U30B SLSF 846 - XR Series Cab Subbase Side Lettering - Extra Reliable Series

Discussion in 'U30B' started by rogerrt477, Aug 14, 2001.

  1. rogerrt477

    rogerrt477 Guest

    U30B SLSF 846

    U30B SLSF 846

    Thayer, MO.

    4/13/1979
     

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  2. roger

    roger Guest

    U30B SLSF 846

    U30B SLSF 846

    Erie, PA before the XR Series lettering was applied.

    5/1973
     

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    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 17, 2024
  3. cnwtrainman

    cnwtrainman Member Frisco.org Supporter

    I have been looking through my Frisco diesels book and I am thinking that the U28B might be "close enough" for a FRISCO U30B.

    Any thoughts? :D
     
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  4. Rick Morgan

    Rick Morgan Member

    Frisco U30B 846 was one of two GE U-boats delivered with lettering for the "Xtra Reliable Series".

    It was marketed from mid-1972 as a response to EMD's "Dash-2" line.

    SLSF 846 was billed as GE's 2500th domestic U-boat as well.

    L&N U30C 1499 received similar lettering as well as a special paint scheme to introduce the line in August 1972.

    SLSF 846 is shown at Lindenwood Yard, St. Louis, MO on November 28 , 1974.

    Rick Morgan
     

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  5. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    846 and her older sister rest at the SY Diesel Shop on a December 1974 day.
     

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  6. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Nice shot, now one can see where those roof top details are or were supposed to go.

    Thanks for posting.

    Tom
     
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  7. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    I wonder, is Atlas looking at this for their U30B?
     
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  8. FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018)

    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018) Passed Away April 12, 2018 Frisco.org Supporter

    Does anyone know when U30B SLSF 846 locomotive was repainted without the "XR Series" lettering?

    Thanks in advance.
     
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  9. RogerRT

    RogerRT Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Bob,

    The last photograph I saw with the XR lettering was in June 1977

    It was pictured in Frisco Diesel Power on page 136.

    When I saw the SLSF 846 on 7/10/1977, I did not note any XR markings when it went thru Thayer, MO.

    Roger R. Taylor
    Raytown, MO
     
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  10. FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018)

    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018) Passed Away April 12, 2018 Frisco.org Supporter

    Roger this may fall into the "stupid question" category, but did it look like it had just been repainted since it was only a month later?
     
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  11. nickmolo

    nickmolo Member

    The few photographs I have and research has placed the SLSF 846 without the XR logo in the 1978 to 1979 period.

    I model that period and therefore unfortunately will not need the XR paint.
     
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  12. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    I model same time as you do, but I hope to see U30B XR rolling down my railroad anyway.

    It is called rule #1.

    Ethan
     
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  13. HWB

    HWB FRISCO.org Supporter

    I am with Ethan on this.

    I model whatever time I want it to be.

    So the XR will be present on the Avard Subdivision helping those cantankerous SDs along
     
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  14. RogerRT

    RogerRT Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Bob,

    I looked at my notes and I remember that day.

    It was in the lead southbound on a late Sunday afternoon. As I recall it looked just like the other 3 U30Bs behind it, 859, 841 and 840, with red caboose SLSF 1283. At the time I did not know that the SLSF 846 had special lettering. So if it had XR on it I am sure I would have noticed it.

    I did note that the inbound locals had already arrived with the SLSF 632 in black and yellow colors from Springfield with caboose SLSF 1400. SLSF 650 from Memphis with caboose SLSF 1406 and the SLSF 851 was dead facing north on the north end of the industry track off the main next to the Clover lumber shed.

    In my 4/13/1979 photograph you can see the area were the XR was located. The paint is lighter than the rest of the locomotive so they did not repaint the whole engine.

    Sorry but that is the best I can do.

    Roger
     
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  15. This is nice.

    I have two U30Bs on the layout at the Oklahoma Railway Museum. This is one and SLSF 853 the other. SLSF 846 has the XR lettering on it as it did when delivered. I run SLSF 846 and SLSF 853 together and have speed matched them.

    They have the factory Atlas decoders in them but will probably put TCS decoders in them so I can have the nose lights independent of the upper headlight. Although the nose lights Atlas has are not correct and can make the nose lights work as gyralights. Per an Ex Frisco engineer at the museum, I gleaned information about them from him since he had operated them.

    Have the amber flashers to go on the cab roofs as well. Have matching wide vision caboose hanging on the tail end. No freds on this layout, not yet anyway. Also have one of the ex ATSF cupola cabooses without the roof walks from Intermountain, I believe.

    Had 2 U25Bs but they were destroyed in a wreck. Fell to the floor due to someone, not me, not paying attention with the walk through section open. Did not have safety interlocks installed yet to keep trains from plunging to the floor. However, the layout immediately went into safety stand down at the end of the day of tragedy and interlocks were operational that evening.

    Nice Bowser units and I was quite disturbed over this incident that occurred 3 or 4, or was it 5, years ago. Anyhow, I sadly picked up the destroyed units off the floor and as Darrin McGavin did in A Christmas Story quietly buried my prized possessions in my back yards that summer evening with taps playing.

    Not really, put them in a box after surveying the wreckage for salvageability and determined I could possibly make one good unit from the remains of the two but have as yet to do so. Was quite heartbreaking to me as they were the first Frisco units I obtained to operate on the layout.

    However, last week I actually pulled the box with their remains out from its burial site under the layout and made my new years resolution to rebuild both into one good unit. Once done it will probably be speed matched and spliced between the U30Bs unless I opt to have it in the lead as weakest units should preferably lead or run it as a single unit with the Frisco ex ATSF caboose as a cab hop.
     
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  16. geep07

    geep07 Member

    On the U30B "XR Series" SLSF 846, what type radio antenna did it have or did it have one?

    John
     
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  17. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

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  18. Sirfoldalot

    Sirfoldalot Frisco.org Supporter Frisco.org Supporter

    Pardon me for asking dumb questions, but which horn is that with all 5 bells facing forward?

    And which horn is it with 3 facing forward and 2 facing backward?
     
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  19. Horns can be set up to have the individual bells, each horn or trumpet facing all forward or some, usually 3, forward and 2 backward.

    They are arranged by the musical note sound per bell facing forward and back.

    5 chime horns could be something like a Nathan K5LA, M5, P5A or the Leslie S5T as seen on the SLSF 846 in the picture above.

    The K5LA came to be the horns of choice since introduced to the United States for Amtrak F40s. K5L had been a Canada only horn, but a version was made for US and the A suffix denoting American was added to make the new model number, although some say the A was denoting it for Amtrak who wanted to get the K5L.

    Chessie beat Amtrak to the punch and used them first. K5LAs and other 5 chime horns have been known and seen made with all 5 bells forward or 3 forward and 2 backward. An S5T on one railroad could have all bells forward, while another railroad could have an S5T with 3 forward and 2 backward.

    Gulf Mobile and Ohio (GM&O) had diesels with S5Ts having 4 forward and 1 backward. A S5T with 2 bells reversed sometimes referred to as S5T-RR

    Bell direction depends on what a specific railroad desired and their preferences. Just hopefully not the horrible sounding and ugly looking Hancock 4700 Air Whistle.

    So as far as horns go any configuration is possible.
     
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  20. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    All five forward Leslie S5T, three forward two back Leslie RS5T are reputed to be Frisco's favorites.
     
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