Re: ATSF Steam locomotive # 3751

"Beautiful" is the word ! What was the function of the (apparent) Amtrac B power unit? The old steamer appeared to be under nearly full load judging by the sound it made. Was the Amtrac B there for aux functions, such as air conditioning, etc used in the coaches?

Bob Swinney

My new girlfriend and I were walking in Cardiff By The Sea on Saturday when it passed by. Just an awesome sight to behold.

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Reply to
Robert Swinney
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ac B power unit? =A0The old

e. =A0Was the Amtrac B there

Got to be the reason, Bob. The power needed just for the AC would have killed the generator on the steam loco. I wondered for a while myself when I saw that.

Grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Paul

Reply to
co_farmer

trac B power unit? =A0The old

ade. =A0Was the Amtrac B there

Supposedly, in days of old, they worked out how to get AC from steam for railroad car comfort. Ran across that in an old refrigeration book. No diagrams as to how it worked and I'm pretty sure it wasn't using steam to heat the business side of an absorption unit. Supposedly used the same hookup that they used for steam heating in the passenger cars. Anybody seen anything about it anywhere?

Stan

Reply to
stans4

Amtrac B power unit? =A0The old

made. =A0Was the Amtrac B there

..

Well, after a whole lot of Googling, here is the answer :

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Paul

Reply to
co_farmer

B power unit?  The old

made.  Was the Amtrac B there

??

Reply to
Cliff

Water truck. Pump water thru a hose from truck to fill hatch on top of tender.

Originally built(1927) with 15000 gallons water and twenty tons of coal capacity.

Converted(1938) to oil burner, 7101 gallons and 20000 gallons of water.

Industry practice was 100 to 200 miles before water stop.

Link to organization that owns the locomotive:

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Oh yeah, the power unit behind the loco provides electricity to the passenger cars. The stream dynamo generator of the loco probably produces a different voltage than what the cars want. And the amp load is probably more than it can safely handle. I think at one time there was a steam generator in the tender to provide power for the cars. In some instances there were steam lines that ran to the cars to run dynamos that powered ammonia refrigerated air conditioners. Other instances of belt driven compressors for the air conditioners.

Reply to
Alphonso

Did you whip out your bog & wave it at her? Was she impressed?

Reply to
Cliff

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