Western Railroad Discussion > Fairmont Speeders

Hi all,

I am very interested in getting into the speeder hobby; my problem is that I know very little about these pieces of railroad equipment. What I am looking for is pictures of different models & what the specs were for each model. For instance, how do you tell the difference between an M-14 & an M-19, etc... Can anyone steer me in the right direction? Have there been any books written on this? I have sent in my applications for a few speeder operator clubs, but I am still waiting for my welcome packets.

My main goal is to one day purchase a Fairmont speeder so that I can take it on some excursions.

Any info is very much appreciated.

Thanks,
BJR

Like you i plan on getting a speeder....someday. One greoup that i have found that is really helpful for this is the <http://www.pro-online.org > They even have a section of classifeid adds and other helpful info. I hope this helps some.

"Mountain Goat" Greg

The M-19 is a common unit, having a single cylinder, two-stroke engine with belt drive. One person in good health can handle it.

The MT-19 is popular. It has a four-stroke engine and a transmission. It's a bit heavier.

Some owners have turntables for turning their units.

I believe the M-14 is a smaller version of the M-19.

Of course, there were many makes and models of speeders, including larger gang cars.

I wish I still had all the data sheets I gave away to a speeder group. I was also building an engine cross-reference at the time.

Be safe,
Bill in Texas

There is a speeders mailing list which circulates a lot of information, trip reports, goods for sale or wanted, etc. Go to the url below and subscribe:

http://www.gulftel.com/kdskanne/speederlist.html

"I believe the M-14 is a smaller version of the M-19."

It's the other way around; the 14 is longer than the 19. Same width, same height.

The M, in this case, means without a transmission (a belt drive car, and to reverse direction the engine has to run in the opposite direction.) When provided with the Fairmont transmission the two cars became MT-14s and MT-19s. Same overall appearance. Both have the same wheelbase (about 3 feet), and the front and back of the 19 ends at the front of the 16" wheels. On the 14 the body extends about 6" beyond the front and rear of the 16" wheels.

The best website for starting your research on speeders is the one maintained by the North American Railcar Operators Association, commonly known as NARCOA, and is www.narcoa.org

As we say in the speeder fraternity, "See ya along the rails."

I don't know if it has ever been ascertained true or not, but there's also common thought out there that says the "T" in MT stood for either "two-speed", referring to the two transmission speeds, or "two-cylinder", referring to the Onan 2 cylinder, four cycle engine that the MT's used instead of the single cylinder, two cycle Fairmont engines that gave these creatures one of their nicknames, "poppers".

Go to tthe NARCOA web page and you will find all of the info that your looking for. Check out a excursion near your home site and check out the motorcars up close. This isn't a cheap hobby as the prices of the cars have really jumped up in the past few years.

This is a picture of a M19 that me and my Dad have. It is taken at Moravia Ia on the Appanoose County Community Railroad, which is ex NS from Moberly Mo to Des Moines Ia. The line is abbandoned from just north of Moberly to just north of Moulton Ia. APNC owns from just north of Moulton to Albia. This M19 is still in original condition and hasn't had much work down to it since bought of the NS. We are the second owners of the car since the NS. I couldn't get the whole shot on here so i had to cut it down.

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While it is true that the price of speeders has increased substantially in the past few years, the real high cost of the hobby is not the initial cost of the speeder. One needs a trailer upon which to tow it, many new owners then discover they need a new car/truck/suv to tow the trailer, then there are insurance costs, motels, meals on the road ... the costs don't stop when you acquire your speeder - they are just starting.

And there is the cost of the run, itself. The railroads can smell the money.

Another difference between models - the MT-19 has suspension, but the MT-14 does not. It's a plus (comfort), and a minus (maintenance). The MT-19's rear axles are sprung at each end, but held rigid at the drive sprocket. So, like a paper clip being flexed, it can eventually break. I think NARCOA once published a fix for this in their magazine.

The problem with the MT-19 rear axles wasn't that the center chain cog was fixed, but rather overall flex in the axles themselves. The whole axle, center cog and all moves with the suspension, much like a motorcycle rear wheel might. On the MT-19's, the axles were substantially underdesigned from the factory. Years of flexing, caused somewhat by the pull of the chain on the sprocket, but mainly through use (and often severe overloading, i.e., 3 or 4 railfans in a car designed for 2) would cause the axle to eventually fatigue and break. I believe either Hank Brown or Les King now can supply new axles made from a new design using harder steel.

A little off topic--do any of you know, or were you a part of, what speeder group ran on the McCloud River RR at Mt. Shasta, CA last October? I was part of a steam photographer's special group there the same day. All of the speeders passed us on a siding as they were going further down the line than we were. I have video.

I operated my speeder on the McCloud on October 12 and 13, with MOW. On the 12th we ran from McCloud to Burnie and back, and on the 13th we ran from McCloud to Lookout and back. I remember the train, but thought we were on a siding as it went by, but maybe my memory is playing tricks on me. If you want more details, email me directly.