Our latest arrival is shown here: Toledo Edison #1. It's actually a steeple cab, although the hoods have been removed. It was at East Troy for many years, where work on repairing the cab started but was never completed.Update: And courtesy of our friend Tom Hunter, here it is in service:
I spent the day working on the walls of the 319 again; sanding, cleaning, and repainting. The results are shown here. Another session or two and the walls will be done. I also started sanding down parts of the ceiling for repainting. The paint on the Agasote panels is generally good, but it's peeling off some of the molding strips. That should not be too hard to repair.
11 comments:
Randy:
Are the hoods still in existence? If not I guess that they could be fabricated, no small task. If we have to go to all that work, why not just make a North Shore "Pup" out of it??
Randy Anderson
I was going to post this earlier, but I thought I would see if anyone would comment. The hoods were removed at East Troy for work on the locomotive, they are still up there. The plan is to move them with museum trucks since they are light enough. I should also add that while some people have debated how close to a standard GE pup it is, the cost of new parts installed on the locomotive including brand new air tanks would cost more to purchase than to ship this locomotive intact to Union. Had we not acquired it, it would have likely been scrapped at East Troy.
I helped price new, AAR approved air tanks before. They aren't cheap.
What other new parts did they install? I heard this particular locomotive has a very simple independent-only brake system. Is this true?
TE removed the brake system that originally was in the locomotive, and installed a self-lapping straight air system like the joy switcher. Our plan is to re-install the train air components. It appears much of the piping remains, but cut off or capped over.
From memory, the locomotive includes two new air tanks, had grid work done, had some new control resistors installed, and had some new cabling installed. There were also pre-cut pieces of steel to be welded in as patches in the cab. I haven't been in the locomotive in several months, so I can't remember what else was done.
Sounds like this engine was saved from an East Troy "restoration". I recall seeing it in Toledo in 1990. The engine was apart at that time to have motors rewound etc. Perhaps it has not been back together in over 20 years.
Maybe 10-12 years ago, the then-current "management" of East Troy had intended to make this into a faux-North Shore Line pup. A bit more of the electric tourist railroad versus railroad museum mentality that prevails there. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but clearly shouldn't be confused as being anything similar.
John C
According to Joe Strapac's GE locomotive book, TE#1 has a low clearance cab that would have to be modified to approximate a North Shore "pup". Also, TE#1 is 10 tons heavier and has different motors. I suspect the other dimnsions are very similar, based on the build dates.
I suspect these changes are doable, if you could find and afford a sheet metal artist!
Art Schwartz
It is the intent of this author with consultation of the Electric Car department management to restore this to the Toledo Edison 1, in the yellow paint scheme. There will have to be a few minor modifications (to run on our RR) as well as restoring train air. As others have said, we have the steel for the cab. We are going to be evaluating the motors, compressor and other stuff this weekend, and coming up with a game plan. Of course, any financial help (marked TE1) is always appreciated. We would also like more pictures if anyone has some, thanks to Tom H. for the one he has posted.
Joel Ahrendt
Not an official spokesperson.
Looking at the in service picture it looks like a extension cord reel on the right hood.
See there was a reason for a fireman on electric locomotives, cord tender.
-Hudson
The engine was in one piece when it arrived at East Troy in the mid-90s. It was taken apart for work, and the then-administration decided it needed way more work than they wanted to put in at that time. It hasn't been back together since.
Yes, it had a motorized reel on each hood. Speaking of hoods, their condition is somewhat comparable to that of swiss cheese in spots. Other work performed by yours truly and others at East Troy was removing the bolted-on footplates from the pilots and lowering them to AAR height. The motors were also meggered and the locomotive operated back and forth a few times, but much more thorough work will need to be done.
Jeron G.
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