Finally i have chosen the 2 Engines that are gonna provide my switching duties...and they are 2 Proto 2000 EMD GP60 EMD Demo units.Although in reality,CSX has already bought and re-painted these units,I Fictiously bought 2 of them from CSX and had the prime movers removed and installed with 2 Rebuilt EMD 645E turbo charged units and had them painted back into original EMD Demo colors.I love this paint scheme!

Soon they both will be equipped with Soundtraxx Tsunami AT-1000 645E sound decoders.I know that the original prime mover for these engines is the 710,but i personally prefer the sound of the 645 with turbo. Besides i don't need 3,800 horsepower to switch a few pieces of rolling stock.I couldn't believe how detailed these engines are,i don't need to add any detail parts,except some Kadee couplers.

I have considered having ditch lights,since i am modelling the modern era(1990-present).I am curious though about the new QSI "Titan" sound decoder,it is supposed to be stereo sound,but i'm not to happy about having to have a programmer to download sounds into the decoder.

Any ideas as to "where" to place the ditchlights? under or on top of the anti-climber?I will be having both sound decoders installed profesionally for $150 a piece including Tsunami decoder and new LEDS.Although these engines are supposed to be DCC ready,i put them on my test track with my NEC DCC controler,and it just made a humming sound,it didn't respond to any throttle control at all.

Can't help with the ditch lights but I do like that loco!

train_guy Wrote:Although these engines are supposed to be DCC ready,i put them on my test track with my NEC DCC controler,and it just made a humming sound,it didn't respond to any throttle control at all.

"DCC Ready" usually means they are easily converted to DCC and that it's not already installed.

railohio Wrote:

train_guy Wrote:Although these engines are supposed to be DCC ready,i put them on my test track with my NEC DCC controler,and it just made a humming sound,it didn't respond to any throttle control at all.

"DCC Ready" usually means they are easily converted to DCC and that it's not already installed.

Oh...Yeah i think your right,oh well,the Tsunami has the DCC decoder built in.

As I understand "ditch lights" from downunder, railroads can choose to mount them above or below the anti-climber.

Go with CSX pattern given you "bought" them from CSX for your shortline.

My thoughts are that they are best mounted above the anti climber, particularly if the territory they run if has significant amounts of snowfall. The anti climber will protect them from damage and a buildup of snow while plowing through light drifts and enable them to do the job they were designed for.

Ditch lights provide illumination of the ditches while travelling [original purpose] and also a safety measure provide a focal distance judgement for motorists at crossings.

Mark

Maybe as a part of your 'story' as to why the units were both re-engined with 645 turbo units you could say the following;

The units arrived from CSX in late summer and CSX had not added fresh anti freeze to their cooling systems to save $$$ because the units were being disposed of.

Your Chief Mechanical Officer was away at the time of their arrival and he left instructions that the units were not to be used until inspected by him personally, and he ended up being away longer than planned and no one thought to check if there was fresh anti freeze and or assumed that there was.

An early and very severe cold snap [perhaps over a holiday weekend] caught the units while they were sidelined cold outside your workshops awaiting the return of the CMO and his personal acceptance inspection.

Net result, both units were cold and the severe early cold snap froze the cooling system resulting in freeze cracking of the engine blocks internal cooling pathways. Both engines were declared write offs due to the extent of the damage.

Your insurer was a tight arse and only provided enough $$$ to cover part of the purchase of 2nd hand reco engines, but not enough money was on hand to stretch for 710 units, so the decision was made to use 645 turbo units that were in stock and ready to go at your parts supplier due to a cancelled order.

So the decision was made after much heated debate, finger pointing, name calling, door slaming, and head butting to fit the 645 Turbo units, in house to save $$$.

Mark

Locomotives don't usually have antifreeze and are kept idling in colder months or drained of water entirely.

Looking back over your first post, I think that we need to adjust your story about the repainting of the units.

How about we say your CMO knows someone in the Mech. Dept at CSX and they were talking and struck a deal which got your shortline two of the Demonstrators at a good price and saved the CSX guy having to repaint them. You will have to check timelines here.

Anyway the units were delivered Dead In Tow and simply parked on one of your shop tracks awaiting your CMO's personal inspection. The reason your CMO was delayed was due to a family bereavement and having to act as executor of the estate and will, organise the funeral etc.

Now working on the Swiss Cheese Slices theory of how disasters happen, it just so happened that your shop ran out of anti freeze and only discovered the problem after close of business on a holiday weekend.

We now have plenty of slices for our Swiss Cheese theory and this is how the two units ended up with frozen and broken cooling systems thus writing off the engines.

Mark

I thought that they did have anti freeze these days. My Bad :oops:

I do know that everyone is trying to reduce the amount of unnecessary idling to save $$$ and fuel and reduce pollution.

Maybe we could introduce a communications error regarding idling and or the fitting of idle start technology or a small idling unit to each.

Im just trying to find a plausible way for you to have a logical reason to have to change both units 710 engines for 645's at the same time.

Mark

Mr Fixit Wrote:Maybe as a part of your 'story' as to why the units were both re-engined with 645 turbo units you could say the following;

The units arrived from CSX in late summer and CSX had not added fresh anti freeze to their cooling systems to save $$$ because the units were being disposed of.

Your Chief Mechanical Officer was away at the time of their arrival and he left instructions that the units were not to be used until inspected by him personally, and he ended up being away longer than planned and no one thought to check if there was fresh anti freeze and or assumed that there was.

An early and very severe cold snap [perhaps over a holiday weekend] caught the units while they were sidelined cold outside your workshops awaiting the return of the CMO and his personal acceptance inspection.

Net result, both units were cold and the severe early cold snap froze the cooling system resulting in freeze cracking of the engine blocks internal cooling pathways. Both engines were declared write offs due to the extent of the damage.

Your insurer was a tight arse and only provided enough $$$ to cover part of the purchase of 2nd hand reco engines, but not enough money was on hand to stretch for 710 units, so the decision was made to use 645 turbo units that were in stock and ready to go at your parts supplier due to a cancelled order.

So the decision was made after much heated debate, finger pointing, name calling, door slaming, and head butting to fit the 645 Turbo units, in house to save $$$.

Mark

Mr Fixit...Excellent story,I'll go with it! I would have to agree with you on the position of the ditchlights,under further investigation of the front anti-climber i noticed the uncoupling lever would be comprimised if mounted under the anti-climber,so above the anti-climber it will be.
Also to add to your story,I the purchaser of these units decided to remove the old nose pieces&cab and additional lights,beacon,and convert them back to standard GP60 specs,and obtained authorization from EMD to repaint these 2 units into original EMD Demo Livery.
Thanks for the story Mark

No worries Don.

You will just have to provide some local knowledge as to a suitable holiday long weekend leading in to your winter to provide one of the Swiss Cheese slices for the disasterous freezing of both the units 710 engine blocks.

Maybe your CMO or someone else in the company with plenty of clout, worked at EMD when the units were built and painted and has an reason towant to repaint them in the Demonstrator scheme.

Like I said, you need a plausible reason for both units to require re-engining at the same time and it seemed to me like a freeze up breakdown at delivery time was the easiest way to go. That way no one gets fired.

Mark

how about the story on the engine swap is that at time of delivery the engines were due for overhaul, which is why they were aquired so cheap. their rebuilder was short, and running behind on 710 rebuilds, but had some 645s that he would make a heck of a deal on that were ready, and the original purchaser had backed out.

Sounds good to me I have the engine at DCC Hobby in Colorado ready for the install of the Soundtraxx Tsunami 645E Sound decoder,I must say though,I've have been going back and forth on whether to have the non turbo version instead of the turbo version.I spent countless hours on Youtube listening to both versions.I really like the turbo,but it tends to drown out the diesel sound,and the non turbo version sounds really cool,and you can really hear the diesel sound,and the generator "whine" when throttled up(I like)...decisions...decisions? :? I decided not to do ditchlights ,since it would have put me over $200.00,oh well.

Don,

As I understand it from my reading of TRAINS and elsewhere, when units are reasigned from road service to switching duties, they have their turbos removed to make them normally aspirated units which is also refered to as de-rating the units. The reason for de-rating the turbos is to reduce maintenance costs as the units seldom notch out into turbo mode while switching.

You could also use this premise as the reason your road chose to take the option of re-engining the units with 645's instead of sticking with the 710 units with turbos.

Someone here in another thread gave the example of the speeds used while switching as less than 10 mph and coupling as 4 mph or less.

I hope this helps with the decision making process.

Mark

I gotta admit I like the paint scheme. And, it is interesting to read of the proposed "history" behind the units.