It's a bird.. It's a plane... No! It's Turbo Train!

[Scottl]

I remember hearing stories about planned tests out west (Calgary to Edmonton?) that were canceled due to the track conditions west of Hornepayne Ontario.
Does anyone know if there is any truth to this and if a trainset was actually sent west and turned around due to track issues?

They couldn't do a slow order, or was it all of the track west of Hornpayne?  That is a lot of track 

[basementcalling]

Completely unfamiliar with prototype.

Good for Rapido though in keeping a promise to Mike.

[nickelplate759]

I have TWO Bachmann Turbos.  I had thought to try and improve them, but there is SO much opportunity for improvement  that it's overwhelming.  Consider that the fact that the bodies are glued/welded together makes even repainting them hard.  I also haven't figured out how to fix the 10' inter-coach spacing without designing and making new trucks.   

I'd buy one (nearly) no matter what the price, but really want two.    Didn't the Nickel Plate run these  ?

George

[Missaberoad]

They couldn't do a slow order, or was it all of the track west of Hornpayne?  That is a lot of track 

The story I heard is that they got that far, and had so many issues that they canceled the test and sent it back east...

I heard this back in my N trak days, and with the people that told it to me I trust there is some level of truth to it. but would love to confirm/bust it either way...

[Scottl]

Interesting, thanks.

[lock4244]

The story I heard is that they got that far, and had so many issues that they canceled the test and sent it back east...

I heard this back in my N trak days, and with the people that told it to me I trust there is some level of truth to it. but would love to confirm/bust it either way...

I'd say picture of it didn't happen.

[rapidotrains]

The story I heard is that they got that far, and had so many issues that they canceled the test and sent it back east...

I heard this back in my N trak days, and with the people that told it to me I trust there is some level of truth to it. but would love to confirm/bust it either way...

The CN Turbo was rushed into service in 1968 after just over one year of testing. There were significant cold weather reliability problems. The snow would get into the intakes and cause havoc. The train was pulled and did not properly enter service again until December 1973.

In January 1969 testing was done at Taschereau Yard with a large snow making machine blowing snow into the intakes. But CN and Pratt & Whitney crews wanted some real-world cold-weather testing so they headed for the Prairies.

Unfortunately, by the time they reached Foleyet the Prairies were in a massive thaw. So they decided to head back to Montreal. They did whatever cold weather testing they could do in northern Ontario.

All of this is well documented in my book, TurboTrain: A Journey. We still have a handful of copies left at the office, out of an original print run of 6000. By Canadian standards that is considered a best seller, but as we aren't a real publisher nobody in the publishing business knew about it!

-Jason

PS if you ever hear anyone tell you the Turbo was "unreliable" or other such nonsense, send the offender to my book. In the 1970s it was the most reliable train in Canada: 97% on time, 99% availability. It was killed for political reasons and not for reliability reasons.

[Missaberoad]

Thank you Jason @rapidotrains I'm sure this is the story I was told with many of the details incorrectly told to me.
Glad to know the real story and it makes alot more sense now... 

The CN Turbo was rushed into service in 1968 after just over one year of testing. There were significant cold weather reliability problems. The snow would get into the intakes and cause havoc. The train was pulled and did not properly enter service again until December 1973.

In January 1969 testing was done at Taschereau Yard with a large snow making machine blowing snow into the intakes. But CN and Pratt & Whitney crews wanted some real-world cold-weather testing so they headed for the Prairies.

Unfortunately, by the time they reached Foleyet the Prairies were in a massive thaw. So they decided to head back to Montreal. They did whatever cold weather testing they could do in northern Ontario.

All of this is well documented in my book, TurboTrain: A Journey. We still have a handful of copies left at the office, out of an original print run of 6000. By Canadian standards that is considered a best seller, but as we aren't a real publisher nobody in the publishing business knew about it!

-Jason

PS if you ever hear anyone tell you the Turbo was "unreliable" or other such nonsense, send the offender to my book. In the 1970s it was the most reliable train in Canada: 97% on time, 99% availability. It was killed for political reasons and not for reliability reasons.

[pmpexpress]

All of this is well documented in my book, TurboTrain: A Journey. We still have a handful of copies left at the office, out of an original print run of 6000. By Canadian standards that is considered a best seller, but as we aren't a real publisher nobody in the publishing business knew about it!

-Jason

How does one go about acquiring one of the aforementioned books?

[nkalanaga]

Mike:  One of Amtrak's made it to Pasco in the mid 70s (before August 78).  I don't remember why, as I'm sure there were no plans to replace the Empire Builder with it, but it did stop, and give public tours.  I have some snapshots, but didn't bother to record the date...

[C855B]

Thank you for confirming my suspicions! Actually, my thinking was UP's constant experimenting, their experience with turbine power, and repeated pre-Amtrak attempts at an L.A.-to-Las Vegas shuttle, something the Turbo Train might have been perfect for. My mention of the Aerotrain, for instance. I know that the DOT/Amtrak train - probably the same train you mentioned - demo'ed up the SP Coast Line from L.A. to San Jose, but how it got into L.A. I don't know yet.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Hmm... gonna put a mini ducted fan in it and make it really blow?

[sizemore]

YES!

The S.

[rapidotrains]

How does one go about acquiring one of the aforementioned books?

You can order the Turbo book from our Swag store:

http://rapidotrains.com/swag/

We only have five left. I have allocated them to the US swag store which means they will show as sold out in the Canadian store. If you are in Canada, please send an email to orders@rapidotrains.com ASAP and let Dan know you want one.

Thanks,

Jason

[dougnelson]

Here are a couple of photos from the dome.  Looking out the rear of the dome you see the train - if you looked out the front of the dome you were looking through the engineer's "cockpit".  Its 1975 and the Amtrak Turbotrain operated between New York and Boston on the schedule of the Amtak's Yankee Clipper.  I was in school in Providence and took the Turbotrain whenever I could to home in New York.  These seats were obviously very popular.  The TT was very loud in Penn Station.  I wish I took more photos.