Eastern Railroad Discussion > Pickens....imitation Alco burble

Headed to Belton SC, stopped to switch the scrap yard.

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Great sound! Until about 4 years ago, I had never encountered any U18's, and couldn't believe how their sounds resembled an Alco product. Thanks for the reminder that I need to get back up there!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/20 09:17 by RayH.

Beautiful !  U18Bs have a sound all their own, but it sure has that "Schenectady Ring" to it.

The GE U28Bs on the SP were way louder than the C630s.

Out 

I’ve never heard a U18B before but they sure do sound great!! If you close your eyes you can almost see RS3’s shifting cars around.

Dan

Posted from iPhone

They sound exactly like C415's    Is it possible GE used a modified engine design based on the 8 cylinder 251 used in the C415's?    At the point the U18B's were build, GE did make ALCO parts for after market since they owned Alco design rights at that point.

Shane

HB90MACH Wrote:

> They sound exactly like C415's    Is it
> possible GE used a modified engine design based on
> the 8 cylinder 251 used in the C415's?   

The U18B's use an 8-cylinder version of the same FDL prime mover that GE used in everything else they built from the U25B on up to the AC4400CW (but in 12 and 16-cylinder versions).  The FDL started out as a Cooper-Bessemer design. 

Thanks for the videos.  Looks like only the 9508 is running, with 9503 shut down.  Pickens is one of the last places you can still find U-boats of any variety working in revenue service. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/23/20 19:06 by Evan_Werkema.

Very nice video and great sound. One of those GEs was riding on EMD trucks/bogies.

Former CSX MOW engines?

Thanks,
Russ

CSX1346 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Former CSX MOW engines?
>
> Thanks,
> Russ

Yes, they are....I have ridden a bunch and many we so bad you could see a traction motor through the floor under your feet.....Pickens got some of the better ones.  But you do know that the orange idea was a way to keep engines that weren't fit for revenue service available for work trains which sometimes could not get any power at all at a time when CSX was very short of spare power.....these units fit their niche....they couldn't make money but they could handle a few MOW cars and a caboose. Back then we were a real railroad....we made things work...and were happy to do so.