Railroaders' Nostalgia > SP Fuel Nozzles & Unit Walk Ways

Does anybody remember the 2 styles of fueling nozzles used on the SP in the late 60's to early 70's? One was called a "Buckeye" I think and don't know if that was the old style or new style.

I know the old ones didn't shut off most of the time and diesel would flood the area if you didn't keep a close eye on all the units you were fueling. The old Fs and Geeps had a a funny overflow and it shot down on the ties.

I think the change over may have been in the very early 70's. I know I was a fireman on a work train around Tajigues, MP 345.7 and we ran out of fuel. (The old style short sight glass never really worked unless you just filled the tank.) The conductor went to the phone and the dispatcher sent out a private fuel jobber. The guy finally showed up and he had the wrong nozzle, the old style. We had to wait for an east man to shove us over to Capitan in the clear and we got an engine from him in order to get back to Santa Barb.

Also, when did they remove all the "Middle" deck plates between the units. What it was, was a plate attached to the regular gangway plate between the units so there was a seamless walkway between the units. They were gone by 69 but I remember them when I was young in Tiburon, watching them hook up engines at the roundhouse. You could still see the weld marks underneath the old plates when the old SDs,Fs,Geeps and switchers were still around in the 70s & 80s.


Thanks,


Nudge



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/17 11:22 by spnudge.

Wan't the other style called "Texas"?

My memory is very short when I try to think back.
I worked for SAL-SCL-CSX.I think one was called
Snyder.

Uncle Joe
Seffner,Fl.

I remember the 2 fuel tank fillers, one definitely being the "Buckeye" fitting but to save my life I can't remember the name of the other one - even Google doesn't help. If it's any help "Bucyrus" keeps entering my head but I won't swear to that.

The part of your post that has me intrigued is the part about the "middle" plate on the cross-over platforms - I had never heard of that. Unfortunately they were before my time (ending in '69) so I never saw them but I would have liked to.

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After more searching Bucyrus did/does make fuel fittings so perhaps back in the day they were the second fitting on SP units. In fact the more I think about it the more I am certain Bucyrus was the second fitting.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/17 12:11 by Railbaron.

Snyder rings a bell. I hope someone has pics of them. The "center" plate was attached to every unit fold down walk way. If one went down first, it was buried by the second. That may have been the reason they scrapped the whole deal. You would have had to either fold up both gangways or let them pull apart. If let them pull apart you would have to put them in the up position before making another joint.

Someone out there must have a pic of those. EMD? Thanks for the input.


Nudge

Just from memory, the three different auto fuel shut-off brands were:

1) Buckeye.

2) Snyder.

3) Areoquip.

I can't remember any additional brands.

> 1) Buckeye.
> 2) Snyder.
> 3) Areoquip.

At one point in the late 1980s/early 1990s, many of the the Atk F-40s had all three.

we called the walkways diving boards.....

Could it be Aeroquip.

Houston Fuel Fill used electric float to shut off fuel stand.

Posted from iPhone

I got to hear many stories at the LaJunta fuel pad adding 2000 gallons of fuel to a 1500 gallon tank........Still a underground mess.
I work with more and more professionals every day😝

After years of struggling to fuel my private car "TIOGA PASS" everywhere we went ( wrong fuel spout or filler nozzle, or nozzle too short to reach the spring trip in the throat of the filler pipe), we finally secured Snyder fuel fittings for both sides of the car. Filling them is a dream, but you have to watch out as the high speed fueling for locomotives (4400 gallons in 15 minutes!) will blow out the seals on a small fuel tank. Most private car carry about 250 gallons). I have even filled my car with a hose over the fence from the local fuel dealer. Fill er' up....250 gallons....$1000.00 or so. Tank truck delivery of fuel is always much more expensive than at the pump.

Norm

Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar

Thanks Norm.


Nudge