Review by Casey
 

Book Review:

Field Guide to Modern Diesel Locomotives  by Greg McDonnell

A veteran  railroad writer and photographer with extensive experience covering the diesel locomotive scene, Greg McDonnell is a long-time columnist for Trains magazine. With his Field Guide, he's put together the railfan's and MSTS operator's invaluable trackside companion and essential desktop reference.

The guide functions as both a reference and a narrative on North American diesel locomotive development over the past half century. Concentrating mainly on GE and EMD, the primary providers for contemporary locomotives, the guide is an excellent source of information on the motive power we see on today's rails in both the real world and the virtual one.

 For me, the book's greatest strength came in solidly establishing some fundamental points in diesel locomotive composition. Before reading this book, I thought I knew the locations of such basic elements as the dynamic brake blowers, radiators, engine-air intakes, et cetera.  Turns out I didn't have these features straight at all.  I do, now, thanks to the excellent diagrams contained in McDonnell's guide, plus a lot more.

 Prior to reading McDonnell's guide, I had no idea that there were such a variety of trucks being sported by modern locomotives.  The book provides a nice overview throughout its pages, so that the reader comes to understand that a given locomotive type can be fitted with more than one type of truck.  So now, when I see a locomotive, I always check-out its trucks as part of the the overall identity.

 Other points of interest emerge with reading this book:

 - The AC4400CW is basically an A.C. traction version of the Dash 9-44CW;

 - GE produced mainly 4-stroke/cycle prime movers, while EMD produced 2-stroke/cycle ones -- until just recently;

 - The wide-nose, "safety cab" or "comfort cab" has been a standard feature on CN power since 1973-74;

 - In the January '89, the first EMD locomotive was outshopped with the (now-called) North-American cab; and

 - In locomotive nomenclature, the "M" stands for "Modified", designating the North-American cab, while the "I" stands for "Independent", or Whisper Cab.

 What I found most fascinating was the development of A.C. traction, the tremendous impact it's had on locomotive design -- present and future -- and how it's being manifested in cutting-edge locomotives on the road, today.  This is the biggest single factor in locomotive progress since the introduction of the diesel electric!  It was the advent of A.C. traction and the resultant increase in available adhesion and starting tractive effort that touched-off a new horsepower race as the primary builders sought to take advantage of the phenomenal potential of A.C. systems, capable of handling more horsepower than existing locos could deliver. The current, leading results of this technological leap are GE's AC6000CW and EMD's SD90MAC-H II.

 Liberally adorned with full-colour photographs and tables, the informative text in the 208-page Field Guide to Modern Diesel Locomotives makes easy but enlightening reading.  It will be a useful and enjoyable tool for use trackside or beside the monitor of the ardent MSTS operator.  The Guide is available at amazon.com, or for us Canucks, at chapters.indigo.ca

Field Guide to Modern Diesel Locomotives

Author: Greg McDonnell
Published By: Kalmbach Publishing Co. April 2002
Paperback
ISBN:0890246076
Chapters.Indigo Price: $32.16 CDN

Amazon.com Price: $20.27 U.S.