Vision GG1 First Look

Rusty,

Great picture, I was born in the ate 50's and never really got to see a GG1 up close or even from the vantage point of the Engineer.  Tiny space and windsheild  - I am not sure I would be confortable in that little space -

what I wouldn't give to be in the cab of a GG1 at 100+mph with the congressional behind me or the 1938 20 Century at 100 storming to chicago

 During a side trip to the Virginia Transportation Museum as part of York week back in 2006 I was able to get into the cab of the GG1 they have on display. A museum worker must have left the door open to the GG1 so I climbed up into the cab for a personal tour. These are not great pictures.

I could have stayed in the cab longer, but it was kind of dark as you can see, and there were spider webs every where. I don't do spiders at all!

Merry Christmas to all!

Richard

I think they are great pictures.  For all the beauty and grace of the exterior lines of these beasts, the inside looks like something from a horror movie.  Photo #2, look at that pipe on the left.  Looks like the big A stuff to me.....LOL  By the way, can you describe what the third photo is ?  It's the only one I'm having difficulty figuring out.

Richard Gonzales posted:

An unbeliever indeed!

Except for Santa Claus.

Richard 

Well, believe, because they are real!

Tunnel Transition

Well Big  Jim,

Seeing how we all down here in southwest Tennessee ain't never seen one of them there GG1's a'running before we all gonna take y'alls word for the gospel truth!!!

I am not sure if the pantograph on a VL GG1, especially that sparky thing,  would last very long hitting one of those things!

Take Care,

Richard

Rusty Traque posted:

Yep, not a lot of room inside a GG1:

The last time I was at the RR museum at Strasburg, last year, they had E44 # 4465's cab open and a docent inside. That one had a nice open cab. I'd commented to the docent that I was sad they hadn't opened up the nearby GG1's cab and he said, "No, you wouldn't like that cab and we can't do tours of it because it's tighter than a phone booth in there". I'd never read much about GG1 cabs and though I've seen several of them in person, had never been inside one before. I hadn't known that before then.

For the hoggers transitioning from steam to electric (if such a thing actually happened, considering how long electric had been working on the PRR before the GG1s came around), I bet it felt confining to be in that cab.

I am not sure Dan, those pictures are 10 years old. I think I was trying to get a picture of the other cab.

Richard

The GG1's cab placement amidship was felt to be the safest position for the engine crew.  Earlier box cab P5's were found to offer little protection for the crew in a collision.  And so the body was reworked on subsequent P5's and rebuilds into a center cab affair, where it was felt the crew might stand a chance during an accident.  The riveted carcass of the modified P5 was the inspiration for the new GG1 styling, and luckily, Lowey had enough influence with PRR to demand a butt welded body.

I suspect there was enough creature comforts inside the GG1 to delight any crew member who was used to being exposed to the eliments in most steamers of the period.  Who wouldn't be happier with dirt, noise and heat brought down to manageable levels? 

Bruce

Catenary: I have system I designed prior to obtaining my 3D printer (B3D). It's similar to the one that OGR Ad Man has on his layout. I combine elements of several systems; Marklin wire with Pittman catenary Erect-a-Wire poles

With the additional Vision GG1s I will have a dozen engines that have pantographs so i will be going from design to build. However, the catenary will be higher that the extension of the pantographs to avoid damaging either and not to strain my IMAGINATION!

Richard Gonzales posted:

Pete  and Gweedo

I appreciate your answers. It looks like they are not kidding when they say to read the instructions before you put this engine on the track.

My MTH cantilever signals are 5 inches between the  top of the rail and the bottom of the cantilevered arm  l will have to shim the cantilever signals up higher for sure.

 Thanks and Merry Christmas!!

Richard

If the pantograph lowers all the way down, then the height when up is about what has been measured, but it can change with the snugness of the two bottom screws on the bottom hinges. It seems to be designed to be able to push down against springs when it's up, but if it is up, it can be pulled up farther by hanging it up on something like a tunnel . The fix for setting the height back to what it should be by lowering the pantographs by shutting the engine down, and then carefully pushing the pant all the way down, snug up the screws. It may be prudent to slightly loosen the screws first before pushing it down all the way. The pants are all metal and are reasonably strong.

3 of these beauties came into Imperial Train Company today. 2 are already gone. The Tuscan is on the shelf. Tested and working perfectly.

In 1950, Lionel suggested when the GG1s approach a TOO-LOW tunnel use a  "pantograph skid". 

Not sure this will work with todays GG1s however.

Try it again ALANRAIL.

The sound is excellent.  When the GG1s were still running I used to see and hear them as the came and went to 30th Street Station.  The horn sounds exactly as I remember it on the prototypes.  

AlanRail posted:

In 1950, Lionel suggested when the GG1s approach a TOO-LOW tunnel use a  "pantograph skid". 

Not sure this will work with todays GG1s however.

I believe that's another new feature with their scale pantographs.  Previous scale GG1's from Lionel, ones with automatic pantographs, couldn't follow the typical varying heights of trolley wire when in the deployed position. 

With all the talk about the sparking, the synchronized arcing noise that goes along with it gets no notice.  Anyone familiar with street cars knows that resonating twang.  Not so much confined to the pans themselves, but an electric snapping echo that is transmitted along the trolley wire.  That sound feature alone adds much to the believeability of the sparking pans IMO.

Bruce

AlanRail posted:

In 1950, Lionel suggested when the GG1s approach a TOO-LOW tunnel use a  "pantograph skid". 

Not sure this will work with todays GG1s however.

I'd like to see what one looks like...

One idea I have is to put a sensor track before my low Lionel bridge to lower the rear pantograph if I forget. I guess I need one after the bridge to raise it...maybe.

And maybe not...I took the cross braces off the Fastrack steel bridge. I think I'll cut off the bottom X on the end ones and that will give me about 6 1/2 inches or more.

StPaul posted:

im just kidding some now but I never met an electric engine that had a smoke unit but 

am sure they have a steam generator that gives off steam hence the smoke effect!

I know we are all used to saying smoke unit. the video was okay am sure as time marches forward they will develop a style and feel more at ease.

viewing the video on an ipad the sound volume maxed out the voices were really weak am guessing either ipad issue or they did not use microphones attached to there shirt.

Exhaust smoke came out of the Vapor-Clarkson OK-4630 steam generators on the real GG-1s, not steam. I saw it (and smelled it) many times. Also watched as the fuel and water tanks were filled at the engine facility at Sunnyside Yard. Steam went through the trainline to the trailing passsenger cars. The only time white steam vapor came out of the top of the locomotive was if the safety valve lifted on the steam generator. Diesel oil was burned as fuel. The GG1 had a 424 gallon fuel tank. The same model steam generators were used on EMD passenger diesels, probably other manufacturers locomotives as well. They were rated at 3000 lbs of steam per hour.

GREENRAIL posted:

SantaFeJim posted:

TrainingDave posted:

SantaFeJim posted:

Never been a fan of the GG1's and I do not know much about them.  But I do have a question.

What are they "topping off" in the cab chatter?  Window washing fluid?  

Steam generator was diesel.

Thank You,

Actually, I believe the GG1's that had Steam Generators, had Boilers to produce the steam not diesel. Sorry to be so anal about that. The original diesels used in Passenger service had Boilers for steam generation. Diesel HEP, came about in the late 1950's and took complete hold during he early Amtrak era.

The Vapor-Clarkson OK-4630 burned diesel oil as fuel for flashing water into steam. As for the "topping off" chatter, well that's just lame. The fuel was filled between runs at the enginehouses in Sunnyside, Ivy City, Harrisburg, etc. by engine hostlers.

The road engineer didn't just pull off at the local gas station to "top off" his tank.