Coast Guard sends 6 ALCo's to rescue Antarctic ships

[bcp]

This really makes me wonder what the Polar Star sounds like.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way...in-bid-to-rescue-vessels-trapped-in-antarctic

From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Polar_Star_(WAGB-10)

Installed power:
Six Alco 16V-251F diesel engines (6 × 3,000 hp)
Three Pratt & Whitney FT-4A12 gas turbines (3 × 25,000 hp)

 

[Bill Anderson]

I wonder if it really belches smoke upon start up like the old ALCOS did. I once read that this was due to their turbo chargers not kicking in below 18 mph.

Our Puget Sound ferries are powered by EMD 645E engines and use the same turbo chargers that the locomotives do. With the BNSF mainline running past the Edmonds ferry dock, many times back in the 90's I mistook an incoming ferry for a passing train led by SD40-2's.

 

[ironeagle2006]

Well ALCO has for years been the Prime Mover of the Space Program at least here on land. The Crawler Transporter is powered by IIRC 2 16 cyl 251's that provide 3000 hp for traction.

 

[NM_RailNut]

This really makes me wonder what the Polar Star sounds like.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way...in-bid-to-rescue-vessels-trapped-in-antarctic

From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Polar_Star_(WAGB-10)

Installed power:
Six Alco 16V-251F diesel engines (6 × 3,000 hp)
Three Pratt & Whitney FT-4A12 gas turbines (3 × 25,000 hp)

Probably like a mid to late 1960s SP&S freight train when underway, and a C-5 or C-17 on a max load takeoff when icebreaking (since CODAG ships like the Polar Star only use the turbines when their additional power is needed, and icebreaking would definitely qualify as such a need).

 

[NM_RailNut]

I wonder if it really belches smoke upon start up like the old ALCOS did. I once read that this was due to their turbo chargers not kicking in below 18 mph.

Our Puget Sound ferries are powered by EMD 645E engines and use the same turbo chargers that the locomotives do. With the BNSF mainline running past the Edmonds ferry dock, many times back in the 90's I mistook an incoming ferry for a passing train led by SD40-2's.

It may, or at least as much as any of the other Alco 251F powered vessels (I know at least some of the tugs with 251 engines did), although it's possible the rebuilding may have changed this.

I'd forgotten about the ferries having EMD 645Es; I never seemed to notice that at the time, but they sure did sound like a passing BN freight train!

 

[weekendrailroader]

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=polar%20star%20icebreaker&sm=3

There's a couple videos on Youtube of this very ship in action.

 

[Damon Hill]

I got to tour the engine room of one of the new ferries back in the 90s, seemed like there were four of those EMD engines in the hold, or I'm over-remembering in my dotage. Hate to think how loud that would be under way!