Does that mean the SW600 is going to be scrapped? The initial plan was that she'd become a static display.

Was there any thought given to using a modern Tier IV compliant power pack that could be dropped in? I've seen them used on some modern DMUs (I believe Stadler is one manufacturer that uses this concept). If you're going to get away from being totally historic, then using something parts will be available for for the foreseeable future might be a good idea.

Here's a recent update.

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... ts-trucks/

WGN has several SW600s, they moved around the trucks to get a set with fat wheels. The unit that donated its engine and generator will be kept as a display, it is painted for C&NW but I believe it is formerly American Can Co.

It may be that they wanted a certain truck style similar to the trucks on the MTZ and only wanted to cannibalize one unit when they were making plans, and SW1500s and other switchers with 645s have different, modern truck styles (and probably cost a lot more, you could get an SW600 for scrap value and the cost to move it not long ago).

The weight loading was vastly different between each truck in these trains. The braking system was proportioned by using several cylinder sizes and calculated lever lengths. The effect of passenger load between empty and full is much greater that in other railroad passenger cars. The distribution of the weight load between trucks also changes significantly between empty and full passenger load.

PC

A couple clarifications:



The WGN's acquisition of the Mark Twain Zephyr hinged in large part on locating an SW-600 in good operating condition specifically because of the desire to have a 6-567C block paired with components (Truck/traction motors, generator, etc) it was already operating reliably with. We have a ready supply of 567 and 645 components available to us.



Lifting the power unit back onto its trucks was much easier without a prime mover inside the engine room ;)

That video is the process of thinning down a bolster from a scrapped NW2 to serve as the new bolster for the 9903 and its new power truck. As the new truck has 40" wheels compared to the 36" originals, the plate was slimmed down to minimize the amount of shimming necessary to achieve a level ride and then was welded to the frame after the original bolster was removed. The Winton 201A (which was removed from the MTZ long before the WGN acquired it) had a mounting bracket that elevated it significantly above the frame and floor in the engine room. All of that has been removed in preparation for creating a new floor plate on which the new prime mover and other components will be mounted. We have no intention of altering the power unit's external appearance.



The MTZ was only equipped with a single power truck, directly under the operating cab. The truck spanning Injun Joe and Becky Thatcher had a speedometer but was never powered. The original power truck is still in our possession, but as it is missing its traction motors there was never a significant interest in attempting to use it.



While the switcher truck does compare very favorably in appearance to the original power truck, especially once the pilot and skirts are reinstalled, the goal in truck swapping was to place rotating end cap roller bearings under the MTZ primarily for clearance under the skirts (we tried a solid bearing truck and would have needed to modify the skirting significantly or remove it entirely). We only own one SW600 of the 15 produced, we do own 4 SW1s. American Can/Marathon Southern/WGNS 1280 will eventually become a static display.



We're also creating something that never existed during the service life of the Burlington Zephyrs: a 5 car fully articulated trainset through the addition of the former Pioneer Zephyr buffet coach Effie Dean, which has a noticeably beefier truck than the other 3 articulated trucks designed for the MTZ. It now sits in the middle of the train set, spanning the bar/service area of the Effie Dean and the new full kitchen in the Huckleberry Finn

Note that this is only for static proportioning. There is still a need for a Decelakron/Decelostat to control braking both between high and low speed and between empty and light load. While this may not matter for slow-speed excursion service, it would make sense beyond 'historical correctness' to renovate the deceleration protection and the valves in the brake system it controls.

Thank you for the first-person clarifications!

Just for information and preservation, some preliminary sketches and calculations were done in the 1970s for a skid mounted Detroit Diesel 12V-71 or 12V-92 driving an EMD D79 generator powering two EMD export type traction motors in the Flying Yankee. The skid would have bolted to the existing base frame and would have saved enough weight and space for a separate 100kW diesel genset aft of the main engine. As with the many other FY plans it did not progress.

PC

This is still the 'first best approach' for actually restoring the train to long-term operation, in my opinion, but with a more modern prime mover (at least Tier 4 final) and perhaps better generator/alternator, sized to work with the TMs in that switcher truck.

Everything adapted to suit the 'historic fabric' -- or what's left of it -- or what could be put back to be prototypical on the carbody ends.

Even if you sourced a Series 60 Detroit with DDEC whatever from an old truck tractor, you'd be ahead of the curve on weight distribution, maintenance, mechanics' availability, aftermarket support, etc. I do sympathize with institutional experience keeping 567s running, but I think the amount that's going to be spent trying to kludge a 6-567 in there will be largely wasted even if it proves workable in operation.

My experience with modern truck engines would lead me to avoid them if possible. Detroit Diesel/ MTU (Mercedes), Cummins, Volvo, International etc. all have proprietary software that doesn't allow you to fix it or even diagnose it yourself. With a semi at least you can have it towed to a dealer like Penske, who then may offer you a loaner, but what do you do with this engine, do you need to remove it from the carbody and take it in? Perhaps because it is considered "offroad" without the complicated emissions systems it will be different, but if not, I would make sure that you can get someone out there to diagnose the fault, because you likely won't be able to. Good luck getting the dealer you bought it from to come out there on a weekend, or at all frankly. I would need more than one hand to count all the times I have been called by panicked drivers I was supposed to be meeting saying something like "the truck says it will shut down in two minutes, I'm on a road with no shoulders, what do I do?" followed by towing (you have to remove the drive shaft to tow a semi), followed by six or seven hours waiting, followed by getting home after being on duty for 18 hours, etc. all because of a computer or sensor glitch. The slighty older trucks would at least let you drive 35 miles an hour when it said that the sensors weren't working, I once drove 280 miles like that because the freight I was carrying was "vital" (car parts for one of the big three's dealers). I see that the Siemens Charger units with Cummins diesels are giving Amtrak problems that they only identify as "glitches" but that strand trains, I don't doubt that it is the same phenomena.

Sounds like you're going to be tied the engine manufactures' dealer network. Off-road construction equipment dealers, like Caterpillar, have mobile repair trucks that routinely go to the job-site.

There's enough mechanics that know how to keep the 60 series running out there that would be willing to work for cheap. That engine has started to become one of the best out there for older trucks. It gets the best MPG and is the easiest to get replacement parts for that will not break your bank account.

Some news that can't be good for the MTZ: https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... -tax-case/