TRRS 421: EMD SW9 Locomotive Cold Start - C&M 7014

Starting a locomotive is similar to starting a car, in that you should check the fluids and crank her over. But, that is where the similarities end.
Follow the crew of the Coopersville & Marne Railway, as they fire up their venerable SW9, originally built for the Grand Trunk Western.
The engineer walks through the process, from throwing the electrical knife switch to cranking over the engine and rolling the engine out of the engine house.
SPECIAL THANKS: to the Coopersville & Marne Railway, who graciously allowed access to go behind-the-scenes. Truly appreciated!
Consist:
- CPMY 7014 [SW9]
Location/Time:
- CPMY Ry, Coopersville, MI, firing the 7014, on 1-10-15 at 13:45 EST
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Equipment: Sony VJ790 Camcorder
Copyright 2015 Thornapple River Rail Series

[@THR33STEP]

That engine is loved and pampered! Look at how clean the cab and engine block is! Great knowledge of how to maintain a locomotive. That’s how you keep a half century old locomotive in great shape!!!

[@nunyabizness199]

Theres an air hose in the cab for just that purpose...😁

[@ChiefCabioch]

There are three 1955 V6 EMDS still in service 2 in sand springs, and 1 in Sapulpa Oklahoma

[@general5104]

I worked on these, back in 1975, for Southern Railway. KZbin brought this video around again, for a second look-see, after 5 years.

[@general5104]

I worked on these, back in 1975, for Southern Railway. KZbin brought this video around again, for a second look-see, after 5 years.

[@vivekshreeni7897]

She looks gorgeous and runs great even after 50 years,a benchmark of all emd products.Also she retains her old 567B engine block with factory parts.

[@Trains-With-Shane]

I never get tired of watching this video and have watched it multiple times. Since the first time I have had a chance to operate a GE 80 ton switcher for a few minutes. It also had the old style air throttle. And thanks to this video I knew what it was all about. I still say this engineer reminds me of Nathan Fillion.

[@therandomytchannel4318]

This video was alot faster than that other guy who took a full hour to cold start/fire up his steam locomotive 😎🤘

[@kellingc]

I've watched this several times. Just listening to the engine hum along, and pulling it out of the barn. NEAT! Thanks for posting.

[@guydtur]

Chris Kelling

[@rapturebound197]

On the D&RG we called these yard switchers "goats". Fun video...thanx!

[@jw4620]

I love it. It was an odd thing for me when the yard went from steam switchers to diesel, but I was even more hooked. Then I saw the huge stainless streamliner sitting in the yard waiting to go out. Couldn't get better.

[@martinwiltrout9601]

I missed the steam era myself. I grew up watching and loving the diesels. When I was a kid we lived about a half a block from the Santa Fe tracks and I would run down and watch the trains go bye and imagined I was the engineer.

[@peterjones6733]

Great video. And no irritating background music!!

[@yafuker6046]

Was always a thrill to see these come through my town as a kid (late 60s) on Chesapeake & Ohio as they always used GP9s.

[@alabamacoastie6924]

Watching this engineer and team start up get this beautiful machine is about as satisfying as it gets! I don't know why, it just is.

[@charlesheier277]

I used to sail on Jupiter an old tug on the Delaware it too ran a 567 had to learn to start her mariner style including knife switch city !! Very classic

[@twalsh29]

Thats the best lookin SW9 I think I've seen, even down to the hinges on the longhood doors. You wont see anything like this on a class 1 railroad in the USA

[@general5104]

Makes me all warm and fuzzy! Ivdidnt work on too many of the older units...but SW1500 on up and GP18 and up, and SD24 and up on the EMD stuff and Dash 8 and 9 on the GE stuff...all of it was my life's work...keeping 'em pulling freight. Thanks for a good clear video...brought back some of the "warm & fuzzies".

[@Jackshaft]

This engine is only a couple miles away from me. I now know how to start it... brb, gonna have some fun.

[@JT_8283]

I got one if you don't lol

[@Brian-te1ry]

@@nunyabizness199 they sell reverse handles exactly like that at ace hardware

[@nunyabizness199]

@@Brian-te1ry No, they don't

[@chappelchastain9194]

@@nunyabizness199 yea no they do lol i work at one

[@nunyabizness199]

@@chappelchastain9194 Really now, since when do they sell locomotive reverser handles for GM locomotives.. Sorry, NO WAY JOSE.

[@ignatiusdemonseed]

3:10 "Oops, that's way up there. Don't hurt nothin'." Gotta love operator-ese and gauge glass clairvoyance. Been there, done that. A bit too full is far better than a bit too empty. ;)

[@WideWorldofTrains]

Wow cool cold start of the switcher

[@bartbroz3700]

I remember these from the IHB years ago. We used them until the bitter end

[@judefernandez827]

Love the throb of that big diesel . EMD ‘s are very prolific on the Indian Railways .

[@chrisreed26]

My father and uncle worked for SCL then CSX when it changed over. My uncle also left Amtrak in the 80's to start his own locomotive repair business in Lakeland FL. He had many, many repair manuals for the various models. If I remember right without looking in my storage box with the books they are from the 40's, 50's 60's etc...GE, EMD not sure exactly...books on Pullman AC units, Pullman braking systems all kinds of manuals for them...Great to see an old engine being ran. I remember seeing my father do all that starting procedure as a kid...

[@leewithey2014]

I love those EMD’s. Many years as C/E on marine applications.

[@FlatBroke612]

It’s not queer off the pier

[@calenkocil]

Ashton Kutcher apparently has a side job. :) Loved the video. This guy showed sound knowledge.

[@roysnelgar1820]

Great vid, looks like she is being treated with tender loving care. Good on ya guys.

[@china-trip]

Wow, My best friend, It's so beautiful video !!! enjoyed watching your video

[@TAZWD]

When the camera panned to the diagram on the side of the cab wall, I realized that this engine is the one I had for my Lionel train decades ago. I never knew it was the EMD SW9.

[@HobbyOrganist]

And by coincidence I just bought 2 days ago an N scale loco similar to this

[@jeffhalverson5837]

I had one of those too for the Lionel set. Mine was blue colored.

[@blackbirdgaming8147]

Jeff Halverson The Lionel locos were actually more based on the NW2, but given the nature of toys it’s similar to both.

[@bobpaulino4714]

Could be a number of the SW variants.

[@Awesomeman1987]

Holy crap that's the best sounding train engine right there

[@ModelingSteelinHO]

This is the video that made me subscribe. Attention to detail,interesting dialog,you answer questions before one ask them,well thought out vantage points of interest . Well done Lad,well done indeed.

[@MyrtleBeach123]

What an awesome video. Thanks for showing us start-up procedures. Glad to see you wearing gloves and a warm hat! Stay warm and safe out there.

[@julianp2868]

Takes me back a few years

[@benchedthatpiece]

That was great, I enjoyed every minute of it!

[@jordanboothe6522]

Always liked these little switcher engines. Cute

[@iusetano]

This brought back many years of memories for me and I loved my job. I had to this every day I was the Engineer. Excellent video. Thank you. Thank the guys that showed you this also.

[@questionMark4443]

Ah 10 years locomotive Engineer retired brings back the memories my friends 😎

[@hwoods01]

Neat! Thanks for taking the time to record and post this. awesome.

[@mlkesimmons758]

Brings back memories of SD70s and AC44s

[@ignatiusdemonseed]

I used to operate and maintain testing/records of three GM EMD V-20 units, 2.5 MW per at an old coal fired power plant. Loved those diesel suckers.

[@ignatiusdemonseed]

Spectacular video. Thank you for giving it to us all.

[@foolishsuckas]

Nice to know Walt Jr got a job as a train driver

[@EdWhizAviationTrains]

GREAT footage, enjoyed watching 😎👍

[@Thermionman1970]

awesome............! love the old guages and meters...like the dials on my vacuum tube radios.....

[@zoolkhan]

Know what you mean buddy! 73 - oh8xat

[@spartan7042]

Thanks for posting

[@blytelyfe]

I needed to learn how to start one of these things just in case of a zombie apocalypse

[@TexasRailfan2008]

SgtFred USMC yep, bulletproof

[@frederickwise5238]

I never saw a cold start in the diesel shop when I worked for the B&O but all that stuff behind the doors looked so familiar. Its been 60 years now since I replaced cylinder liners and changed michiana filters LOL Thankas for the memories!!!

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Glad to have provided that for you! I'm not mechanically inclined, but if I was, locomotive mechanic would be high on my list of dream professions.

[@HobbyOrganist]

My great grandfather John F Kelly (1866-1955) was an award winning engineer on the Long Island RR when they had steam engines- 1898 and then changed to diesel, never could find anything about the awards or anything about him in the limited searching I could do for train related publications, I figured there has to be some RR magazine that did a piece on him back then but it seems there were a LOT of engineers with the same first and last name.

[@chrishauser5505]

Very cool. I'd love to see more videos like this!

[@PeterWalkerHP16c]

When I was a kid 1971 I spent a wonderful hour in an AE Goodwin 48 class locomotive of NSWGR. We were shunting stuff in Queanbeyan. Absolutely illegal!! but a kids dream. The 44 class being my favourite but never got the chance of getting inside one.

[@buddyboy1953]

How Great we can still run what our Grandfathers built !!! Great video thanks

[@curtbarile]

Will our grand children be able to run what we built? Just a thought here.

[@flowgangsemaudamartoz7062]

@@curtbarile Sturdy rail technology yeah, but other stuff...doubt it, since evrything kinda goes into the direction of automated and lightweight.

[@jamesm6638]

@@curtbarile you mean chinese plastic? lol I doubt it

[@jayswarrow1196]

@@curtbarile Our grandies would run from what their 3d printers did, lol.

[@handgunner1911]

been around emd locomotives a good part of my life ny father was a a machinist for electro motive 32 yrs

[@Icutmetal]

I was in EMD once about 14-15 years ago to repair a cnc milling machine used to machine their piston pin carriers. Seeing the size of some of those engine components was fascinating.

[@troyjarm7901]

Since crapapillar took over theyre starting to tank the company. Have they gotten over the tier 4 emmisions yet?

[@billb9216]

Thanks for posting this!

[@bobozo389]

In the late 1970's and into the early 1980's the 7014 switched Kalamazoo ,MI on the GTW. I used to see it go by the tower on its way to Checker Motors on week days!

[@lancegoy9180]

Checker, Schucks, Kragen.

[@SDCustoms]

Awesome startup! Thank you for sharing!

[@ScrotusXL]

The care and attention they give that old machine. And these are digital guys working in an analogue world. I now still have hope that the future won’t just be clueless people jabbing at flat cold glass screens 😁

[@grumpyg9350]

At 7:23, I got a strong urge to put on a jacket. Fun to watch👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@RODALCO2007]

Nice locomotive, you guys take good care of that machine. great sound too.

[@dennisb-trains23]

Pretty cool. First time I seen this.

[@d2sfavs]

sounds really good

[@johnbrown9092]

Great video!

[@RenaissancePeopleNYC]

REALLY cool video!

[@strobx1]

I might add, we ran 5208 once a month. We had visitors watch us and I'd give them a show by setting the independent slightly then putting the throttle in notch 6. The resulting huge cloud of blueish/white smoke shooting 10 feet above the stacks not to mention the chunks of Carbon, made them smile. I had to close throttle soon because we only had 300 ft of track behind the Muskegon Union Depot! Some time, I'll have to tell you how we started it at about 38F if you're interested

[@Duececoupe]

Great video! 👍🏻👌🏻👏🏻

[@b3j8]

Loved the video, brought back memories from 40 yrs back of watching PC switchers doing their thing at the local hump yard. Hated to see that nasty "white stuff" on the ground tho at the end. Before we know it, winter will be in full swing again! Ugh!

[@bpp325]

Informative and very cool. Thanx. ))

[@lzappa9109]

Thank you for the effort, very much appreciated.

[@Trainiac]

This is awesome!

[@abrakadavra3193]

Beautiful!

[@ssnoc]

Very cool to watch - 👍

[@billmorris2613]

Good afternoon to all from SE Louisiana 17 Jun 22..

[@sgt2914]

Thank you for sharing this. I learned a few thinks. really enjoyed this.

[@shanepersons383]

Great vid!! Love it!! 👍👍

[@bennettwinters7278]

Very interesting. Please make more videos.

[@patw7945]

What a beauty!

[@xenomorph2056]

That is so effing cool!

[@travelingtom923]

Hard to believe this was pulling freight before the 1955 Chevy was even made! That old workhorse has seen a lot of changes.

[@kellyhasty3999]

Wow! Too cool man !!!

[@belchnasty]

Beautiful

[@brentcowan5957]

One owner, garage kept, only drove to church on Sunday’s. No lowball offers, price is firm.

[@tomlanigan758]

I wonder if the engineer who stated he NEVER needed to open the cylinder cocks knows what a hydraulic is. I am a retired master diesel mechanic with 50 years working on EMD, GE, and large caterpillar railroad, marine and genset engines. Being stored inside has nothing what-so-ever to do with water seeping into cylinder bores. Cylinder head/block water jacket O-rings are the main source of water finding it's way into cylinder bores, some early large displacement CAT engines were prone to this also notably the D 17000 V8's built during the late 30's into the early 1950's. Some Cooper Bessemer and Murphy engines are also examples. If the engineer means to say that water collects in the cylinders by rain or condensing while left out doors, that would also be true for all engines, farm tractors, construction equipment such as cranes, drag lines, bull dozers etc. As another posts states, and I am reading page 305 of the SD40 - SDP40 operators manual and it states that during the pre-start up inspection to open the cylinder cocks and crank the engine over to expel any water that may have collected in the cylinders. Further, all Fairbanks Morse and Superior diesel engines call for opening the cylinder drain cocks prior to starting and is stated in their operating manuals that water can collect in the cylinders through seepage, not from rain. Excellent video.

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Thanks for the insight. I'm a Civil Engineering guy, but it is always interesting to hear the mechanical side, too. Who doesn't enjoy hanging out around gigantic engines?

[@plussizedpatriot8481]

This was never taught to me at engine school... I didn’t even know how this was done. Heard about it from the old heads.

[@3RTracing]

could be they blew down the cylinders before the video started. You are right, water gets in the cylinders many ways. I doubt that this guy does not know about hydraulicing. And I am sure the he must of blown er down before he cranked her. Strange that all the car body doors were closed though.

[@general5104]

What hasn't been stated, yet, would be WHY it's necessary to expell the water that has found it's way into the cylinder assembly. The drive crank is massive and has over a ten inch stroke. The juggs, or pistons, are as big around as paper plates, plus you'll have between 12 and 24 piston rods attached to the crank...all pulling in fuel, or compressing it or it exploding or pushing out exhaust. Even if just one cylinder has water in it...water can't be compressed! It will blow the smitherines out of an assembly...then its a trip to the shop to change out that piston assembly!...and trying to explain to the boss, why one of your units got damaged...which usually meant some time off without pay! Unless you just shut it down, the rule was to open the test-cocks and turn it over. Didnt make any different what craft you were...if you started a unit...you were charged with making sure the cylinders were bled. This "Butthead" (which is a slang name for switch engines), had handles welded on the testcocks. This was done so that the engineers in the yards didnt have to keep up with a "spanner socket". Most testcocks have a 1/4" hole at 12 and 6 positions on the face of the knob. They are also knurled around the outside of the knob to assist a gloved hand to grip them for turning. When in the shop areas, testcock spanner sockets stayed on 1/2" drive ratchets in the various places units would be started. Other than that, a pair of 440 channel-locks would facilitate the opening/closing work. I worked on railroad over 35 years...saw lots of crazy stuff and some unbelievable stuff, too. Y'all bleed your engines! It's well worth it!

[@andrewarmstrong7310]

Well you know there is always that one guy who spends more time looking to get out of work, than doing the work. I suspect that guy was one of them who made that comment. Though we had hostlers and mostly caught run-throughs, I can only remember starting maybe a dozen or so locomotives over my 47-year career with the Santa Fe. I also remember the general order plainly stated to open all engine cylinder blow-down cocks, rotate the engine for 30 seconds with the starter motor and inspect each blow-down cock for signs of water or oil. If water or oil is witnessed, crank the engine over for one minute and reinspect. If water or oil is still witnessed, set the locomotive to trail use only or dead in consist if in lash up and secure all electrical equipment by opening main bus bar and immediately report the engine number and defect found to roundhouse foreman and comply with the foreman's instructions. I remember that because we had to remember stuff like that by the word and repeat it verbatim if asked by a supervisor.

[@nicholson227]

EDUCATIONAL

[@noworriesmate8287]

Starts and runs better then a new Ford!!!

[@bradyn4212]

not a 2006 ford f-350

[@larrygall5831]

Mine is running the moment the key is turned.

[@theheez2198]

Made by GM...

[@MrHeadshot1982]

Thanks for the post keep up the good work.

[@Jasman35]

How exciting, in Australia you can leave an engine for a month and it'll still be at operating temperature

[@roadmaster720]

how exciting, a kangaroo fornicator commenting a stupid brain fart

[@michaelkay9275]

Beautiful ,love the video, thank you very much. ...

[@Pilot.Lindsay]

That’s awesome

[@jayfwelter]

Started right up. I want one.

[@Nderak]

That was so awesome! 1952 model, wow that is old.

[@brettgeraghty1740]

How good was that?? More please!

[@ernestsloan9856]

love this!!!!

[@robertmarcotte4652]

Awesome thx

[@michaelbauers8800]

enjoyed the video, some good info in this one

[@johnmoore8016]

I take it that they heated the fuel so it would start better with warm fuel vice cold fuel. Thanks for a very good video. (worked with steam a jet turbines)

[@steveyoung8876]

Good on ya mate. Keep up the good work.

[@MitchJ]

This is so cool. I've seen that engine plenty of times, but I've never seen it start up before. Cool video, man! :)

[@TheMysteriousRock]

We're usually cool with railfans hanging around as long as we know about it and you don't do anything stupid.

[@TheMysteriousRock]

.

[@ricksadler797]

Nice I remember 8202 southern from Atlanta railroad museum

[@frostychicken3652]

nice engine congrats

[@deetjay1]

Love those Geeps...

[@SeanBodine]

567's are my favorite prime movers for a diesel.

[@markanneprice]

Don't know where this is, but am surprised to see a 567 "A" block still on a rail car locomotive. I worked as captain (early on as engineer) on tugboats for 35 yrs starting in 1975 and some were WWII models with original "A" blocks and some 1800's steam tug conversions with "A" blocks but very few in latter years...mainly "E" blocks and newer. EMD's were and still are 2 stroke engines with the best engineered and mechanic friendly design of ANY engine I am familiar with and have run and worked on a lot... even old early 1900's direct reversible engines like Fairbanks Morse (22" bore, 50 - 300 rpm max) , National Supply Superior), Enterprise, and Imperial Atlas. EMD ROCKS ... and are easy to start even cold. Of course, you can always torch the intake air. They have no glow plugs. I have even blown a hole in a piston while running ( you can not cut them with an acetylene torch...don't know if you add helium) , wedged a large screwdriver in the injector rocker, lashed it down to the blow down valve and run the boat at idle back to the dock. We used air starters (could use 2...one on either side), Yo Ingersoll Rand. And on early boats Allis-Chalmers DC electrical systems. AMAZING ENGINES.

[@LolkeB]

Small correction is it a B block.

[@aliaguerin1266]

Love to see this great:) It was not scotty beam me up:)

[@fordtaurus93]

nicely done

[@outoftheirskulls5676]

Nice switcher