EMD 567 spectacular : Diesel locomotives

This is a set of my EMD 567 powered locomotive clips. There's nothing new here, I've just put them together as a celebration of the locomotives that I learned my trade on. You will get to see them hard at work and take a couple of cab rides that I shot when I was still driving them. These old girls were great to learn on; they talked to you and told you what was going on.......unlike the new computer guided whispering death machines of the modern era.
They are a tribute to brilliant design and many are still working down here ( Australia ) on a daily basis.
Footage came from a couple of cameras one of which was standard definition so I have reframed it all at the same height to maintain the visual quality.
Editing was done in SONY Vegas Pro 11.
The locomotives featured are the Victorian Railways B class ( ML2 ) S class (A7 / A16C ) T class types G8 and G8B a New South Wales 42 class ( same as the VR S ) and some ex Homg Kong G12 units. You might also notice a G class ( red and white ) an X class ( G16C ) and a couple of ALCO CE615A's..........enjoy.

[@coxsj]

That EMD 567 sound is what got me hooked as a kid in Geelong. Simply cant believe that these guys are still alive and roaming! Some even in original paint scheme too! Amazing. Thanks Rod. Keep 'em coming. This is live history.

[@americarsqueensland1667]

For these 1950's & 1960's EMD locos to still be in service today in 2018 reflects a stellar period in time when things were truly built to last, 60+ years and still going..WOW..

[@yerrx1650]

AMERICARS Queensland now they mostly scrapped

[@johndaniels4108]

MAN! what an era, brings back fond memories as I lived right next the rail line, they sound great under load.

[@johncrawford6571]

HI Gang! Rod, loved these! I grew up with these types of engines in the central US during their hey day here! For those new to the field or just hadn't got there yet, in or about 1931 when steam locomotives were still king of the rails, and outfit called Electro-Motive Car Co. or simply EMC were producing passenger cars trains with small engines. They started getting much larger engines from the Winton Engine Co.and making trains with large motor engines on either end. The car manufacturing giant General Motors saw an opportunity to earn something in the railroading industry and bought both companies forming the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, or EMD. GM took the designs of Winton and built their own large two stroke diesel engine and placed them in locomotives at first for the passenger industry. They still could use some more power and GM placed roots blowers on the engines driven by gears off of the engines crankshaft (hence the characteristic gear whine). GM had a great deal of success with their passenger locomotives dubbed E units, and made E units from the E1 through E9. GM had this idea of building a freight locomotive with the same engine, same design but half the length of the E unit. Enter the FT unit in 1939. The FT had a round nose for the A unit for the engineer, and the B or booster unit with the same body style, just no cab, as a power booster. Each unit put out 1350 hp (1007 KW). The original FT had an A unit and B unit permanently connected giving it 2700 hp (2013 KW). Originally the term FT stood for Freight/Twenty Seven Hundred Horsepower. Through the years the "freight" units models numbered from the FT all the way through the very large F45 and changed from using the roots blower engines to turbo charged engines. The last F unit model to use the 567 roots blown engine was the F9. So from the FT (1350 hp), to the F3 and F7 (1500 hp) to the F9 (1750 hp) were how they stacked. The F7 was the diesel engine officially responsible for the displacement of the steam locomotive on all the railroads in the US and they were found everywhere one could see a railroad track in the US from 1940 all they way to 1970. The term number 567 was the measure of volume in EACH of the engines 16 cylinders measured in cubic inches (9.29 L). So the end size of the 567 GM engine with 16 cylinders would have been approximately 149 L or 9072 cu in! By labeling the engine this way it could be identified no matter what size the engine was (the 567 engine widely known was actually a 567 C model that had 16 cylinders, the 567 B had the same cylinder size but only 12 cylinders, meanwhile the 567 A was the 8 cylinder version of the same engine). The nice thing for the railroads at the time is that the locomotives could be coupled together with as many units as needed and still be controlled from one throttle stand. No need to wait for fires to warm up a boiler, just start them up, couple them together and go. Incidentally, the "General Purpose" units or GP units (also known as 4 axle road switchers) used the same engines in the GP7, GP9, and others. The venerable six axle "Special Duty" model appeared soon also using the same engines (SD7, SD9). Soon after a time, EMD used turbo chargers on the 567's and got more power. EMD then introduced a new engine, a 645, and with it a second generation of locomotives in the mid 1960's with greater power and dependability and eventually the E's and F's and the first generations of GP's and SD's went by the way side. For more info on any of these and other locomotives, simply look them up on the web. I for one am happy to see some of the "old guard" still around!

[@johncrawford6571]

A footnote! This is a very general overview about the early EMD locomotives known to the general public. For a more accurate account of the early EMD stuff, simply look them up on the internet. General Motors sold it's EMD division to another outfit who in turn sold it to someone else. Currently EMD still exists and still makes locomotives. They are owned by the engine maker and earth moving equipment maker Caterpillar. They are now called Electro-Motive Diesel. To see what they are doing these days, simply look up their website. Their locomotives look much different now than in days gone by, but they still do the job very well. EMD was the number one locomotive maker for better than 40 years. The number one spot now belongs to General Electric, who also make good locomotives. Despite that, old EMD locomotives still catch my attention wherever they are found!

[@nkelly.9]

Thanks Rod. Great footage. These workhorses earned their keep for decades. I rode the Melb -Sydney line often in the 70's and early 80's and these puppies are what hauled everything. I love the sound they make. Especially the gentle, but purposeful ,noise they make accelerating from rest. For an industrial piece of kit they look beautiful. Thanks for sharing. You wouldn't know what happened to the brilliant EMD scale models that used to be in the foyer of Spencer St Station would you?

[@jackbadger56]

Excellent work Rod. BTW set up my old model set today; had to file the corrosion off the tracks and the transformer seemed a bit noisy, but she still goes! This video, again, kinda brought back a lot of memories seeing as the locos featured are identical to my model.

[@WeldinMike27]

Awesome. Pure gold.

[@edithkane1978]

Ah. What a beautiful sound. It gives me the shivers they should have never done away with these f units. I have ridden in one of these. Need I say more 😀

[@316minister]

Thanks so much for sharing this video. much love for those old units!

[@catw0rld]

I can't get enough of these machines. Great compilation, hope you don't mind but I saved a copy. You are so lucky to have driven these things. Growing up in the 1960s I *knew* I was going to work on the railroad. (NYC) Alas, they went bye bye just as I was coming of working age. I went into the next best thing: aviation. I'd swap my whole career for one in railroading, the way it used to be, before ditch lights and safety vests. My grandpa started on the NYC in 1917, ideal timing I'd say.

[@JimJohnsonPhotographer]

Rod, Thanks for the video. Brings back lots of memories. I have spent many years on these type of locomotives. USA types but none the less the same. Great locomotives.

[@robweckert5689]

Hey Rod, excellent photography! I grew up in country NSW as a kid watching 48 class locos do their thing. Am now taking a keen interest in Vic vintage locos. You would be well to publish a book on Aussie Diesels.

[@williamthethespian]

Wonderful. Thank you for putting it up.

[@cuzinitr]

Excellent. I have been watching you're video work for a while now and it's been great. Well done! Rich

[@davidhill480]

THANKS FOR A EXCELLENT CLIP ,,,LOVE YOUR WORK ...

[@kennerdskinnerd4794]

Very well done Rod, I really enjoyed this.

[@Ulleval73]

Excellent film. Many interesting power units and many unique film perspectives I don't often see in similar rail-fan video here in the States. Nice to see a bit of the Australian countryside, as well. Thanks.

[@toesss100]

Thank you ROD WILLIAMS.U Sir, are a PRO~!!! Bill Howes.

[@1961ruud09]

Exellent video!... love those lokomotives!👍

[@esosthompe]

Simply perfect

[@ucwepn]

Fantastic!

[@Rocketboy1950]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[@tryhardparrot]

10 stars from me. Great sounds and great editing.

[@choochoofiftytwo9163]

Really enjoyed your Video, love them EMD's when there screamin, heaps better than GE's

[@BahnBeKloppt]

Great! The sound of pure power at 1:00 :-)

[@gleanerk]

Thanks !!!!!

[@AussieTrainChaser]

AWSOME VIDEO!!!!

[@anzakson]

Excellent filming and post production work! Thank you for sharing. Take care! ...anwar...

[@kawasakiz76]

Great Video!!

[@danielsellers8707]

Sounds like the ones in the original Trainz Simulator, we got the 645 series in the UK class 57 & 59 and the 710 in the 66, 67 & 69 plus the Irish EMD 201 Class locomotives.

[@Rocketboy1950]

Their closest US relatives are SD7's and SD9's. Australian locomotives are ( with the exception of those owned by the iron ore mining companies ) much smaller and lighter than those in the US. These units were built by Clyde Engineering in Australia under licence from EMD.

[@maquinista3029]

Great video!

[@rhondaw1]

great one

[@juliozoffy]

Como amo estas locomotivas

[@andyharman3022]

Those at 7:50 are the most wicked locomotives I have ever heard.

[@GertLadefoged]

Exellent video

[@briankelly3931]

Nice Video💖

[@lailasalas]

Yes Sir. I am now the driver of my favorite loco. The classic E-F Electro Motive

[@richardakajazzyamx9690]

Wow! Must be one hell of a ride at speed! Are they really that bouncy going that fast?

[@Rocketboy1950]

The gen's certainly hummed out a tune but I think the one most audible trackside was coming from the Rootes blowers.

[@louMelli]

Watching these clips brings back a lot of memories.Lou melli.

[@Rocketboy1950]

Louie, how the fuck are you ?

[@louMelli]

Hi Rod.I am doing quite well and I have my B 60plaque on our wall.PS there are drivers and there are drovers.As for all the trucks on our roads,serve then bloody right Ha Ha.

[@asannei]

Realmente espectacular¡

[@fixitdude74]

love the roar of supercharger!

[@hairybob67]

Hey Rod, many years ago l was on a platform at Spencer Street (always will be Spencer Street to me) with a X class on at idle on a pass. There was a "clunk" and the engine note changed to a more deeper sound does it have shutters and if so what for? A nice collection of vids almost got motion sickness @6.00 was that shot near Wycheproof or Charlton Didn't make it to Cape Lambert yet, another cyclone maybe next week so l can get some Pilbra shots.

[@rjkopp]

These all look exactly like our E or F units back in the US. Were these former US engines or bought from America new or did EMD actually make them at your location? These personally are some of my favorite engines. I've never driven them, but I have had the opportunity to be in one while it was idling. You could feel the power even when it was just sitting! Love 'em!

[@sutherlandA1]

They were made here under license I believe

[@dantemadden1533]

Most EMD’s and GM’s in Aus were built in Aus under license, with a few exceptions

[@DomQuartuccio]

0:04 Great sound, Great Video also

[@JordysRailVideos]

Bernie Baker was driving that

[@Rocketboy1950]

The X's had shutters to control the amount of air getting drawn through the radiators. The change of sound would have been coincidental and was probably due to the air compressor loading up. Don't recall where I shot that scene at 6:00

[@Branch170]

Muy buenas imagenes de video...¿de que año son esas locomotoras, todavia siguen funcionando? se ven en muy buen estado al igual que las vias...! Saludos

[@PeterNGloor]

professional video qualtiy

[@garyamerson8799]

Nothing like an EMD screaming!

[@bruceellison1830]

No other internal combustion engine ever sounded as good as a 567C in NSWGRs 42 class GMs, was that whine they made the blower or the alternator?

[@Rocketboy1950]

Thanks. Being able to own a decent camera helps. SONY HVR Z5P

[@Tony-375]

Isn't this an Australian train line. First gen emds are a treat to see in America. Although the newer locomotives are much more loud that older emds ( if first gens aren't in notch 8 ) Also I don't really like the horns there, I like my k5la's. Great video though! I'm guessing they're a lot more common in Australia than here!

[@dantemadden1533]

Old streamliners are still very much in Use in Australia as this video portrays, they’ve all had very hard working lives and have bounced back and forth between railway companies

[@sunriseanbu2533]

VR expansion is Victorian railways and it was built by blue bird locomotive works

[@paulrogers1576]

The NSW 42 class was essentially the same as the S and GM (12-47) classes.

[@dmclement74]

No other GM beats the -567 drone

[@markaylott1780]

Love this footage, just pure music to my ears..........sorry, what was that? 🤣🤣🤣

[@zdravkoleski2375]

At 4.30min mark what town was that train going through middle of the street

[@rapilabs]

Listen to that EMD whine!

[@davidskinner1171]

Hi, Would anyone know the model number of the horn that we hear at the 3:03 minute mark. I guess it's a Leslie make.

[@NClass468]

Why was the train at 2.24 metro branded?

[@fixitdude74]

also there was GM in there too Rod :)

[@BigBadOzBoyMark]

I love these old diesel locomotives, in particular the GM class. What does the term "EMD" stand for? And were the Victorian S class locos and the Commonwealth Railways (maroon & silver) the same design?

[@Rocketboy1950]

EMD is Electro Motive Division ( of General Motors ) The S and the GM were pretty much the same. The major differences being the GM's had a pressurised engine room to keep out the desert dust and they did not have dynamic brakes. The first batch of GM's #1 - #11 only had four traction motors.

[@BigBadOzBoyMark]

Rod Williams Thanks Rod. About 5 minutes after I asked, I found a site with all the info I was looking for, right down to the individual specs for each GM loco.

[@Rocketboy1950]

You might want to read the description again. I think it's pretty obvious what I did for a living.

[@AndreiTupolev]

1:04 makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

[@joelinpa185]

The whole video does for those of us who love the 567s. If only the model railroad command/sound manufacturers could get the sound right. They all use recordings of souped-up prime movers with max RPMs about 100 too high.

[@mikldude]

aah ok , cheers.

[@90SecondsOfFame666]

Metro B classes??

[@oofmasterproductions9936]

Cool P5 at 0:01

[@Muggar62]

WONDER what Rod is up to? Most videos are around this time and would think retirement . . .

[@Muggar62]

Read he passed away a few years back. You were a legend. An Aussie Icon. RIP :(

[@briankelly3931]

If this is in Australia where are these locomotives manufactured. Did they ship them from the USA to Australia??

[@markaylott1780]

No Brian Kelly, most of the loco's you see here were built by CLYDE ENGINEERING in Sydney N.S.W who held the Australian licence for GM EMD products from the early 50's. The Australian loading guage is tighter than the U.S loading guage, thats why they are longer, lower and run on co-co bogies, to put it in a nut shell. Hope that answers your question.

[@alexander1485]

learned your trade, as in, photography/videography on?

[@mikldude]

why are the new trains whispering death?

[@Rocketboy1950]

I wish. It's rare stuff. Search these out "Electric Trains Gippsland 1960s Victoria Australia" and "Last L class electric locomotive to Warragul". There may be more out there.

[@Rocketboy1950]

less than three......you're a tough judge.

[@7822welshsteam]

What is it in an EMD's prime mover that makes that strange noise?

[@Rocketboy1950]

If it's the whine you are referring to then probably the Roots blower.

[@7822welshsteam]

That's interesting. I wonder why other turbocharged engines don't employ this method.

[@professorpatpending8731]

Love that particular whine. It is unique to these locos. I used to listen to these engines when in the carriages going to my grandmother's house near Ballarat in the 60s. Thankyou Rod.

[@erkinalp]

+William Roberts: Roots blower was a very common kind of supercharger then.

[@Rocketboy1950]

Metro have the locos on long term lease and are sub leasing them to other operators.

[@stevenmichael2845]

1:04

[@bertsendobry9354]

[@Rocketboy1950]

Wycheproof

[@alexander1485]

yea, i replied to myself... and made the comment too early, sorry.

[@Rocketboy1950]

They are silenced to meet EPA rules

[@alexander1485]

nevermind, profession.

[@Andropov1982]

ASMR for men.