnifying glass, it seems the yellow one is 907857.
Using the list BigBoy 4023 provided, this became the present day "Joe Jordan".

Don't know the identity of the one with "5" on side.
Does anyone have a cross reference, as they all seem to have different single digit numbers.

(Interesting to see the yellow/silver tender behind '5').

Looks like a tender was scrapped after all. From Utah Rails....

Tender 24-GTE-6 was built in 1937 as tender 20-C-206, last assigned to UP 4-8-4 805; retired in March 1958 and converted to tender 24-C-GTE-6; last assigned to UP 7-7B (retired February 1970); moved to Los Angeles for fuel storage in February 1971 (LA #5); renumbered to UP Fuel Oil Storage 903026 in July 1973; moved to Cheyenne in September 1988; scrapped at Cheyenne in 2001-2002.

The other two...

Tender 23-GTE-21 was built in 1936 as tender 19-C-109, last assigned to UP 4-6-6-4 3800; locomotive retired in August 1957 and tender stored; converted to non-insulated tender 21-GTE-1 in July 1959; converted to larger capacity as 23-GTE-21; last assigned to UP 19-19B (retired December 1968); moved to Los Angeles for fuel storage in February 1971 (LA #3); renumbered to UP Fuel Oil Storage 903028 in July 1973; moved to Ogden in September 1988 and stored; moved to Cheyenne in June 2009.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1942086

Tender 23-GTE-23 was built in 1936 as tender 19-C-107, last assigned to UP 4-6-6-4 3804; locomotive retired in July 1959 and tender stored; converted to non-insulated tender 23-GTE-23 in August 1960; removed from assigned GTE locomotive ca. 1968-1970 and stored; moved to Los Angeles for fuel storage in February 1971 (LA #6); renumbered to UP Fuel Oil Storage 903029 in July 1973; moved to Ogden in September 1988 and stored; moved to Cheyenne in June 2009.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2538472

Recent photo https://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=691198

BigBoy 4023 · **Joined:** Tue Dec 11, 2012 1:40 am **Posts:** 489

Yes, One tender was scrapped after a large crack was discovered in the cistern.

I personally wish one of these earlier fuel tenders had survived. I just wish there was one still around to go stand and stare at. https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/images/184/18464.jpg

Robert

Old Smokey · **Joined:** Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:58 pm **Posts:** 172

Tom F
That info you sent has been really helpful, for sorting out those Turbo Tender photo's.

Also, thanks for that spectacular overview of Cheyenne by BUFFIE.
https://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=691198

The place seems very similar to the 1990 photo's.

Will add this shot of Snowplow 900020. Taken at the same time as the previous ones. Apparently converted from tender 13-C-120.

Would the tank have been filled, to add ballast weight, during snow duty..?

Tom F · **Joined:** Mon Jul 02, 2018 8:04 pm **Posts:** 314

Old Smokey wrote:

Tom F
That info you sent has been really helpful, for sorting out those Turbo Tender photo's.

Also, thanks for that spectacular overview of Cheyenne by BUFFIE.
https://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=691198

The place seems very similar to the 1990 photo's.

Will add this shot of Snowplow 900020. Taken at the same time as the previous ones. Apparently converted from tender 13-C-120.

Would the tank have been filled, to add ballast weight, during snow duty..?

You are welcome. The snowplow #900020 on display in Laramie, Wyoming does have ballast in the tank as shown in this photo.