Union Pacific GTELs

The Union Pacific Railroad owned the world's largest fleet of gas turbo -electric locomotives (English gas turbine - electric locomotive, GTEL ). The first prototype, the UP50, was built by Alco -GE for freight transport over long distances and placed in service in 1948 on Union Pacific. This was followed by three other production groups, which were in operation until rising fuel costs made ​​it uneconomic in the 1970s.

Prototype

Union Pacific had always sought to have the biggest and best technical locomotives. In the 1930s, the first attempts had already been made ​​with two steam locomotives, which were not satisfactory, however. Even before the Second World War resulted in a Union Pacific diesel locomotives, which were mainly used in front passenger trains. To achieve the traction force of a large steam locomotive, four of these diesel engines would have been required. Union Pacific stated that the maintenance costs of a locomotive from its drive performance were independent and thus few powerful locomotives would be cheaper to maintain than a larger number of weaker locomotives. It was therefore looking for a drive concept with greater performance. General Electric had experience with the construction of gas turbines for aircraft and suggested to use a gas turbine drive as a strong locomotive. Union Pacific came to the conclusion that turbine locomotives are best used before long freight trains. When driving at a constant speed over long distances without stops the turbines over a long period of time could be operated in an economical speed range.

After expressions of interest on the part of Union Pacific Alco -GE built a prototype, GE 101, which in 1948 was delivered. This locomotive was renumbered later in UP50 and painted in Union Pacific colors, although it never was owned by Union Pacific. Unlike most North American locomotive types with internal combustion engines, this locomotive cabs had at both ends of the vehicle. The cabs were similar to those of the same built by Alco -GE ALCO FA locomotive family. On the side of the locomotive were numerous ventilation grille, which could be opened and closed in different constellations. The axle formula was ( Bo'Bo ') ( Bo'Bo '). The turbine produced an output of 4,800 hp ( 3.6 MW ), of which 4,500 hp ( 3.4 MW ) were available as drive power. That was more than double the performance of diesel-electric locomotives at that time. In addition, a small diesel engine was mounted, was used to rank the engine and to start the turbine. The turbine was started with diesel fuel, followed by automatic switching to Bunker C oil. The locomotive was about 24 m long and 230 tons.

After intensive testing of the prototype three production series built by turbine locomotives. Union Pacific had to replace the intention of the then retiring from service steam locomotives from Big Boy by turbine locomotives.

Originally, the use of gas turbine locomotives on the route between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City was provided. Due to the loud noise her operation was not approved in the city of Los Angeles.

First production series

The very first series with the locomotives 51 to 60 was delivered in 1952. These cars were identical to the prototype except for the lack of a second cab. The turbine locomotives almost always drove around with fuel tenders, which converted a Tender of steam locomotives were used with a capacity of 87,000 l. The tender received through control cables for multiple-unit operation (English multiple-unit train control, MU) to allow multiple. Unit 57 has now been rebuilt on Propanfeuerung and received a Druckgaskesselwagen as a tender. Propane burns much cleaner than oil, but it is difficult to transport, so the conversion was finally undone and no other locomotives were rebuilt.

Second production run

The second production run with the 61 to 75 locomotives were delivered from 1954. These locomotives differed in appearance from those of the first production run. Covered, open-sided maintenance programs on both sides brought them the nickname " verandas ". The ventilation grilles could no longer be closed. Turbine and electric motors remained the same.

Third production series

The third production series with the units 1 to 30 was delivered from 1958 to 1961. This differed greatly from the previous two model series: A larger turbine with an output of 8,500 hp ( 6.3 MW ) was installed, and at each unit there was a double locomotive from two permanently coupled six-axle vehicles. The drive configuration of each unit was Co'Co ' Co'Co '. A vehicle contained the cab, auxiliary diesel and further units, while the other vehicle turbine and generator housed. Both parts of a unit wore the same number; to distinguish the number of führerstand loose part was therefore a "B " is added ( führerstand loose booster locomotives in North America as well as B-units called ).

At sea level, the turbine could produce a maximum output of 10,000 hp ( 7.5 MW), the generator, however, was only designed to 8,500 hp ( 6.3 MW ). To date, this turbine is one of the most powerful drives that were ever installed in a single rail vehicle.

The third batch, was given the nickname "Big Blow" because of the noise generated by them, displaced in time the units 51 to 75 from the service. As with the older model series problems with clogged fuel filters had occurred, these were removed and the fuel instead filtered before refueling.

The turbine locomotives transported at times more than 10 % of the freight traffic on Union Pacific. Fuel consumption was high, about twice as large as that of an equivalent diesel engine performance. In order to reduce fuel costs, the turbines were therefore operated with cheap bunker C oil. However, Bunker C is very viscous when cold. Fuel tender were therefore equipped with a heating device, heated up to the oil to about 90 ° C. At all turbines occurred over time carbon deposits and corrosion of turbine blades by aggressive residues on.

Decommissioning

The cost advantage of Bunker C dwindled when the refineries began to crack heavy oils and simultaneously increase the demand in the plastics industry for petroleum products. Rising fuel costs accounted for the gas turbines uneconomical compared to other, more efficient combustion engines. The last turbine locomotives were retired in 1970. The chassis and some other parts were used for diesel-electric locomotives GE U50 locomotive family.

Two units of the last production series remained. Unit 26 is located in Ogden (Utah ) and unit 18 in the Illinois Railway Museum. Some tenders were re- converted to a Tender respondents for the steam locomotives of the Union Pacific.

Experimental coal dust turbine locomotive

In October 1961, Union Pacific constructed its own experimental turbine locomotive. For this purpose, a diesel-electric locomotive of the type ALCO PA-2 as a front vehicle cab, a purchased as scrap from the Great Northern Railway chassis of an electric locomotive of type GE W-1 and the (modified ) turbine of a locomotive from one of the first two production groups be used. The association initially was given the number 80 and in 1965 re-drawn in 8080 to avoid a numbering conflict with the newly purchased locomotives from EMD DD35. The drive configuration of the Association was (A1A ) ' (A1A ) ' ( Bo'Do ') ( Do'Bo '), for a total of 18 axes, 16 of which were driven. A " Centipede " Tender (drive configuration 2'5 ) a Big Boy steam locomotive was a coal mill to grind coal to coal dust and feed it to the turbine. The turbine produced by this fuel a power output of 5,000 hp ( 3.8 MW). The maintained diesel engine of the leading locomotive produced a performance of a further 2,000 hp ( 1.5 MW). The overall performance of the vehicle combination was 7,000 hp ( 5.3 MW). The coal increased the problems with carbon deposits and wear of turbine blades yet. To grind the coal fine enough, also proved problematic; to large coal particles could damage the turbine blades. The experiment was finally classified as a failure and scrapped the unit. While the conventional gas turbines up to their retirement each laid back more than a million miles in service, the pulverized coal turbine prototype was written off after 10,000 miles.

Swell

• Historical UP locomotives: Gas turbine locomotives
• Gas turbine locomotive FAQ
• Gas turbines FAQ - NE Rails
• Union Pacific story 1934-1982 part 3
• Locomotive Engineers Journal; July, 1949
• Don's Depot Railroad Photos
• Colour of UP26 UP29 and