Western Railroad Discussion > The end is near for M&ET 70-tonners

With the end of canning season and the imminent delivery of the first Gensets, the end is near.

These were taken Nov. 21, 2008.

~Steve Sloan
San Jose, CA

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Nice shots. I've always like the 70 tonners, they're just so cool looking. That's quite a horn cluster on that middle one. Probably blows the crews ears out, maybe that's why it's in the middle.-BMT

End is near! Gensets reported to be shipped from Altoona last Friday as a pair. All covered in white shrink wrap to prevent graffiti attacks in route to the West. The #600 is reported to be in the worst condition and will be one of the first to hit the dead line once the gensets are fit for service. There is doubt that things will work perfectly the first few trips.

The big 5 chime is a real serious attention getter. It has quite a history and used to reside on a 44 tonner back in the late 1960's. New camera security system now installed at the shops to help prevent any further horn thefts. Big brother is watching.

These are about the only engines in still service that were in service before I was born. I will miss them.

November 21, 2008
Modesto, CA

~Steve Sloan

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Big horn set on a 44-tonner? Could that be the one that worked at the lumber mill at the east end of the Sierra RR (Standard?). I remember seeing a 44-ton unit there in 1970. Actually I heard it first--a horn sound that made one think that the Super Chief was coming around the bend, then this center cab switcher came into view. I figured the powerful horns were a "good thing" at a noisy sawmill. It might have been ex-Tidewater Southern 735 (?).

DNRY122 Wrote:
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> Big horn set on a 44-tonner? Could that be the
> one that worked at the lumber mill at the east end
> of the Sierra RR (Standard?). I remember seeing a
> 44-ton unit there in 1970. Actually I heard it
> first--a horn sound that made one think that the
> Super Chief was coming around the bend, then this
> center cab switcher came into view. I figured the
> powerful horns were a "good thing" at a noisy
> sawmill. It might have been ex-Tidewater Southern
> 735 (?).


I have been told that the horn did indeed come off of TS 735. And that was the engine that worked the Pickering Mill.

There's going to be some news about that locomotive very soon....

Z

photo is TS 735 at Standard by Mel Lawrence

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Did Railpower chrome the handrails of the Gensets? Or was that an aftermarket mod done by the MET on the 70 tonners?

The M&ET Gensets were reported on a westbound NS freight in Johnstown, PA Saturday morning.

The horn on 735 in the pic above is a Nathan M-5.
The horn on the M&ET is a Airchime K5LA.(Amtrak horn)
The other 2 M&ET units have Classic Nathan M-3s

P5r24

Any word as to what is to become of the 70 tonners? Please don't tell me that they are going to suffer the same fate as the Alcos of the ST&E and Sierra...

DaylightGS-4 Wrote:

> The big 5 chime is a real serious attention
> getter. It has quite a history and used to reside
> on a 44 tonner back in the late 1960's.

As P5r24 mentioned, the middle unit has a K5LA, which didn't enter production until the mid-1970's. An older style of 5-chime, the M5, does appear on some M&ET 70 tonners not pictured, which may be what you're thinking of.