Old locomotives

Locomotive number 60004 rolled out of Baldwin Locomotive Works (founded in 1831 by Matthias Baldwin) in May of 1927. She was the 13th 4-8-4 type locomotive built in America. The first twelve have all been scrapped, leaving only 3751 as the oldest 4-8-4 in existence.

Destined for the Santa Fe Railroad, she was a new design experience for both the builder and the operator. She was the first class of Santa Fe 4-8-4's (a 4-8-4 locomotive has four leading wheels arranged in a leading truck , eight coupled driving wheels and four trailing wheels in a trailing truck). Each costing $99,712.77 as delivered.

As originally built, 3751 was an innovation in design, with its 4-wheel trailing truck to support the 108 sq/ft firebox. The newly developed Type E super heater was applied. Included was a cast-steel engine bed and separate cast cylinders, with cross-counter balanced 73 inch drive wheels. The total engine weight was 432,240 lbs. The total engine-tender weight tipped the scales at 724,600 lbs. She had a starting tractive effort of 66,000 lbs, with a maximum drawbar horsepower of 3,200 at 40 mph.

Mechanical Engineer Lanning and his staff collaborated with Baldwin in the design of the 3765's, which were delivered between April and June 1938. For maximum speeds of 100 mph, 80-inch Baldwin disc-type driving wheels were specified. Cylinder dimensions were changed to 28 x 32 to eliminate the back pressure problems inherent in the 3751 design.

With the arrival of eleven new 3765 class 4-8-4's in 1938, Santa Fe decided to rebuild the 3751 class. The purpose was to upgrade the locomotive to equal the 3765 class if possible. This project began in October 1938 and culminated with the 3751 being completed in early 1941. Although due to larger drivers the original tractive effort of 66,000 lbs remained the same. The conversion did however allow for 90 miles per hour speeds and raised the horsepower to 3,600 at 50 mph. This major rebuilding was a success in producing a much more powerful and efficient locomotive. With the heavy wartime traffic commencing after December 7, 1941, Santa Fe attempted to obtain more motive power, both steam and diesel from the War Production Board, which had assumed control of locomotive production and allocation

In 1947 the I. C.C. ordered automatic train control to be used on locomotives exceeding 79 mph. 3751 received new equipment mounted on the right trailer truck frame which permitted her timetable a maximum speed of 90 mph.

By 1949 the "deflector" type stack was in place for use in the numerous tunnels over the Tehachapi grade.

On August 25, 1953, her fire was extinguished, but until then she had been on the point of many famous Santa Fe trains such as the Scout, the Navajo, the California Limited, the Chief, Fast Mail and Express, the Grand Canyon Limited, the El Tova, the San Diegan and standby for the Super Chief Diesel Streamliner in 1938. It is also interesting to note that while on standby for this train, 3751 had bettered the diesel locomotive's performance with quicker times between Los Angeles & Barstow!

June, July 1953 was the last big 4-8-4 show, indeed the last for all AT&SF steam. Sixty-four 4-8-4's made mileages of 350,343 in June and 343,627 in July.

9 japanese automakers

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Japanese built and designed cars have flooded the North American market for over forty years now. Over time, many nameplates have come and gone, but Japanese cars continue to gain market share and acceptance with a growing number of motorists attracted to their high quality and durability. There are nine Japanese automobile manufacturing companies in existence. Can you name them? Let’s take a look at the list:

Toyota – The second largest automaker in the world is Toyota, maker of the Camry, the Corolla, and a host of SUVs, trucks, passenger cars, and a van. Toyota’s Lexus division produces luxury cars, while its Scion division manufactures youth oriented vehicles.

Honda – The Accord and the Civic are Honda’s two most well known models, followed by the Odyssey minivan, the Ridgeline truck, the Element, and several other passenger vehicles. Acura is the name given to Honda’s luxury car division.

Nissan – Drive a Datsun and then decide. Up until the early 1980s, Nissan’s North American nameplate was Datsun, but was switched to Nissan to give it a more global name. The Sentra, Maxima, and Pathfinder are amongst the division’s best selling vehicles. Infiniti is Nissan’s luxury car division. Renault Motors of France owns a controlling interest in Nissan.

Mitsubishi – Originally imported exclusively by Chrysler, Mitsubishi began to sell cars under its own name in the 1980s. Top selling models include the Lancer, the Eclipse, and the Montero. DaimlerChrysler owns a chunk of the company.

Mazda – The Tribute, Miata, and the “6” are some of the most well known Mazda models. The Mazda 6’s platform also powers several Ford Motor Company cars including the Mercury Milan. Ford owns an important stake in the company.

Subaru – Think all wheel drive and you may just think Subaru. The Forester, Outback, and Legacy are all top selling Subaru models. Fuji Heavy Industries [FHI] owns Subaru; General Motors has a 20 percent stake in FHI.

Suzuki – 20% owned by General Motors, Suzuki is as noted for producing cars as it is for manufacturing motorcycles. The Grand Vitara is one of its most noted models.

Isuzu – Did someone say General Motors? Again, GM owns a stake in Isuzu. At one time Isuzu imported cars to the US, but those days are over. Currently, Isuzu has a miniscule presence and the two vehicles they do sell – the Ascender SUV and I Series pick ups – are simply rebadged GMC vehicles.

Daihatsu – The Charade and Rocky were two models introduced by Daihatsu when the car company started selling vehicles in North America in 1988; four years later its North American operations were closed. In 1999, Toyota assumed controlling interest over the company.

So, there you have it: there are nine Japanese automakers, two of which are still independent. Much like the American market further consolidation is likely with nameplates disappearing entirely just like the Packard, Hudson, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, and a host of other North American nameplates have driven off into the history books.

Replacement auto parts where to find them

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When needing a replacement part for you car, where do you shop? Like many motorists you may head down to the big box retailer for all of your needs. A good choice both for value and for selection. Still, mostly any retailer is limited as to what they can stock. This especially holds true if you drive a rare or uncommon vehicle. Try finding a window regulator for your ’69 Torino at the parts store; they’ll get it for you but it will have to be back ordered. So, where should you shop? That’s up to you, but let’s goes over the options that you have.

The Salvage Yard. Let’s admit it: there isn’t anything wrong with going to the junkyard to find the part you need. My ’78 VW Rabbit’s window handle broke and I snagged one off of a junker for just a few bucks. Still, if you are looking for a radiator, engine, exhaust stuff, or anything else that actually runs, you risk that the part will fail soon after you place it in your car. Naturally, the price you pay through the junkyard should be the lowest price going.

Your Dealer. On the other side of the spectrum is your car dealer. If they don’t have it in stock, they can get if for you. Service with a smile and a price that will make you frown! Yes, you will pay dearly for some parts, as middleman mark ups kick in.

Your Retail Store. Retail auto supply chains typically have the broadest selection and the lowest prices of any of the brick and mortar retailers. Your best option for a good buy is when something is on sale; stock items will cost you the prevailing retail rate, but that is the price you pay for convenience. Overhead [buildings, labor] is high even with most national retailers.

Shop Online. Wholesale providers of automobile replacement parts and accessories are springing up all over the internet. Some stores are good, some are not. What to look for: available customer service agents; a toll free number where you can call someone to talk with directly; a store that never closes and has a secured payment site; and clearly understood shipment, payment, and return policies. Generally, an online retailer should be a great option as low overhead and purchasing directly from the manufacturer is what sets these wholesalers apart from the rest. Still, do your homework and make sure that the site is what it says it is.

One special warning: the growth of the counterfeit parts industry is causing fits for retailers and consumers. If you suspect that you have purchased a bogus part, return it to the retailer for a full return. One more good reason to learn what a company’s return policy is before you do business with them.

In all, shopping for parts is easier today, thanks to the internet. From the ease of your computer you can compare prices, service, shipping options, warranties, and more. The consumer is the winner and retailers are keeping prices low in order to bring in additional business.