How many runs did Scale Trains produce of the N scale GTEL 8500 Big Blow?

[peteski]

That is the question.

[ek2000]

Two - first run and N scale convention special edition.

They are likely to do another run from what I'm told.

[C855B]

Isn’t it amazing how a model of an oddball prototype for a single RR produced in a minority scale can generate the kind of interest for three runs in as many years?

[basementcalling]

Isn’t it amazing how a model of an oddball prototype for a single RR produced in a minority scale can generate the kind of interest for three runs in as many years?

It's the Borg. Resistance is futile. 

[sundowner]

I think they done half the number or close to it and each of them match there real locomotive number counterpart.

[learmoia]

I think they done half the number or close to it and each of them match there real locomotive number counterpart.

I doubt they will stop until all they do every number.

Then we just need the rest

[propmeup1]

I have a first run #18. Got to climb all over her a few years ago.   With snot on two axles per unit it will pull 70 loaded hoppers up my 1.34%.    Just got the first gen turbine and hope they do the veranda type. I'd really like to see the 8080 oddball turbine.  It wasn't a winner for the UP but it was an eye catcher.  throw in #50 and i'll take on too.

[CBQ Fan]

I will buy at least one of each run they do, I enjoy the two I have now? 

[robert3985]

I'm pretty sure ScaleTrains will produce the Veranda after a few Standard Turbine runs.  Maybe they'll do the early tenderless Standard Turbine with correct grey trucks in the next run (I'm repainting mine). 

I would buy at least a couple more numbers of the Standard Turbine from the next run, and an equivalent number of Verandas when they come to market.

Without a doubt, I'd buy a #50 too.

Now, I just need half a dozen more Athearn Challengers.

I've got a train schedule for one day in May of 1956 in and out of Ogden/Riverdale, and each and every overtonnage freight with a Standard or Veranda Turbine on the head end, had a 3700 Class Challenger shoving on the rear OUT of Riverdale, with an equal amount of Extra freights numbered X37xx coming IN to Riverdale/Ogden that were just the helper 3700 Class Challengers, running light from Wahsatch at the top of the grade.  They'd get serviced at UP's Ogden Service facilities, turned on the huge Ogden turntable and sent a mile east to Riverdale (with a dirty yellow wooden CA-1 caboose on the rear) to couple up on the rear of another Turbine-pulled east-bound freight.  Each 3700 Class Challenger would do two runs per day...70 miles up, 70 miles back, repeat.  This operating scheme started in March of 1954, the last month that Big Boys (or any coal-fired steam engine) ran on the Wasatch Grade.  Helperless over-tonnage Extra freights started running in 1958 with the arrival of the GTEL Superturbines.  Most photos showing a Standard Turbine or a GTEL Supertubine with a Big Boy behind it were the result of a power redistribution run, since there were more west-bound trains than east-bound trains.  Photos showing a bunch of cabooses on the back of a UP freight were also the result of the unequal east/west flow of trains on the UP.

Here are some inspirational photos showing early turbine/steam lashups...

Photo (1) - Early configuration Standard Turbine without tender at Gateway in Weber Canyon.  Notice the plume of smoke at the end of the train in the distance:


Photo (2) - 3700 Class Challenger shoving on the rear of the above train with a yellow wooden CA-1 caboose in tow:


Photo (3) - Big Boy double-headed with a late-configuration Standard Turbine & Tender on the front.  Turbines were always on the front so as not to ingest ashes & sand, which would damage the turbine blades:


Also note in the last photo that the cars directly behind Big Boy are loaded stock cars.  These were always placed directly behind the engines so crews could easily observe and maintain the animals at the required watering and cooling stops.  Unloaded stock cars were placed wherever convenient in the train.

I need to get my layout set up again SOON!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[ncbqguy]

Bob-
On a mainline railroad you Might get the head brakeman to deal with livestock but the firman and engineer...seriously doubt it!  Stock cars were placed at the head end for easy riding / less slack effect.
Charlie Vlk

[robert3985]

Bob-
On a mainline railroad you Might get the head brakeman to deal with livestock but the firman and engineer...seriously doubt it!  Stock cars were placed at the head end for easy riding / less slack effect.
Charlie Vlk

@ncbqguy Charlie, wellllll....I'm not just guessing at what I wrote.  I read it somewhere in my library of UP reference literature.  I'll see if I can find it in the next couple of days and give it a proper quote. 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[CBQ Fan]

Did the ever doublehead different turbines?

[robert3985]

Did the ever doublehead different turbines?

UP tried running a pair of Standard Turbines with an oil tender between them (#59 & #60), but the experiment was not successful because the trailing unit would often "flame out" in tunnels for lack of oxygen, even after modifications were made to minimize the problem.

Photo (1) - UP Standard Turbines #59 & #60 paired up with a non-typical (for the Standard Turbines) fuel tender:


Because of this flame-out problem that UP Turbines in general had, they were not double headed, and were always placed ahead of the helpers if both were at the front of the train.

After a year or two of operation, the Standard and Veranda Turbines were outfitted to allow additional diesel motive power to be lashed up behind them before 1956 with some odd looking combinations of engines behind such as a GP-9, and an F3 AB running in reverse, with no auxiliary fuel tender, or with fuel tender and two or more GP-9 cabless B-units.

Photo (2) - UP Standard Turbine after receiving fuel tender (post-February 1955) running with two GP-9 cabless B-units:


Some information erroneously says that Veranda Turbine #61 was the first early UP Turbine to be MU'd with additional diesel motive power in 1958, but I have photos of a tenderless Standard Turbine with gray trucks with 3 diesel engines behind it, and their trucks are still gray too, meaning that the photo was taken sometime prior to June of 1954.

So, a Turbine/Turbine double headed train was probably only done once or twice until it became evident that the trailing engine would flame out. 

It appears from the photo of #59 & #60 (silver trucks & a GTEL fuel tender between them) that the double-heading experiment to find possible solutions to the problem was carried out post-1958...after the GTEL 3-Unit Superturbines were introduced.

I can't find any photos of double headed Turbines of any class...so, I think it's a pretty safe bet to say that UP did not double head two turbines.

Bob Gilmore

[CBQ Fan]

UP tried running a pair of Standard Turbines with an oil tender between them (#59 & #60), but the experiment was not successful because the trailing unit would often "flame out" in tunnels for lack of oxygen, even after modifications were made to minimize the problem.

Photo (1) - UP Standard Turbines #59 & #60 paired up with a non-typical (for the Standard Turbines) fuel tender:


Because of this flame-out problem that UP Turbines in general had, they were not double headed, and were always placed ahead of the helpers if both were at the front of the train.

After a year or two of operation, the Standard and Veranda Turbines were outfitted to allow additional diesel motive power to be lashed up behind them before 1956 with some odd looking combinations of engines behind such as a GP-9, and an F3 AB running in reverse, with no auxiliary fuel tender, or with fuel tender and two or more GP-9 cabless B-units.

Photo (2) - UP Standard Turbine after receiving fuel tender (post-February 1955) running with two GP-9 cabless B-units:


Some information erroneously says that Veranda Turbine #61 was the first early UP Turbine to be MU'd with additional diesel motive power in 1958, but I have photos of a tenderless Standard Turbine with gray trucks with 3 diesel engines behind it, and their trucks are still gray too, meaning that the photo was taken sometime prior to June of 1954.

So, a Turbine/Turbine double headed train was probably only done once or twice until it became evident that the trailing engine would flame out. 

It appears from the photo of #59 & #60 (silver trucks & a GTEL fuel tender between them) that the double-heading experiment to find possible solutions to the problem was carried out post-1958...after the GTEL 3-Unit Superturbines were introduced.

I can't find any photos of double headed Turbines of any class...so, I think it's a pretty safe bet to say that UP did not double head two turbines.

Bob Gilmore

That is what I suspected but wanted to verify. So I guess I will just have to run two trains!  😀😎

[sundowner]

On the 59, 60 pairing 59 always lead according to the book Turbine Westward due to issues with 60 leading.`