Former Hall Printing #5, a Whitcomb 50-tonner, serial #60695, built in 1946, formerly owned by Mid-Continent, but sold to the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad, is now in need of a new home. Due to traction motor damage the WSOR is disposing of the engine. Anyone interested (IRM maybe? Hall Printing is in Chicago) should contact the railroad soon, before she becomes scrap metal.

Boyd

Hall Printing Whitcomb #5

bowens@rypn.org

It's currently stored in Janesville, WI. With the exception of the mentioned traction motor problem, it's operational.
The Wisconsin and Southern web page is linked below for contact info:

Boyd


Wisconsin and Southern Railroad
bowens@rypn.org

I was just informed that the City of Rochelle, Il may be looking at acquiring Whitcomb #5 for display in the railroad park there. There is already another Whitcomb (3ft gauge, 7 ton) on display at the park (Photo below). They are interested in it because Rochelle was the home to Whitcomb Locomotive Co.

Boyd


Rochelle Railroad Park

bowens@rypn.org

Just learned some interesting information in the saga of Hall Printing Whitcomb #5.
After it suffered it's traction motor failure, the Wisconsin and Southern initially intended upon replacing all it's traction motors with new ones and returning it to service. They received a quote of $50,000 for the new traction motors. They decided that the money could be better spent, and instead retired #5, and purchased 4 SD40-2s (1 running, 3 not running) from the UP for only slightly more money.
The moral of the story - be prepared to spend a lot of money to return that derelict old diesel to operation if it needs new traction motors...

Boyd


bowens@rypn.org

> Just learned some interesting information in
> the saga of Hall Printing Whitcomb #5.
> After it suffered it's traction motor
> failure, the Wisconsin and Southern
> initially intended upon replacing all it's
> traction motors with new ones and returning
> it to service. They received a quote of
> $50,000 for the new traction motors. They
> decided that the money could be better
> spent, and instead retired #5, and purchased
> 4 SD40-2s (1 running, 3 not running) from
> the UP for only slightly more money.
> The moral of the story - be prepared to
> spend a lot of money to return that derelict
> old diesel to operation if it needs new
> traction motors...

> Boyd

Since there are side rods on the trucks, there are probably only two traction motors for the entire loco, one in each truck. And there are traction motor failures and traction motor failures. Is there a flashover due to buildup of dirt and crud, a brush holder failure, needed commutator slotting and trueing, bad field coil, failing insulation, etc.??? A failed motor needing major work should be able to shopped in the $15,000 range. I imagine WSOR could diagnose the extent and cost of a repair for a single motor failed, so I do not want to put words into their mouth(s). But neither should we all jump to a worst case scenario without ANY facts.

Bob Kutella

68trolley@comcast.net

> Since there are side rods on the trucks,
> there are probably only two traction motors
> for the entire loco, one in each truck. And
> there are traction motor failures and
> traction motor failures. Is there a
> flashover due to buildup of dirt and crud, a
> brush holder failure, needed commutator
> slotting and trueing, bad field coil,
> failing insulation, etc.??? A failed motor
> needing major work should be able to shopped
> in the $15,000 range. I imagine WSOR could
> diagnose the extent and cost of a repair for
> a single motor failed, so I do not want to
> put words into their mouth(s). But neither
> should we all jump to a worst case scenario
> without ANY facts.

> Bob Kutella

Have to agree Bob ...If these motors are anything like a comparable GE ..."wash machine" motors and a reduction gear box then the costs are in your price range. At this point it's all conjecture. There is a motor shop outside of Fremont, OH that does a nice job on GE motors of this size, having a lot of experience with a 44TGE from a nearby quarry that was prone to oveload their loco.


lamontdc@adelphia.net

If I recall correctly, Whitcomb locomotives were fitted with Westinghouse traction motors. Although they are robust in construction, since Westinghouse is no longer in business and repair parts are hard to come by, a better route might be to chase down a motor (or two) through an industrial locomotive dealer. There are still a few of them out there who have parted-out Whitcomb locomotives and may have a motor or two in the warehouse..


K4s1361@hotmail.com

Apparently the Wisconsin and Southern found no one who wanted #5 for operation, so she was sold to the city of Rochelle, IL for display. She is to be loaded Saturday for her trip to Rochelle.
Below is an image of her waiting in Janesville, WI for transportation to her final resting place.

Boyd


bowens@rypn.org

I have been informed that #5 was not loaded yesterday for transport to Rochelle. Hopfully because she will be going somewhere for operation instead. (I have been contacted since my last post by individuals from a couple of groups that are interested in the unit, and have contacted the railroad).

Boyd

bowens@rypn.org

I am having trouble getting information from the Wisconsin and Southern directly since I am not interested in purchasing the unit myself, but the pieces of information I have gotten, if I understand correctly, are that the unit was being given to Rochelle if they moved it at their expense. However, they did not move it, and there are groups that are interested in paying for it, so it may now be going to one of those groups. It sounds like now they are waiting to see who will have the most money AND the ability to move it. The unit must be moved by truck due to it's low gearing limiting it's speed it can be moved at via rail.
Hopefully it will go to a group that will operate it. I know that at least one of the interested groups has a derelict hulk that has traction motors usable in this unit...

Boyd



bowens@rypn.org

Hall Printing Whitcomb #5 was loaded and transported from Janesville, WI by City of Rochelle (IL) crews on November 28th.
It will be placed on static display in Rochelle.
What a shame it didn't end up going to one of the groups that had hoped to acquire it for operation.

Boyd

bowens@rypn.org