Enjoy this in depth look at the DDA40X. This locomotive is a engineering marvel, and I ended up going back to North Platte 5 more times for additional filming. In the end I had several hundred scenes which took a long time to edit. But I think it turned out pretty good and it's a rare look at nearly every aspect of the DDA40X.
These locomotives were built by the Electro Motive Division of General motors from 1969-1971. There was 47 locomotives produced. Eleven locomotives have survived and are in museums. One locomotive is operational (Union Pacific #6936 currently in overhaul), and another locomotive is used for spare parts. The DDA40X weighs 545,000 lb (247,000 kg), is 98 ft 5 in (30.00 m) long, and can produce 113,940 lbs of tractive effort. It has two 654E3 16 cylinder diesel engines, built by General Motors that produce 3,300 horsepower each.
These locomotives were some of the most successful, most loved, and most reliable locomotives Union Pacific ever owned. Union Pacific used these locomotives non stop racking up millions of miles over the years. In just 10 short years these locomotives were totally worn out from years of hard use.
This locomotive is open to the public during the Summer months including the cab. Check this website for information for hours of the Cody Railroad Park in North Platte, Nebraska visitnorthplatte.com/director...
More information can be found here about the history of this locomotive en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_DDA40X
For a video on the removal of a engine power pack • Video
Many thanks to the kind people at the Cody Railroad Park who allowed me to film this locomotive. Any questions about this locomotive leave them in the comments and I will try to answer them.
Just thinking of the thousands of smart people who must’ve worked so many hours to design such an impressive piece of engineering is humbling.
Fred Flintstone US Railway history! WhoootWhooooot Transcontinental Rail History!! 4004 come on Fred?
What an incredible video. That’s what comes from really knowing your job. That is such an impressive rundown on the workings of an amazingly complex machine.
Beautiful
My Dad and uncle was an electrical engineer at EMD. Yeah, they were smart as hell.
@@TheBandit7613 Wow, that's so cool! Hats off to them.
I never imagined that a locomotive's systems and controls were so complicated. I watched the entire video and found it to be very interesting. Perhaps just as impressive is the fact that you have all this knowledge and details of how everything works. Thank you very much for making this video Tom.
I love to see one build thank you
Thank you for taking the time to teach us railfans the basic mechanics of locomotive operation!!! You did a great job!
Thank you.
One of the most interesting behind-the-doors videos I've seen. In depth, thorough, and complete. A big thanks for good, steady camera work.
Wish audio was as clear☹
Lol, if it’s not clear then return your cheap phone bc it’s crystal clear
@@richard75013U What phone? I am watching this on a i9 computer with a total of 35 terabytes of storage space. My phone is stuck to the wall in the kitchen. There is another one in the living room on a telephone stand.
At least he used a calm and mellow tone of voice unlike most KZheadrs who raise their voice or yell into the mic/camera all the time. Gave the DDA40X respect like it was a building.
Thank you. This has been the most thorough description of just about anything I've ever seen. Bravo
Thank you.
@Bill Williams Thank you that is a nice compliment. Will try to make some future videos of other locomotives as well as telling some more stories.
@Bill Williams I second Bill Williams's comment. You explain things clearly and make it interesting.
cool video always wanted to see what the hell was in those things always going by my house lol
I like the story you told about the yellow signal. More stories Please.
Quite possibly the best video I have watched in ages! Your such an interesting guy to listen to and learn from. Would never tire listening to you. Thanks for making and sharing!
You are welcome. Glad you enjoyed the video.
@@travelingtom923 This was truly amazing. Really.
Your knowledge of all those systems on the EMD DDA40X is amazing!!! Thank you for the tour. I found it fascinating.
Thank you.
Been a mechanic for 32 years. Loved everything. Especially the engine. Thanks
This one hour and forty minutes video felt like 30 minutes. I've learned so much in that time about many things I've always wondered about a diesel locomotive ! I knew a few things already, but many other things surprised me. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience in this video. Now, finally I can perhaps (try to) impress my 80 year old father, who is a long time miniature train HO scale hobbyist, with a few unknown (to him) details about his models. I had the opportunity, and the chance, to ride on the biggest diesel locomotive in Canada back in 1978, which was the experimental Canadian Pacific 4744 (MLW M-640). I was 13 years old at the time (my father knew some people at C.P.). But this 6922 is much bigger than that !
You have a great background to be the one to explain this to us.. Awesome video!
Hey! Surprised to see you in the comments here
@@mrblue2011 😂😂
Hi Jaw Tooth, I'm one of your subscribers! 😀😀😀😀😀
But wait there's more, but not much more. I think Travelling Tom just about covered it. OK, back to you Jawtooth.
I love diesel locomotives, but I'm not mechanically inclined whatsoever, and this video was a real treat. To have a experienced tour guide for this beautiful machine was just fantastic!
By far the best 1 1/2 hours I have ever spent on KZhead. So much knowledge presented in a clear manner. Simply fantastic. Thank you for sharing this. :)
You know, until you said how long it was, I was enjoy-joying it so much, I didn't realize it was that long!
You know when you look at this engineering Marvel, it's a Diesel Big Boy , two drive motors in one locomotive
Peter Cunha the engines don't directly drive the loco but I'd say your about accurate they just simply put replaced a driveshaft with a circuit
Old E units and F units had two engines in them as well.
@@BigBoy-zp1gv Correct the engines don't directly drive the locomotive, the engines primary task is to turn the main generator and compressor, through electrical relays, the generators output power is taken to the traction motors via those big thick cables you see, which by a reduction gear, turn the wheels on the bogie, I am an ex Australian locomotive driver of 24 years, Americans call their drivers Engineers, and yes these are huge locomotives.
I find it hard to believe that Big Boy 4140 could outpull one of these 6600hp beasts. 138,240 lbf (614.9 kN) for 4040 and starting: 113,940 lbf (506.8 kN) @25% continuous: 103,000 lbf (460 kN) @12 mph for the DDA40X.
@@ohboy2592 E units had two. F units had one. Could not even stuff 2 8 cylinder 567s in them.
Thank you for the tour, Traveling Tom. Very well done!
The absolute best engineering tour of an EMD I have EVER seen. Thankyou.
Terrific in depth tour! Thank you for taking the time to do this!
Best video on KZhead. No stupid music. No BS. Just info from a guy who knows what he’s talking about.
Thank you.
This was a fascinating journey through an iconic piece of railroad history. It was also an amazingly detailed and well-organized look at the function of any EMD two-stroke locomotive. Huge thanks for putting this together!
As a locomotive engineer for NS I still love this stuff!!
Can't thank you enough, I enjoyed this tour SOOOO much!
First time viewing your channel. I literally just learned like 40 things I didn't know before watching. Much appreciated 👍
Probably the best video I've watched in some time. You explain things in a way that the technical people will enjoy (me) but also the average person can understand. Thank you for taking the time to make this.
Never in my life did I think I would sit and watch a video like this. Let alone the whole thing start to finish!! I must say,,, that was one of the most informative, and interesting videos I've ever watched! Great Job Tom!! I now have a new perspective of watching a train drive buy me while stopped at the crossing. Thanks for the vid!!
This is one of the best "explain it all" videos I have ever seen, bar none. You have a vast amount of knowledge that make a layman on trains, like me, actually understand how the infernal contraption functions. It is a shame this engine was not rebuilt and kept in service. America needs trains and keeping the past alive in a profitable manner is vitally important. THANK YOU SIR!!!
Glad you enjoyed the video.
I worked at EMD in 1969 when these things were built. Being 103 feet long, they could not be carried directly down the erection bay, which was only 100 feet column-to-column. They moved them on third shif with two 250 ton bridge cranes, shuffling the frame through the columns.
Locomotive is a monster that is for sure.
Toxic Tommy who built the Engines & are they 2 Strokes like many of them.
@@lbbradley55 EMD built the engines and yes they are two-stroke engines. 16-645 E3s rated at 3300 HP each.
@@stokerboiler THANKS... interesting I drove Trucks 31 yrs starting 1980 Detroit's 2 Strokes were still everywhere until 1988 EPA emission restrictions Detroit bought John-Deer & Started building 4 stroke. 60 series. I put 1-1/2 million on one before the Co. Sold it. Wish I knew how many miles I have on me. Lol
@@stokerboiler Up rated to run at 950 rpm instead of 900 or 904rpm.
This was wonderful. I watched it with far more attention than I give a typical movie these days. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Most INFORMATIVE Video I'm seen on a Locomotive.
Wow, I'm going to look at locomotives in an all different light now. This has been so good to see. Thanks for your time, Lee
Harris?
Tom. Thanks so very much for this in-depth tour of this amazing piece of retired UP equipment. Literally everything an enthusiast would want to know about a diesel-electric (EMD) locomotive.
You are welcome.
That was the greatest Train explanation i have ever seen.My uncle use to work for the trains in Saint Louis and while he was in the Army also.Thanks very much
You are welcome.
Thank you for your service, Uncle of dennis good.
Traveling Tom your Awesome Sir! Catch a Rail ? Ya never know where? Owen Wister?? He visited the Virginian Motel .. i would always play around outside the Virginian on our way to Hanna Wyoming USA 🇺🇸 for our Winter ❄️ coal .. SE Wyo gets Colder than ... well
This sure was in depth and a LOT of thought went into the making of this unit. And Thanks, Tom! You did your job well!
That was the fastest 1:40:15. Thank you for sharing your knowledge for us.
Thank you for such a clear and comprehensive explanation of the workings of these amazing big diesels.
Many thanks for the informative, in-depth tour of this legendary locomotive! 👍👍
Thats how you explain a master piece of engineering in simple terms, from the exhaust stack to the interface with the rail, an excellent video. Thanks.
I never knew listening to a dude talking about a locomotive could be so interesting! You literally know everything about everything on there. Sharing that knowledge is very cool. Thanks!
You are welcome.
Now that was an informative video, you can only watch them going bye for a while, I could watch this all day long.
I stayed up waaay past bedtime to finish the video, it was that good. And I'm not really a train guy. But I do like to see how a thing works whatever it is and you did an excellent presentation. I just wanted you to know I appreciate the time and effort you put into making the video and say thank you.
Thank you for watching. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Great video. As a mechanic I really appreciated the view and commentary
Me too. I was a mechanic working with the large electric drive mine haulers. So many similarities. I got to align the generators with the diesel engines and occasionally comm grind the traction motors or R&R them. It was a most satisfying career...
That is one of the best You Tube videos I've ever seen. Extremely detailed. Thank you for taking the time to put this together for us.
I was hoping it simply wasn't a fan boy flapping his lips for an hour forty, and boy I wasn't disappointed! You have done a fine job ,sir!
Great video!! So educational. Loved the anecdote about the conductor applying the emergency brakes.
Wow, what a great tour, showing every aspect. Loved it!
What a beast! Thanks for a great tour.
Good work man, that was very interesting! Thanks for sharing!
I know this is an older video, but thanks. I learned some things I didn't even realize about trains. I appreciate the time and effort you put into making this video!
Wow. This was by far the most amazing video I've watched, finally I actually know something about those legendary locomotives! Thank you so much for making this video!!
I did not fall asleep watching this thorough explanation of this locomotive of how everything works. Just an amazing well put together presentation.
That has to be the most informative railroad video I have ever watched! Thank you very much! I’ll probably watch this a dozen times! 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you. This design with the cooling system, oil system, engine, generator, etc is identical to nearly every EMD locomotive made since the 60's. If you lift the carbody off the majority of their locomotives (SD40-2, SD70, SD60, etc) you will see the same thing you are seeing with the Centennial.
Traveling Tom It was fantastic. I could have watched it for another hour! The only question I have is; who controls the train if the engineer has to use the facilities?
@@DuMontTV Nobody, and it isn't like the engineer is going to stop the train to use the bathroom. I have been on a few trains where the engineer left for a bit and it was very nerve racking. I would like to say they put the Conductor in the seat to watch the speed but they never did that.
Traveling Tom That’s a bit more than frightening. No wonder they don’t wanna go down in that tomb. Not that peeing over the rail at 70mph is any less scary.
@@DuMontTV Yes and many railroads want one person crews in locomotives. I think that's crazy.
Great video, Tom. Much appreciated.
Such a massive and detailed description, thanks for taking the time to go through all the engine in minute details. Awesome explanations!
The best damn locomotive tour ever. Up close and personal. 👍
Hi Tom, I watched your whole video is one sitting! Very informative and had my eye glued the whole time! Pretty amazing machine and thank you for taking the time to do this video!
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Thanks Tom, this show was amazing and so well done! Makes me appreciate every train I see even more.
Thank you.
Thanks for sharing the knowledge !
What an awesome video! So much info. I was glued to the screen!!
Thanks for your effort put into making this video. My grandfather worked for Illinois Central RR and my father for L&N RR, and I was mechanic on heavy trucks /equipment (dozers, excavators, etc), so I knew some about locomotives already but I learned a lot here. Will be looking for more content from you in the future.
Tom, excellent video. Thanx for sharing your vast knowledge. I am looking forward to seeing more of your videos. Thanx again for your hard work and great effort. Keep them coming!
You have answered every question I had about train engines. Great job man.
So glad you showed the valvetrain on a complete engine. Industrial diesels are works of art. Cost-no-object design for years of flawless operation.
Such a great video, every question I have ever wondered about was answered thoroughly. Plus your personal experiences really made it easy to understand. Cheers! Subscribed!
You've answered basically all of my questions on technical aspects of the diesel electric locomotive. Appreciative of the hard work. Thanks!
one thing very important is missing here ....where is the spare tyre ??
I loved this walkthrough along with your stories based on experience. Lots of great anecdotes I would have never known. Thank you for sharing!
I now feel qualified to drive one of these beasts! Thanks for the excellent history and walk- through.
Starts video, 1:40 long. No way I'll finish. Yet here we are. Top notch video sir. Many thanks
Outstanding presentation, sir! Very well done.
What a thorough description!! Thanks so much for posting, your knowledge is impressive.
Thank you Tom for giving us such an in-depth explanation of this locomotive. Honestly, the best explanation of any subject I have ever viewed on the internet. Also, thank you for backing me up on "never changing the oil" at 1hr 13min (video time) as oil never looses it's slipperiness, only becomes contaminated.
Great Video Tom! I had a friend that worked at the old UP Shops in Omaha in the 1970's and had lots of questions you just answered! Thank you sir! :-)
Good walk around. Just the right level of detail and commentary.
This is the most detailed ,explained locomotive tour video I'v ever seen in youtube .you have handled the video camera very well while you explain . Thank you Sir.
Thank you.
Tom, I ran coal and freight for Burlington Northern out of Edgemont, SD beginning in 1976. In '78 or so, we were receiving 5-day-old SD 40-2's in our consists. We were also getting brand-new GE loco's as well. The paint in the cabs was still soft! These 645's still "arouse" me when I hear them run. They were and still are such BEAUTIFUL works of art. I could tell you all sorts of stories in my years out there. Anyway, thank you so much for your work here...I am very proud of your effort in this presentation. At that point in my life, I was actually LIVING on these....as I was never home....always on the road. It was so good to crawl up into one of these when it was 15 or 20 below out in Wyoming during the miserable winters. But, they were equally as miserable in the summer months during relentless heat.
I always considered the SD40-2 the greatest diesel locomotive of all time and I still do. I once met the designer for the locomotive and he said it was the perfect weight to horsepower locomotive. A engineer once told me "if you absolutely need to get a train somewhere on time put five SD40-2's on it".
An amazing amount of information here! Thank you!
You are welcome.
Thank you, sir, for that awesome tour of that magnificent piece of engineering wonder.
You are welcome.
Thanks for the excellent tour of the centennial!
After being there and seeing this locomotive in person, it was great to get a guided tour. Thanks.
Brilliant film, fantasic information. Thank you for sharing such amazing machines.
Yes, Traveling Tom, a wonderful presentation that has kept the interest of a retired locomotive engineer who operated the still operational (to this day) Centennial UP 6936 at 75 MPH just a few years ago on a UP passenger special over the Amtrak Texas Eagle route. Have also run the E9s. Let me say, the Centennial is a HOTROD, just like a pair of EMD Amtrak F40PHs used to be. I really loved it when they added the rooftop Air Conditioner to it. Did NOT like the addition of the UP Wings to the nose. Liked it better original.
Thank you for that compliment and I am glad you enjoyed the video. I was really hoping a former engineer would have came along when I was filming the video and I could interview him. Maybe you can make a video of your own one day talking about what it was like operating a Centennial. Very little information is out there about what is was like to be a engineer on a Centennial.
Tom- Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. My son and I really enjoyed watching this together. Probably one of our favorite videos.
Glad you enjoyed the video!
Watching this video I got a whole new respect for those who design, build, maintain, and operate these very large, powerful, and complex machines. Thanks to ALL involved with the video. GREAT JOB!
Awesome job. Thank you, i always wanted to see the insides of this loco. Good job explaining things.
Hey we have a couple GP49s on the shortline that I film in my town that came from the Alaska Railroad. The CCET had three of them and now have two
A masterpiece of engineering.
Awesome video!!! Best explanation of a diesel locomotive I’ve seen. Thanks for going over EVERYTHING!!
I learned a great deal form this video. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your knowlegde on the locomotive systems. Its neat to see the similarities and differences between our EMD 645's in the tugboats. Keep up these great in depth videos! You know your stuff.
You are welcome.
Informative Video , Thank You !
Absolutely awesome! Finally an in-depth & highly detailed explanation of EVERYTHING involved in operating these behemoths! Thanks a million!
You are welcome.
Tom that was awesome! Just finished watching it and I am exhausted, I have learned so much. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.
Awesome! Locomotive reminds me of the tech involved with a Saturn V rocket.
This is the best most in depth look at a locomotive I have ever seen. THANK YOU !!!!!
That was a great touring lesson. I have always wondered how a diesel locomotive worked.
Fantastic video! Very informative and beautifully produced. Thank you.
13:20 is the exact reason why I love the sticks instead of the buttons. I try not wake up the whole damn city at night when I run. Great video
What a great video, Tom. Even though I am more into locomotive recycling, I am fan of rail traction on the side, and I thought this was very informative.
You are welcome.
Excellent video thanks for taking the time to do it.
THANK YOU! This was fascinating. I have loved trains since I was a tiny child. I never knew quite how the locomotives worked, had some information generally pieced together, but this had so much detail. I really really appreciate you taking the time to show everyone. Have a great day, Sir!
I thought no way was I going to set through an hour and 40 minutes of probably shear boredom. I can't believe I sat through the whole thing glued to my screen and never bored! You said the air tanks would rust and have to be replaced which I get. But with no antifreeze in the engine cooling system that's all going to rust and clog up. You explained about the "dynamic braking system" but I still did not get it. Does turning the traction motors into generators like you said create enough drag on the wheels to slow the train down or even stop it? Those things on top where you said that juice goes, do they just turn that into heat like a resistor? Can't that be captured in batteries for later use? I can't believe these diesels are started by electric starters. I always thought they were started by compressed air. I worked aboard a ship in the navy in the 60s as a machinist mate and have always been fascinated by mechanical things like engines and things.
Dynamic brakes work very well. Most of the time they create an equivalent of more horsepower as a retarding force than the main engine makes for propulsion. And smooth control down a descent. This saves applying and releasing the air brakes, which would be hard to regulate speed, as the slack in the couplers could take up and release - creating a pushing and pulling action in the train. All that resistance does create alot of heat. Some electric only trains do send the electricity generated by their version of dynamic braking (regenerative braking) back into the overhead wires. Not really practical trying to capture and store the power in a diesel electric, which could be many miles and days away, from the yard. The starter motors mentioned in the video, I'm going to have to ask about. Might be to do with the DD having an AC alternator, and I'm thinking of a DC generator. I'm only familiar with the earlier Rootes-blown 567 series engines. The main DC generator was the starter motor, receiving power from the starting batteries to crank the engine over, then the generator reverted to powering the traction motors. AFAIK EMD loco engines never used compressed air starting.
@@railtrolley thanks my friend. I would love to crawl around this thing till I knew it inside and out. Electrical stuff is not my cup of tea just mechanical. Were there sleaves missing from the cylinders? When he showed the top of the deisel there was only a short wall and then a big open area or was that the extent of the piston travel?
@@wernerdanler2742 Same here. I would like to look at a loco which is 4 times the size of what I have worked on. The sleeves / piston units are missing on the DD, so he was showing us a complete engine on another loco with a 645 engine. Took me a while to understand the design EMD 2 stroke. It uses ports to receive the intake air. The exhaust is controlled via poppet valves - like a 4 stroke engine. And it uses a sump of lubricating oil and pump, instead of a total loss 2 stroke oil and fuel mixture - like most 2 strokes use. About the piston travel, on the video at about 45:30, you can see inside the lower side of the air box. The cylinder bore has slots in the side. These are air intake ports. The piston travels below these to open the port, and receive the charge of air. This is how far the pistons travel down. The piston then travels back past, to close the ports on the way up to firing the fuel/air mixture. The cylinders can be removed one at a time for servicing or repair. Each sleeve has the piston bore housing, piston, connecting rod, cylinder head, exhaust valves and injector as one unit. This is unlike most engines, where the one cylinder head covers all the cylinders on one bank, and has to be removed regardless of whether one cylinder, or all of them need repairing. The engine block is unusual too. Most blocks are cast as one piece, including the cylinder bore, and galleries to allow lubricating oil, and coolant. The EMD is fabricated from steel pieces, and does not have any cylinder bores, or oil, or water galleries. All these are separate add-ons, which can be replaced one at a time. The design is intended to be able to run the engine for a very long time. The "leg out of bed" - connecting rod punched out of the block, is usually fatal to a cast engine block. The EMD can be repaired if this happens.
@@railtrolley Thanks. This is similar to a large ship deisel engine I saw a video on a while back. They showed them replacing one of the separate cylinder heads. It was so large they had to use a crane in the engine room to move it. Took several hours to do it. I still wonder about the rusting in the cooling system. You were an engineer on one of these trains? As I said before, I was a machinist mate aboard a steam turbine naval vessel. That is the equivalent of an engineer in the merchant marine. I ran snd repaired steam turbines, steam powered generators and all auxiliary pumps. That was hot and dirty work.
Glad you enjoyed the video. Yes in dynamic braking the traction motors are turned into generators. I didn't go too much into it as this video was just getting longer and longer. Once they are turned into generators they take a considerable amount of force to move especially at higher speeds. This slows the train down. The energy from dynamic braking is put into a heat sink where it is cooled by fans. See this video kzhead.info/sun/et1tdKeJpniPd4E/bejne.html Dynamic braking isn't very effective at about 12mph and under since the wheels are turning so slow. In the past electric locomotives would pump the electricity from the traction motors during dynamic braking back into the electrical system. The Milwaukee Road was famous for that. They claimed the locomotives coming down the hill are powering the locomotives going up the hill.
Before the days of touchscreens. Actual levers, buttons and analog Guages!
Massive amount of Knowledge Explained in Easy to understand format. Thank You. Your love for your profession shows.