FM OP800
Encyclopedia
The OP800 was a lightweight, streamlined railcar
built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1939. Fairbanks-Morse
supplied the 800 hp, five-cylinder 8 x 10 opposed piston engine
prime mover
. The units were configured in a highly-unusual 2-A1A wheel arrangement (later converted to 3-A1A) mounted atop a pair of road trucks
, and equipped with a front swing coupler pilot
. The aft section was divided into two separate compartments: one was used to transport baggage and the other served as a small railway post office
, or RPO (the forward door, located just behind the radiator louvers, was equipped with a mail hook).
Six units, accompanied by matching trailing car sets, were manufactured exclusively for the Southern Railway (SR). Two were later sold to the Georgia and Florida Railroad and Georgia Northern Railway
as maintenance cars. The remaining four OP800s were scrapped in 1955; selected parts were retained for maintenance use on other SR F-M motive power.
At least four of these cars had individual names applied to them, including "Vulcan", "Cracker", "Joe Wheeler", and "Goldenrod".
No OP800 units are known to have survived.
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1939. Fairbanks-Morse
Fairbanks-Morse
Fairbanks Morse and Company was a manufacturing company in the late 19th and early 20th century. Originally a weighing scale manufacturer, it later diversified into pumps, engines, windmills, locomotives and industrial supplies until it was merged in 1958...
supplied the 800 hp, five-cylinder 8 x 10 opposed piston engine
Opposed piston engine
An opposed-piston engine is a reciprocating internal combustion engine in which each cylinder has a piston at both ends, and no cylinder head.-Configurations:...
prime mover
Prime mover (locomotive)
In engineering, a prime mover is an engine that converts fuel to useful work. In locomotives, the prime mover is thus the source of power for its propulsion. The term is generally used when discussing any locomotive powered by an internal combustion engine...
. The units were configured in a highly-unusual 2-A1A wheel arrangement (later converted to 3-A1A) mounted atop a pair of road trucks
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
, and equipped with a front swing coupler pilot
Pilot (locomotive)
In railroading, the pilot is the device mounted at the front of a locomotive to deflect obstacles from the track that might otherwise derail the train. In some countries it is also called cowcatcher or cattle catcher....
. The aft section was divided into two separate compartments: one was used to transport baggage and the other served as a small railway post office
Railway post office
In the United States a railway post office, commonly abbreviated as RPO, was a railroad car that was normally operated in passenger service as a means to sort mail en route, in order to speed delivery. The RPO was staffed by highly trained Railway Mail Service postal clerks, and was off-limits to...
, or RPO (the forward door, located just behind the radiator louvers, was equipped with a mail hook).
Six units, accompanied by matching trailing car sets, were manufactured exclusively for the Southern Railway (SR). Two were later sold to the Georgia and Florida Railroad and Georgia Northern Railway
Georgia Northern Railway
The Boston and Albany Railroad was chartered in 1891 to build a rail line from Boston to Albany, Georgia, United States. After two years, very little progress had been made and the railroad was purchased by the Pidcock Family who had founded a private logging railroad in the early 1890s that ran...
as maintenance cars. The remaining four OP800s were scrapped in 1955; selected parts were retained for maintenance use on other SR F-M motive power.
At least four of these cars had individual names applied to them, including "Vulcan", "Cracker", "Joe Wheeler", and "Goldenrod".
No OP800 units are known to have survived.
See also
- Doodlebug (rail car)Doodlebug (rail car)In the United States, doodlebug was the common name for a self-propelled railroad car . While such a coach typically had a gasoline-powered engine that turned a generator which provided electricity to traction motors, which turned the axles and wheels on the trucks, versions with mechanical...
- Seaboard Air Line 2027 & 2028SAL 2027Seaboard Air Line 2027 and 2028 were lightweight, streamlined Diesel-electric railcars built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1936. Electromotive Corporation supplied the 600 hp, eight-cylinder Winton Diesel 201-A prime mover and electric transmission components. The units had an B-2 wheel...
, similar St. Louis Car Company built railcars, powered by EMD