Canadian Railroads > MLW Monday

BCR 569  having a break at Prince George BC, May 1980.
Doug

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Good catch. Did that low short hood come from a damaged unit or retired unit?
Bob

I would imagine the short hood was salvaged from another unit.
Doug

Not sure where they got it, but the short hood is from an RS-10.
569 was involved in an accident resulting in the rebuild.

Despite the lowering of the nose, the controls were not reversed and the long hood remained the "front" of 569.

Brian E 

Any idea what the "TRAMO" on the truck frames meant?   (secret codes from Squamish :-)

Thanks,

daniel

I believe TRAMO had something to do with the type of lubricant in the gear case on the traction motor / axle. Honestly I've forgotten.
Doug

251F Wrote:
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> Any idea what the "TRAMO" on the truck frames
> meant?   (secret codes from Squamish :-)
>
> Thanks,
>
> daniel

TRAMO was a heavy petroleum grease used to lubricate the pinion gears in the locomotive traction motors (seemingly only in MLW's).

MLW locomotives left a trail of TRAMO oil down the centre of the track everywhere they went, and if stopped they would leave a puddle of it.

Shop staff would apply it to the gears with a big grease gun and would always get to wear it.  Inevitably, track workers and operating employees stepped in it, and sometimes tracked it indoors. Say goodbye to that 1980's shag carpet.

Thanks to hoggerdoug and eminence grise for the Tramo reply.  I do believe I've stepped in the stuff when visiting Squamish and Prince George many years ago.  Got on the mats in my truck plus the brake and clutch pedals.  Pain in the you know what to get off.  Required noxious chemicals to remove as I recall.  The mats ended up in the trash barrel at Prince George.  Shoes quickly followed.  Drove back to California with cardboard cutout mats.

A quick search revealed this: (yeah, the goo is still made)
https://www.mobil.com/en-CA/Industrial/pds/IO-CA-GALENA-TRAMO-3735

d.