The McKeen Motor Car at the Nevada State RR Museum
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 พ.ค. 2020
- This McKeen Motor Car is the only one of its kind that is still operational. The uniquely styled, self-propelled passenger car is easily identifiable with its knife-sharp nose and round porthole windows. 152 motor cars were built by The McKeen Motor Car Company of Omaha, Nebraska from 1905 to 1917. The museum’s example was built in 1910 and served on the Virginia and Truckee Railway until it was retired in 1945. The vehicle was in private hands until 1995 when it was donated to the museum where it underwent a 14 year-long restoration. This rolling national historic landmark now runs only during special events, like this one on May 12th, 2012 where we see it being turned on the museum’s turntable and running on the loop track past the station. We also take a look inside before we get a short overview of some of the other rolling stock at the museum.
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What a delightfully quirky design for an early railcar!
So great to see it's restored to its Glory , such a far cry from when it was rescued
I visited Carson City twenty plus years ago and was surprised to find the McKean inside their shop area. I was asked if I knew the builder and correctly replied McKean. I had forgotten its existence until a few years ago when a young man in California was fighting to save a McKean that was being scrapped, I believe, in Canada. He was offered the car and I believed he had it trucked to his home area. I will look to see if he is still pursuing its restoration attempt. This McKean is stunning and I’m pleased to see it. Great work by their volunteers.
this was made into a restaurant & later a plumbing shop
they actually found the original whistle still inside the body!
Tom Snyder..... it's McKeen, as in W.R.McKeen (William R.).... just as a "heads up"..... McKean was real close, though! lol ; )
This is a shamefully under viewed video and under appreciated as well , shame on TH-cam for not recommending this video to more people , the filming is perfect with many grate angles and shots from many different locations I find it very very hard to believe that only 12 people including myself like this , more need to see it . I would love to have a retirement job like that a true hobby of love . Keep the old gal running men .
over 15 min. :(
This could have been a great video that would have gotten many more views but for one thing: No narration and no explanation. It's probably a great video for rail enthusiasts who know what the McKeen railcar is and what its importance was, but for those of us who don't -- it's basically useless. It's pretty, I'll say that, but 22 minutes of "pretty" gets pretty old. I kept waiting for some kind of information about what I was actually viewing and it just never came. I wouldn't downvote it for that alone but I just wanted to explain why not many people would spend 22 minutes viewing it.
@@johnsimion2893 He probably thought that people needing more information would read the lengthy description or do a search for it. Wikipedia alone has two great entries on it.
Just about the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time!!!
Maybe you need to get out more.
This is amazing. We in Victoria, Australia tried the McKeen cars over a hundred years ago but they weren't enough of a success to repeat the experiment. We continued looking for the perfect railmotor for many years. The cars themselves were scrapped relatively early so I had never imagined it would be possible to actually see one.
The Victorian Railways purchased two examples of the McKeen cars, however the VR found they were under-powered and ill-suited for the lines the VR ran them on, which were mainly lightly constructed lightly trafficked branch lines. They did not ride well and the crews also did not like them, restricted forward vision being one of the dislikes cited, and they were mechanically troublesome - read: unreliable, which is why the VR withdraw them as only after 3 years in passenger service. The VR removed the car's engines and transmissions in 1919, after which they spent the remainder of their lives as steam hauled passenger carriages on the single track Newport to Altona line until 1926, at which time they were withdrawn and scrapped.
Queensland Railways also purchased 5 McKeen Cars around the same time, quickly withdrawing them from regular passenger service after a short period, because like the VR's examples, the cars were troublesome and unreliable. The last example finally being scrapped in 1931.
VR tried many different types of self propelled rail cars for branch line use. The right one ended up being known as the PERM (Petrol-Electric Rail Motor), later DERM. A variant of the GM/St Louis Car Company doodlebug. The change from PERM to DERM occurred in the 1950's, when the WInton petrol engine was replaced by a pair of GM 6/71 diesels. In service from 1928 to 1991, only one of the DERM fleet has been scrapped. The rest survive at tourist railways.
@@railtrolley I never had the pleasure of traveling on a DERM, but I did do several trips in the late 1970s on the WALKER RAIL MOTORS when they ran the Newport - Werribee shuttle in the days before Werribee was electrified. The Walkers were very comfortable but not smooth riders although that was probably more due to the then state of the track rather than any inherent design deficiencies. I also remember they were somewhat noisy due to the power car being located between the saloon sections. The Walkers from memory survived through to the early 80s when due to their deteriorating and poor condition, they were finally withdrawn. Originally it had been intended for the Walkers to be used for 10 years only.
@@EVISEH That's the 280hp Walker you describe. An unusual design. The only VR rollingstock with Straight 8 engines. When introduced they were painted in a very attractive blue and silver livery. Some good memories from you. The Walkers remained in service a long time - considering how lightly constructed they were. The only railmotor, which could run on the Kerang to Koondrook rail line. This line was probably the last remaining laid with very light 50lb/yard rail. The 102 and 153hp Walkers were only about 20 tons. The DERM, at over 50 tons needed the twin GM's for 500hp.
I wonder why VR didn't just build more DERMs for additional services. Maybe because they were already 20 years old at the intro of the Walker. The Walker introduced another coupling type, making an adapter needed to pull a disabled one out of a section, unless another Walker was available. And another engine type: the Gardner 6L diesel. The Gardner would have helped the Walker remaining in long-term service. It has a good reputation for reliability.
Very interesting and beautiful rail motor car.
Thank you for this video. Beautiful detail and good to see the people who work with this railcar. Makes sense to have a newer engine although I understand that the Caterpillar 3208 needs a bit of special TLC to go the distance. I would imagine that it has been carefully overhauled and is working well within its limits.
That is the coolest thing I've ever seen. Awesome work, guys.
With all those port hole type windows :::
Reminds me of the
20,000 Leagues under the Sea submarines at DISNEY WORLD
We think alike... when the inside was being videotaped, I thought to myself: "If it was said that Jules Verne designed this motor car, everybody would believe it".
what a wonderful magnificent sight. Thank you very much
Great video! I'm working on one in G-Scale (1/32), and this is a great reference!! Thank you for all the cool angles and details!!
Thanks, Paul - can't wait to see your G-Scale McKeen car on TH-cam when it's done!
This is just glorious! If Jules Verne had been given the task of creating a steam-punk railcar this would be the result.
Like the sound of the Air Whistle.
C'mon all you Model Railroad Manufacturers, how about adding one of these to your range.
Excellent video with many different camera angles of this very distinctive piece of rolling stock. Definitely NOT something you see every day. Well done "Bratsbergbanen1". Five stars. Subscribed.
A TRULY IMPRESSIVE RESTORATION!!!
THE MCKEENS WERE VERY RARE!
I CAN EASILY FORGIVE THE RESTORATION TEAM FOR GRAFTING IN THE 3208 CAT!!
LOL YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FIND AN ORIGINAL ENGINE IN ANY SCRAP IRON YARD!!!
KEEP THEM ROLLING BROTHERS!!
👍👍
I would LOVE to see this on the rebuilt V&T someday!
Me too!!!
What a great interior!
Quelle beauté, quel amour des choses bien faites et durables. Merci pour la présentation.
Seven of these were imported in Australia, two to Victorian Railways, five to Queensland. Delighted to (accidentally) find this video of a wroking one!
There is a hint of a ship design here! 😉 Cool machine.
I was lucky enough to ride this beautiful car a few years back. One day I hope it will be reunited with the last remaining McKeen Trailer Car (currently unrestored at the Illinois Railway Museum). The trailer car is much shorter and looks like two rear ends of this car put together.
It looks like a steampunk high speed train
There is absolutely Nothing high speed about this.
My god our ancestors made beautiful things that functioned well. With all our technology today we make crap that is designed to fail. They would be disgusted with us for the mess we make.
One of these was used by the streetcar line that ran between Athens and Nelsonville, Ohio. The line was abandoned by WW 2, and the McKeen has not been found.
Great narration!
@Edward Anderson At least you caught my irony, but... isn't a train more than one car, multiple cars coupled together? I get annoyed at videos - sometimes terrific videos - that offer no actual information. Apparently many do not, as your tiny (wrong) contribution highlights.
Is the colour a standard colour from the Mckeen workshop.
Asking since we only have black and white photos of the Victorian Railways version from Australia.
My feeling is they may have been delivered in standard colours.
Ran on 5 ft 3 in gauge here from 1912 to 1915 before de motored and converted to loco hauled passenger cars.
Totally outstanding and amazing . Would make for a great time ⌚ machine .
Like the video very much.Take care
Fantastic video! I agree with everything @timc333 said. A nice change from the "my morning routine" and "minecraft tips and tricks" videos
Great Job to you All
What a class ride. A work of art. Back when everything wasn't just functional. And windows you could open. Is this the museum that take projects to Rick's Restoration as seen on American Restoration?
Thanks for such a detailed look at this car! I'm working on F&C's HO scale kit, and was trying to find a good reference to design a 3D printable interior/chassis for it.
Thanks for your comment. I didn't even know there was a kit; I may get one for myself! You might have noticed in the video that the museum has a binder full of drawings, photos and other information. If you contact them, maybe they will send you a copy of the car's interior plan. You never know until you ask, I always say!
@@Bratsbergbanen1 Thanks for the info! I managed to finish my interior design, and it seems to have turned out well. I made a video a few years back showing how I motorized the kit, and am now working on another video as I finish the rest of the model. F&C’s kit is based on a very old brass model and doesn’t have the most accurate detail in all areas, but it’s still accurately sized and makes a nice looking model with some work.
Beautiful restoration work .Very spartan interior for the time .Good visual but an audio narration would be appreciated .
WOW! Powered by a CAT 3208, Far Out!
What is the flywheel on the left side of the forward truck? What sort of drive does it use? Mechanical? Electric?
It must be a PTO or clutch
@@TDIMAXDIESEL Speaking of the drive system... is there only one axle driven??
@@jeremyshepard8241 Yes, only one axle driven.
Originally mechanical but due mainly to clutch problems many were converted to Gas-Electric in the 20s & 30s.
Fascinating. I want to know more. Who were the 152 people that owned them. Where did they go in them? How did they interact with an actual train? How fast can they go? Wikipedia here I come!
super bravo pierrot mecanicien 85 ans paris
You know that's an Odd shaped Rail-Car It Looks more like a Miniature Dreadnaught Battleship than a Rail car.
For anyone wanting more info on these fascinating vehicles and their designer, the linked pdf article is a good source. On p.3 it shows a power bogie with its original McKeen 200 HP engine, 2-speed gearbox and chain drive in-situ. utahrails.net/pdf/Kratville_McKeen.pdf
If you're wondering what a similarly massive and low-revving early 20th-century spark-ignition engine might sound like, here's a Hall-Scott railcar engine in the Coolspring Power Museum: th-cam.com/video/Xy6V0FCmw0s/w-d-xo.html
Some narration would have gone a long, long way.
I found the lack of narration refreshing. Just let the equipment speak for itself and enjoy the machinery
@@Jakedog428 I wholeheartedly concur! No stupid music or herky jerky Max Headroom edits either.
@@michigandon Yes, letting the subject pass by without cutting to the next shot to not show you. It's like when the edit happy hacks are showing a sinking ship and they cut it off before it goes under.
What will the next project be?
Молодцы👍
A very neat looking car. This is the first time I have seen one like this car. It looks foreign, is it? Were they ran in the US in scheduled Service?
US built. A handful were ran on in the US in regularly scheduled service, and a few in Australia as well!
About 150 were built altogether. 25 sold to the Union Pacific, 28 to the Southern Pacific and also to 33 other US railroads, also to Canada, Mexico and Australia (Victoria and Queensland).
Wow look at the speed. 5mph? Amazing.
Yep. Craptacular and underwhelming.
Their top speed was apparently 60-70 mph.
wild wild west with james and artemus?
Good evening from SE Louisiana 26 Mar 21.
Will the ever restore one of the trailer care that would have went with this locomotive
This car when found was part of a plumbing store.
I'm born and raised here in Carson City and remember that plumbing store well, it was only a block or so up from the Railroad Museum. I also remember when they tore down the roundhouse in the early 90's, what a shame!!!!!!!!
@@CBLounge2112 that’s pretty cool ...I love that part of Nevada use to go Tahoe every year and of course virgina
Oops city always had a great time up there even at the western pacific railroad museum.
@@1Hogman1zz Well, I hope you make it back here someday good sir!!!
@@CBLounge2112 I will ....want to go to air races
No talking or history on this motor car, just neat photos.
Yes but too much Too much of the T o o o T T O O O O T of the whistle, shut off the sound, ha ha.
I wonder what it had for power when it was built
An engine of William McKeen's own design.
Good videography. Needs some narration to give background information..
Good luck
STEAM PUNK super cool laughed about the cat 3208. Was it gas originally?
Yes. They were built with gasoline engines.
I believe they had an early Cadillac gas engine
Except for the first seven McKeen cars built, they were powered by a gas engine of McKeen's own design.
wow
14:39 whistle
Come on visit to indonesia @ambarawa
Powered by warm malaise’s.... these were young men when the decided to move it...
Why are all of the movements so slow?
Light-weight track, tight curves, short length of line.
I have a pretty good feeling that's not the original engine. Although I've never really read up on it. I've always thought it was kinda ugly.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I think the Art Deco ethos is gorgeous.
Nice restoration except for the paint near the rear of the unit changing shade ,, The other thing is I hate the fact you put plastic seat covings on the passenger seats,, If you wanted to keep authentic they would have been cloth for sure but I understand for cleaning ease. I wish you could have picked something besides a 3208 cat power plant,, at least it will kill any bugs once it's broken in because of the way they smoke unburnt fuel at low RPM's. A inline engine (not gasoline because of the danger with gasoline) would have been more in the line of what was authentic something like a DT466. Sure you had a tight budget and all volunteer labor so good job on your motor car.
The problem is getting enough HP in an engine that fits in the space. The Cat 3208 at its lowest form produces more HP than the lowest HP DT466. At its highest HP rating, the DT466 only equals a mid range Cat 3208. The top 3208 produces 60 HP more than the DT466 military version which is 25 HP higher than the Commercial DT466. So the Cat could produce 85 HP more than the Navistar engine that they likely would have been able to get.
@@gravelydon7072 Looks like you checked out things before picking an engine,, Thanks for the reply. I hope your place there is a big success.
@@plhebel1 Not me, but it looks like they did.
I worked with Bedford, Detroits, Cummins, Cats, FMs, Nordbergs, Deutz, Petter, Hatz, and JD Diesels in stationary use. And EMD, Hatz, Detroits, and ALCo engines in RR use. We've owned Ford, IH, Waukesha, Kohler, Farymann, Petter Diesel engine on equipment we have had.
@@gravelydon7072 Nice, lots of different makes of engines and equipment, outstanding. Yes I was also a field tech trained on CATs 3500's class prime power engines. Worked mostly in power generation. Great job and paid crazy well but also you had to be perfect , without making any mistakes so it was a bit stressful at times. I didn't want to come off as a know it all when writing out my comment or replies, besides I been away from the game for about 15 yrs now. Take care, Paul in Illinois
@@plhebel1 You and I both left the field about the same time. My official retirement date is May 2005. I worked for a Water Management District and before that, directly for the State of Florida. My official training was from Detroit Diesel and was certified on the 71 series engines. But we had the others on the job so we had to learn a bit on them all. We got some of the first Cat 3606 engines used in stationary use so we got to find out about them early on. They replaced the Nordberg Radial Engines and I had to pull a night shift there while both were in operation. Nothing like OJT on an engine on the way out. Although I had been in that pump station any number of times before. We got some smaller Cats when Cummins couldn't keep our 8.3L engines running without a great deal of expense. We had no problem with their N14s though. We had to be cross trained on all the stations as if we had another Hurricane like Andrew, it could have been us that had to go operate one of the other ones. Take care and stay safe, Don in FL or OH depending.
top speed 5 mph?
No, more like 60-70 mph.
whats that I see ?a red flag ,what does a red flag on loco mean?,DO NOT MOVE ,the red flag should have been removed before any movement of loco ,poor maintainence chap was working underneath .well he could have been .
nice bit of history though of this loco ,great rebuild ,surprising what can be achieve through hard work .
A. blue flag means "DO NOT MOVE" The red flag is just to mark the end of the motor car.
@@snoebay88 not in uk it dont ,but red is always danger as it means that trains being worked on and is shown do not move ,typical USA have more incidents crashes deaths etc than anywhere else in world ,
she's very beautiful
What’s the point in riding it when it doesn’t run any faster than anyone can walk?
Volunteers needed : Requirements : Age 70 + , 42" waste line , blue engineers cap ....
what did I leave out ?
Nothing
You forgot your manners.
That car looks like a copy of a Tatra.
Doodlebugs 🥰
They were made by GM but you're close.
I'm going to have to give all of you the middle finger.... i was there, museum was closed; And here's another middle finger
High tech for its day. Need to make a trip there so I can say I rode something so ugly
ja fui maquinista mas essa maquina e muito feia