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

["Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paultup_@_lucent.com>]

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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