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Re: (erielack) U34CH sound (was: EL Motive power arrangements)

Actually while they were very loud on the outside (we were not supposed to
go to passenger run from standby until five minutes before departure from
Hoboken) they were quieter than the GP-40s in the cab.

Some of the greatest sounds were:
1. Accelerating through the Bergen Tunnels leaving Hoboken.
2. Starting from a station stop on any grade, especially Rowe Street, Benson
Street, Watchung Ave, or Towaco.
3. Braking late for a station (those six axles could bring that monster and
it's train to a quick stop).
4. The echo of the exhaust in the Roseville Ave. cut.
5. Watching the red exhaust gases dancing above the stack.
6. The smoke from the stack in freight run would rival any Alco to come out
of the factory. In fact, in later years the U34s would smoke pretty good in
passenger run also.
7. Sitting in Benson Street station in the third notch waiting for two from
the conductor then going to the eighth notch before releasing the train
brakes.
8. Drilling out tie cars forty deep in East Dover with two U34s back to back
in freight run and having to ask for "head room" off the stub to make the
switch.

I kinda miss them.

Steve Kay
- -- 
The railroad's best safety device
Is a well trained, well rested engineer
www.ble272.org






On 8/1/05 2:27 PM, "Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paultup_@_lucent.com> wrote:

> Chuck Walsh wrote:
> 
>> I don't know if this is true, but I've heard that they were
>> amongst the loudest locomotives ever produced.  That I can
>> confirm from
>> first hand experience.  I can just imagine what a TRIO of
>> those units must
>> have sounded like tackling a heavy grade...
> 
> Not sure if that's true, but it would not surprise me. If you've never heard a
> U34CH accelerating, you haven't lived!
> 
> The U34CH's were unique in that the units (when operating in the usual
> "passenger" mode) were always in Run 8. It was particularly unsettling when
> they came into a station stop, roaring away. When stopped, the units were
> LOUD. VERY LOUD. You could hear the radiator furiously sucking in air to keep
> the prime mover cool. When accelerating, the prime mover's speed didn't
> change, but the load increased on the generator, forcing the engine to work
> even harder to maintain the constant RPM. This resulted in a loud (read: LOUD)
> "chug-chug-chug" sound accompanying the accleration to speed. If you've heard
> modern GE's at work, you've experienced a far milder version of the sound.
> 
> I grew up in Boonton, a block away from Wootton Street (about a mile away from
> the station stop). Even though it was a mile away, you could easily hear the
> giant U-boats storming out of town from my house on summer evenings. I miss
> that sound! :(
> 
> - Paul
> 
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