What a Great Old Gal !!! I hope she's still around and earning money. Just Love that Chug of that McIntosh & Seymour/Alco 539 - 6 cyl. !!! Great video as always : )
I photographed and measured one of these in Buffalo in 2008. It was very satisfying to open the hood doors and see "McIntosh & Seymour" on the engine block.
A well composed video of one of ALCO's early diesel locomotives with detailed views highlighting many of the unique items of this locomotive. According to my research the diesel was at least 61 years old when this video was shot. Thanks so much for this interesting video.
Not sure if #601 is still in operational condition these days but I know sometime between when this video was shot in 2001 and later on in it's career in 2003 it's trucks were rebuilt with roller bearings instead of sleeve bearings. Obviously someone thought the unit was worth enough value to rebuild it's trucks to a modern standard. So that leaves me at least a little hopeful it's still around/operational.
Henry. This is a very historic locomotive. The bearings had to be changed because many railroads will no longer allow solid bearing journals on their tracks. They had to be changed, or the unit had to be loaded on a flat car to be brought to where it would be preserved.
@@brianburns7211 Your comment reinforces my prior statement that the unit was obviously worth enough in someone's mind to consequently have it's trucks rebuilt with roller bearings verses the unit being placed into historical preservation or sidelined with a uncertain future. Subsequently sleeve bearings actually - are - legal to be used on privately owned an operated rails not under the jurisdiction of FRA rules and regulations thus the unit could consequently work without it's trucks needing to be modernized so long as the unit was to remain on privately owned and operated trackage. Transporting the unit between locations could be done. However most industries interested in acquiring motive power such as #601 acquire them in multi-year lease agreements reducing the likelihood of the unit needing to be transported much if at all under normal circumstances. Nonetheless my interest isn't so much with the legalities of what the FRA's current opinions on what is or isn't safe but rather on the units operational condition and continued existence. A additional note is that - no - railroad that currently operates under FRA jurisdiction is legally allowed to have any equipment move on those same FRA governed rails if it has sleeve bearing trucks. The railroads themselves do not decide what is or is not allowed on their trackage but rather follow stipulations defined by the FRA themselves. Furthermore as stated previously sleeve bearing trucks are legal so long as they operate on privately owned and operated trackage that is not part of the FRA's national rail transportation network thus being under their jurisdiction. Having worked for UP for nearing 18 and a half years now I'm well aware of what is or is not allowed in this industry. Hence why I found it peculiar yet encouraging seeing #601's trucks rebuilt.
Henry. I think the whole argument is stupid against plain bearings. Many units still use plain traction motor support bearings, although newer equipment has roller bearings, and some older units have been upgraded. I too have been on the railway for over 20 years. There is plenty of equipment in work service with plain bearings. Our rule is that this equipment can’t be used in key trains which have high numbers of hazmat cars, or even one extremely dangerous load. My comment was not to challenge what you said. A big part is that the railroads aren’t equipped to deal with old plain bearings. I know a museum near me which had a couple of Alco switchers with plain bearings moved by a class 1. Others just don’t want to deal with it, so they refuse to move the unit. In that case changing bearings is the only way to move the unit, except for a flatcar.
I think this is the same engine that was stationed at Arcanum , Ohio for many years. It served a grain elevator west of town on the very old big4 line to Indy. same color same model. the tracks to get to and including Arcanum are long gone.
Nicely done. I like the close ups of the trucks. Bloomberg trucks they aint. I dont see any primary or secondary springs but I know they (at least secondary) are in there somewhere. I love the Alco four stroke sounds ... chugga chugga compared to an EMD small block Chevy sound heh?
The trucks were known as Blunt trucks after their designer's name. They were an ALCO proprietary design and were known for their better tracking ability on rough track. ALCO only switched to the AAR design under pressure from the AAR to have an industry common standard. The springs are internal in the bolster area.
I just went to see if I could find Relco's website & it's temporarily down. Was hoping to find out the going rates for our tiny yellow friend in your video. Seems they were just bought out by Wabtec. Hope this does not mean anything grim for the future of their two HH660s.
Old Alcos and Baldwins, especially the normally aspirated models, tend to have a tractor-ish sound due to the big cylinder displacement and low rpm. Glad you enjoyed this.
What a Great Old Gal !!! I hope she's still around and earning money.
Just Love that Chug of that McIntosh & Seymour/Alco 539 - 6 cyl. !!!
Great video as always : )
I photographed and measured one of these in Buffalo in 2008. It was very satisfying to open the hood doors and see "McIntosh & Seymour" on the engine block.
A well composed video of one of ALCO's early diesel locomotives with detailed views highlighting many of the unique items of this locomotive. According to my research the diesel was at least 61 years old when this video was shot. Thanks so much for this interesting video.
Great video of a real old work horse. Even the horn sounded old.
Great video still working at 50+ years. Thanks for sharing. Dave
Dave's Trains More like 80 years!
Not sure if #601 is still in operational condition these days but I know sometime between when this video was shot in 2001 and later on in it's career in 2003 it's trucks were rebuilt with roller bearings instead of sleeve bearings. Obviously someone thought the unit was worth enough value to rebuild it's trucks to a modern standard. So that leaves me at least a little hopeful it's still around/operational.
Henry. This is a very historic locomotive. The bearings had to be changed because many railroads will no longer allow solid bearing journals on their tracks. They had to be changed, or the unit had to be loaded on a flat car to be brought to where it would be preserved.
@@brianburns7211 Your comment reinforces my prior statement that the unit was obviously worth enough in someone's mind to consequently have it's trucks rebuilt with roller bearings verses the unit being placed into historical preservation or sidelined with a uncertain future. Subsequently sleeve bearings actually - are - legal to be used on privately owned an operated rails not under the jurisdiction of FRA rules and regulations thus the unit could consequently work without it's trucks needing to be modernized so long as the unit was to remain on privately owned and operated trackage. Transporting the unit between locations could be done. However most industries interested in acquiring motive power such as #601 acquire them in multi-year lease agreements reducing the likelihood of the unit needing to be transported much if at all under normal circumstances. Nonetheless my interest isn't so much with the legalities of what the FRA's current opinions on what is or isn't safe but rather on the units operational condition and continued existence.
A additional note is that - no - railroad that currently operates under FRA jurisdiction is legally allowed to have any equipment move on those same FRA governed rails if it has sleeve bearing trucks. The railroads themselves do not decide what is or is not allowed on their trackage but rather follow stipulations defined by the FRA themselves. Furthermore as stated previously sleeve bearing trucks are legal so long as they operate on privately owned and operated trackage that is not part of the FRA's national rail transportation network thus being under their jurisdiction. Having worked for UP for nearing 18 and a half years now I'm well aware of what is or is not allowed in this industry. Hence why I found it peculiar yet encouraging seeing #601's trucks rebuilt.
Henry. I think the whole argument is stupid against plain bearings. Many units still use plain traction motor support bearings, although newer equipment has roller bearings, and some older units have been upgraded.
I too have been on the railway for over 20 years. There is plenty of equipment in work service with plain bearings. Our rule is that this equipment can’t be used in key trains which have high numbers of hazmat cars, or even one extremely dangerous load.
My comment was not to challenge what you said. A big part is that the railroads aren’t equipped to deal with old plain bearings. I know a museum near me which had a couple of Alco switchers with plain bearings moved by a class 1. Others just don’t want to deal with it, so they refuse to move the unit. In that case changing bearings is the only way to move the unit, except for a flatcar.
Cool video! I think it's the reason the Atlas HO scale HH switchers in the Relco paint scheme sold out so fast.
I think this is the same engine that was stationed at Arcanum , Ohio for many years.
It served a grain elevator west of town on the very old big4 line to Indy. same color same model.
the tracks to get to and including Arcanum are long gone.
Nicely done. I like the close ups of the trucks. Bloomberg trucks they aint. I dont see any primary or secondary springs but I know they (at least secondary) are in there somewhere. I love the Alco four stroke sounds ... chugga chugga compared to an EMD small block Chevy sound heh?
The trucks were known as Blunt trucks after their designer's name. They were an ALCO proprietary design and were known for their better tracking ability on rough track. ALCO only switched to the AAR design under pressure from the AAR to have an industry common standard. The springs are internal in the bolster area.
Those weren't Alco prime movers back then-they were McIntosh & Seymour 531 or 538 in-line sixes.
@@Greatdome99 Alco purchased McIntosh & Seymour in 1929, long before this locomotive was built. So yes, it WAS an Alco prime mover.
I just went to see if I could find Relco's website & it's temporarily down. Was hoping to find out the going rates for our tiny yellow friend in your video. Seems they were just bought out by Wabtec. Hope this does not mean anything grim for the future of their two HH660s.
The engine sounds like an old tractor and the horn sounds like someone blowing their nose lol. Cool Video
Old Alcos and Baldwins, especially the normally aspirated models, tend to have a tractor-ish sound due to the big cylinder displacement and low rpm. Glad you enjoyed this.
Where is that thing now? I'd like to see it myself!
RELCO facility in Mt. Vernon IL.
Cool video. Thumbs up! :)
In which year was that?
As stated in the description, 2001
@@fmnut Thanks
I know I have probably said this on a lot of your videos but does the engine still exist?
Last I knew it was returned to RELCO and kept there as a shop switcher.
Railroad,Preserver,2000 It does still exist, it now works a cement plant in Gary Indiana.