I seen the B/W film on this engine. I just seen this one in color, no sound though. Thought I would post in case anyone else never saw the color film on this experimental engine.
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
At least the engineer didn't have to worry about losing the reverser key.
Byrdie posted:At least the engineer didn't have to worry about losing the reverser key.
OK, what is a "reverser key"?
Google it.
the film is in remarkably good condition. thanks!
Tidbit of information; the nose windows were made from EMD F unit number board housings.
Hot Water posted:Byrdie posted:At least the engineer didn't have to worry about losing the reverser key.
OK, what is a "reverser key"?
Same function as a gearshift lever, basically. With diesel-electric or electric rail vehicles, it puts the electric motors into forward or reverse. 
Mitch
Hot Water posted:Byrdie posted:At least the engineer didn't have to worry about losing the reverser key.
OK, what is a "reverser key"?
During my HS years I spent several of them as a member and participant at what's now called the Western Railroad Museum in Rio Vista Junction, CA. (It's during those years that I had the opportunity to first chase the 4449 and then later ride behind it.) While primarily electric and traction, all of our powered equipment both diesel and electric (not steam) had a removable brass lever with a square notch that fit into the control stand. Pushing it forward switched the the direction of travel forward, middle position essentially neutral and to the rear = reverse. I was taught the simplest way to keep a unit from moving was to take the reverser key with you.
I clipped this from Google but this is basically what I remember them looking like.
My attempt at a joke above references the fact that the jet engine obviously can't go backwards under its own power.
BYRDIE,
Thanks for your explanation. However, during all my years in the diesel motive power industry, I never heard the term "reverser key" used to describe the standard EMD, GE, ALCO, or FM control stand Reverser. Maybe the term "reverser key" is related to interurban/trolly car controllers. The photo you posted, above, is in no way a standard "reverser" for any diesel electric locomotive I've ever seen. Again, that must be for interurban/trolly cars.
With the cloud of dirt and dust that the jet engines were throwing up around the Budd car and behind it, how could they have ever found a way to implement?
Hot Water posted:BYRDIE,
Thanks for your explanation. However, during all my years in the diesel motive power industry, I never heard the term "reverser key" used to describe the standard EMD, GE, ALCO, or FM control stand Reverser. Maybe the term "reverser key" is related to interurban/trolly car controllers. The photo you posted, above, is in no way a standard "reverser" for any diesel electric locomotive I've ever seen. Again, that must be for interurban/trolly cars.
You're welcome. Guess there are colloquialisms in any industry including the railroads. That's what we called it.
To be fair, at the time I was there we had two diesels, only one of which ran, and one steam locomotive, a shay. The one diesel I had any contact with used a key similar to this that fit onto a square peg. I can't tell if it had been modified so that standard museum equipment could be used rather than having to keep track of a different piece.
You're correct, the balance of the equipment we had was streetcar/interurban/trolley/traction. It would be an overstatement to say they all used this key as there were exceptions but safe to say the majority did. Trying to remember with certainty as it was a lot of years ago but I think even the boat tram we had from Liverpool used this type of reverser.
Standard controller on the NYC sybways, at least through the 1980's, had a reverse key (I don't know what modern equipment has).
As far as this unit goes, I suspect it was more a publicity stunt then a real prototype, to try and give the idea that the passenger rail industry could move "into the jet age" (or at least that is my take on it)..by this point (the1960s) the Central was bleeding red ink all over the place, and I suspect that they knew the handwriting was on the wall for passenger rail service ever competing or being profitable, competing with the airlines especially. The sound level of a jet engine, even the quietest ones, doesn't lend itself to land travel, not to mention the dirt and noise. They basically scrounged jet engines off a junked jet bomber to see what it would do and to attract publicity (I remember seeing publicity stills of the unit, they looked a lot more refined then the one in the picture). This is kind of akin to stories of the "rocket car", the kid putting jato units on an old car (and ending up pancaked into the side of a mountain, according to the myth). Typical of corporations at the time, run into rough seas and find a way to 'market' yourself out of it.....
That said, I still think it is kind of neat to have tried it, it is the kind of rat rod, scrounge up something outrageous, kind of thing I love (used to love the old TV series "Junkyard Wars", used to love yelling every time some team tried using hydraulics on their project, telling them don't be stupid *lol*).
I knew Robert Young was big into extravagant attempts to resuscitate passenger trains while he controlled the NYC, but the date of 1966 caught me by surprise for this experiment. I would have thought Al Perlman would have stopped these forays after Young passed, especially so close to the PC merger...
