TVA Fairbanks-Morse H-16-66 "Baby" Train Master Volume 1 of 5

In the course of reviewing my 30 year old VHS tapes I came across an old tape depicting the TVA’s # F3060, a Fairbanks-Morse H-16-66 “Baby” Train Master. This material is very old, circa 1995-1996 and I had acquired it in a trade with another railfan long ago.. I digitized this old, sometimes rough, video tape, added informative captions and have edited it into 5 roughly 20 minute volumes. Although old I felt that like my other less than stellar videos, subject overcomes quality especially when the subject is this rare. It is really too good not to share. This is Vol. 1 of 5 volumes. The others will be posted as I complete them.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Pulling 45 carloads of coal with just 1600 HP. That's a pretty powerful, sure footed locomotive. Thanks for sharing the sights of a rare locomotive with a seldom heard prime mover these days. By the way, I had a builder's plate off of a Chicago, St Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha H-16-66 that I sold online. Turns out the individual who purchased it had the same builder's plate from the opposite side of the same engine. A rare matching set!

[@FreihEitner]

Impressive work for a single 1,600 HP locomotive.

[@Yosemite-George-61]

Awesome! No bells or horns... just engine noise. Nice description too. Thanks a lot!

[@billyrueckert5113]

This locomotive was just donated to TVRM!

[@316minister]

I love these. I grew up in Palo Alto, CA seeing and hearing Southern Pacific FM's pulling commuter trains in the 60's along the SF Pennsula run between SF and San Jose. I lived near the tracks. Fond childhood memories.

[@groverfan1389]

Thanks so much for sharing. It's a pity more of these classic FM's weren't saved, especially the cab units like the Erie-Builts. I grew up along the PRR's busy Philadelphia Division, but don't think I ever got to see any FM's in action because the Pennsy tended to keep their minority builder units such as these sequestered in just a few locations for maintenance considerations. On the Pennsy, FM;s were assigned mostly to divisions on the western half of the system, so it was extremely rare to see one anywhere east of Altoona. FM road units were seen a lot on the Pittsburgh Division in western PA, but a lot of them, especially hood units, were assigned west of Pittsburgh.

[@Shipwright1918]

Old girl takes 'er time, but once she picks 'em up she gets 'em along smartly.

[@john-angel8692]

This locomotive is now 2 miles from me I have actually touched it several times. It is now powder blue two tone & very rusted with a huge TVA on the side I am curios when the blue paint was applied because it is pulling modern CSX coal cars in a different paint. Thanx John in Chattanooga.

[@RailPreserver2K]

Good news regarding the unit, it was donated to TVRM this year.

[@andyharman3022]

Good to hear. I was afraid the government was going to run it into the ground with minimal maintenance and eventually scrap it when it was no longer able to do the job. The fact that they didn't bother fixing the hood dent within 5 years didn't speak well of their diligence.

[@eottoe2001]

Thanks for sharing. Never saw one in action.

[@kellcash6800]

Oh my gosh yes. I have been waiting for more footage of this unit for YEARS

[@canucksfan2024]

We got one in town at the railway museum so cool!!

[@midlandcompound]

Great! Sound of that loco is very similar to that from the U.K. English Electric deltics (6 axle, triangular piston arrangement aka deltoid with 2 x 1,650 h.p. prime movers).

[@Kuidmaster]

Yes, because it also as opposing pistons.

[@steventhornton4716]

Was just thinking the same thing

[@railrunner01]

thank you very much for sharing this gem.

[@CNFAN79]

Awesome, I can't wait to see the rest of the series!

[@andyharman3022]

I've never heard an FM OP engine. Sounds nice. Somewhere between the even chant of the EMD and the busy roar of the Deltic. I have a thing for locomotive 2-strokes, I guess.

[@bakergym]

I’d pay for this man. Let the original videographer know. This is pentrex quality.

[@bearbon2]

Thank you for this! I love FMs and the OP engines. It's just so rare to be able to see and hear one in service and working hard. What ever happened to this locomotive after it was retired. Hope it wasn't scrapped like all the H-24-66s.

[@groverfan1389]

Fortunately, they weren't all scrapped. Per Wikipedia, CP 8905 is the only H-24-66 preserved. It can be seen at the Canadian Railway Museum in Saint-Constant, Quebec, Canada. I've seen a picture of it in a magazine, so it's alive!

[@TheLocomotiveEngineer]

It just moved in to its new home at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga after two decades in storage, actually!

[@alcopower5710]

Not much of a looker but sounds great and is obviously a workhorse. I prefer this ugly duckling to any of the new units these days. Thanks for sharing

[@stephen5548]

Thanks a billion! I was trying to decipher what the true colour scheme is under all the grime. LOL

[@billanderson4619]

"Old" is a matter of perspective. Back in the 70's I saw the SP's Trainmasters in their last days of commuter service in the Bay Area.

[@andywomack3414]

I saw the end of the FMs at Baltimore and Ohio Bayview Yard in Baltimore, 1973 or so. The last was derailed and damaged while re-railing, and lack of spare parts sent it to the dead-line.

[@scotteakins7203]

Its a shame they are almost gone. FM TM were pullin mules.

[@bigreed67]

Interesting seeing the ICG coal cars in this video. All of the photos I have of the TVA Gallatin operation show the coal being delivered in CSX hoppers. I'm wondering if the ICG hoppers came off the Paducah & Louisville?

[@jagc1969]

Great videos! I don't know why, but although I've never seen any I have a special predilection for FM-Trainmasters and "Baby" Trainmasters. Unfortunately I can only enjoy them on H0 scale.

[@jamielacourse7578]

Some of us think they look BETTER ugly.....

[@ericgriswold1268]

To someone who hasn't been near an FM since August of 1974 in Victorville, California, this is gold!! I recorded SWPC #408 ( former U.P. demo #1366) on reel to reel tape. It has been converted to CD Interested in a copy?

[@jaywinn481]

sure...

[@DavidSanchez-ks4ub]

Sounds almost exactly like the H-12-44 we have at NCTM

[@houseoftrainsgarcia9794]

They should of save one and place it in a museum

[@waynemerlo7448]

There is a large Train Master H-24-66 CP 8905 preserved in Montreal Canada.

[@kittiemuffins6609]

They just did. Read 4 comments up.

[@groverfan1389]

They should repair that damage to the short hood. A rare classic like this deserves better treatment than this!

[@jaywinn481]

There are 5 parts to this series on the TVA Baby Trainmaster They repair the short hood etc and repaint the unit in part 2

[@tommybritton9273]

Wow you don't see that anymore

[@struck2soon]

Does anyone know if the bigger version(2400hp) has been restored to working order and can be heard? I would dearly like to hear that soundtrack...

[@DavidBarnkow]

The only surviving FM Train Master is in Canada.

[@struck2soon]

David, thanks. Is it in running order?

[@trainzguy2472]

@@struck2soon No, it's on static display next to the only remaining FM C-Liner in Nelson, BC. Both are reportedly mechanically intact. Edit: I was wrong about that. The one in Nelson is a baby trainmaster. The regualr trainmaster is at Exporail on static display.

[@canucksfan2024]

Still a train master in Nelson decent shape but paint deteroirating​@@trainzguy2472

[@steventhornton4716]

1 to pull them filled 3 to pull them.empty

[@aidenzurk7726]

That’s not a h16-44 “baby train master”; it is a full sized train master.

[@jaywinn481]

It is a common misconception that H-16-44's are baby trainmasters but. they are not .. TFull sized rainmasters are H24-66's and Baby Trainmasters are H16-66's .. H16-44s are just FM roadswitchers.. A baby trainmaster is a 1600 HP roadswitcher on 6 axle trucks.. If it does not have 6 axles it is not a Trainmaster.. baby or otherwise..

[@NE-Explorer]

Did it air up those cars?

[@ericgriswold1268]

@ Jay Winn: I don't know how to go about this. Neither you nor I want our I.D's spread all over you tube. Contacting you directly is a problem. I would have to make a copy and send it somewhere.

[@jaywinn481]

I understand.. My website for Vintage Railroad Audio has an email address that is quite public and you can use this for further contact.. it is [e-mail] Thanks

[@alcobufff]

HI I'm putting together a KZbin video on FM. Would be ok if i used some of this footage?

[@jaywinn481]

sure

[@weedozzles]

It was a good video I just watched it

[@tedlebo]

Okay, perhaps a dumb question, but why is this called a "baby" trainmaster instead of just "trainmaster"? What is different about it.

[@jaywinn3558]

FM's largest roadswitcher model and leader of the 1950's horsepower race was the H-24-66 TrainMaster At a glance it looked the same as the H-16-66 (in this video) but in reality the bigger H-24-66 "TrainMaster was 10 feet longer, 45 tons heavier, had 4 more cylinders and 800 more HP. That made the H-16-66 the "baby" of that model.. In the FM designation H-24-66 .. 24 is HP in hundreds, and 66 means it rides on two 6 wheel powered trucks.. Good question... Jay Winn

[@tedlebo]

Okay, I got it: just mostly a horsepower thing is all. And yeah, I knew the number before the - referred to HP, I just didn't remember there was a 24. I was a WEE youngster the only few times I have ever seen one.

[@tedlebo]

@@jaywinn3558 And thanks, almost forgot that part.

[@bpadlows]

@@jaywinn3558 I lived right on the Jersey Central mainline in Bayonne NJ, and adjacent to the big freight yard there. Train watching was one of our main pastimes. CNJ had Trainmasters as well as Baby Trainmasters. The full-sized Trainmasters pulled very long coal trains from the PA coalfields, always 2 or 3 of them, non-stop from PA to the coal dumper in Jersey City. As they ran full-speed (or so it seemed) as the drove down the 4-track mainline, you could hear the unmistakable sound of those F-M diesels, AND you could also feel the vibrations of the engine in your chest (no joke): the engines made a rhythmic pounding as they loped along, much like the beat of a huge bass drum. There was no mistaking that sound! Whenever we would hear them, we would run as fast as we could to the tracks and watch them roar by. What a magnificent sight! CNJ use the Baby Trainmasters for passenger service, and they were a fairly common sight on the mainline.