Diesel engines work differently than the gas engines most horsepower enthusiasts are used to, so different performance principles apply. In High-Performance Diesel Builder's Guide, author Joe Pettitt teams up with diesel and turbo industry leader Gale Banks to explain how diesel engines work and how to set them up to make big power. Pettitt uses over 325 color images and covers how to upgrade your intake, exhaust, turbo, and fuel systems to build more boost and make more power. There's even a chapter on nitrous and propane injection. This is the first and only diesel performance book on the market.
This formative period of diesel locomotive evolution is examined with the help of more than 250 modern and period photos depicting passenger, freight, and switching locomotives. Author Brian Solomon covers every prominent manufacturer of the period—including Electro-Motive, Alco, Baldwin, and GE—as well as iconic models like Geeps, E and F units, PAs and FAs, sharknoses, U-boats, and more. The photographs take in the grand geographic and technological breadth of North American railroading and are accompanied by detailed captions identifying the locomotives pictured and explaining their roles in this crucial era of American railroading.
This overview of the leading locomotive producers in the United States during the twentieth century shows how they responded to a radical technological change: the replacement of steam locomotives by diesels. The locomotive industry provides a valuable case study of business practices and dramatic shifts in innovation patterns, since two companies--General Motors and General Electric--that had no traditional ties to locomotive production demolished established steam locomotive manufacturers. Albert Churella uses many previously untapped sources to illustrate how producers responded to technological change, particularly between the 1920s and the 1960s. Companies discussed include the American Locomotive Company (ALCo), the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the Lima Locomotive Works, Fairbanks-Morse, the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, and General Electric. A comparative work of business history and the history of technology, the book is not a complete history of any locomotive builder, nor does it explore the origins of the diesel engine in great detail. What it does, and does superbly, is to demonstrate how managers addressed radical shifts in technology and production methods. Churella reveals that managerial culture and corporate organizational routines, more than technological competency per se, allowed some companies to succeed, yet constrained the actions of others. He details the shift from small-batch custom manufacturing techniques in the steam locomotive industry to mass-production methods in the diesel locomotive industry. He also explains that chance events and fortuitous technological linkages helped to shape competitive patterns in the locomotive industry.
Once the second-largest steam locomotive builder in the U.S., American Locomotive Company (Alco) produced 75,000 locomotives, among them such famous examples as the 4-6-4 Hudsons and 4-8-4 Niagaras built for the New York Central, and the 4-6-6-4 Challengers and 4-8-8-4 Big Boys built for the Union Pacific. Alco Locomotives is the first book to tell the full story of this company central to American railroad history—and beloved by railfans for its rich heritage and its underdog appeal. Noted rail historian Brian Solomon looks back at the founding of Schenectady Locomotive Works in 1848 and proceeds to cover that company’s merger with several smaller locomotive builders in 1901 to form Alco. Solomon describes the locomotives that made Alco’s name around the world, from the standard designs like Mikados, Atlantics, and Mallets to the more powerful and flashy post–World War I models. His detailed, richly illustrated narrative re-creates the drama of a tough, ambitious company in the American tradition—rising again and again to the demands of an ever-changing industry and economy. Solomon also covers Alco electrics (built in partnership with GE), as well as the company’s successful and quirky diesel offerings, including the RS-2 and RS-3 road switchers, FA/FB road freight units, PA road passenger diesel, and the wares of Canadian affiliate Montreal Locomotive Works. Enlivened by numerous historical photographs, modern images, curious details, and firsthand accounts, this history is a complete, fascinating, and fitting tribute to a true icon of American railroading.
The diesel locomotive sent shock waves through rigid corporate cultures and staid government regulators. For some, the new technology promised to be a source of enormous profits; for others, the railroad industry seemed a threat to their very livelihoods. Evolution of the American Diesel Locomotive introduces the reader to the important technological advances that gave rise to diesel engines, examining not only their impact on locomotive design, but also their impact on the economic and social landscapes. J. Parker Lamb describes the development of these technologies, allowing the reader to fully understand how they were integrated and formed a commercially successful locomotive. Like its companion volume, Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive (IUP, 2003), this book emphasizes the role of the leading engineers whose innovations paved the way for critical breakthroughs. Rail fans will appreciate this authoritative work.
Feel like somebody hit the brakes on your Diesel Brothers cravings? Discover how you can keep the gas going with this rip-roaring ride behind the scenes of Discovery Channel's popular series Diesel Brothers. In the world of monster trucks, no one builds bigger and more extreme rides—and has more fun in the process—than Heavy D, Diesel Dave, and their crew at DieselSellerz. Their larger-than-life creations and awesome truck giveaways are legendary, but for those less fortunate who haven’t had the opportunity to experience a Bros’ souped-up truck, this thrill-ride of a book is the next best thing. Learn the epic and inspirational stories behind Heavy D and Diesel Dave’s business and personal lives, from the guys’ first meeting, to their early adventures building DieselSellerz, to their successful business venture with Redbeard, Muscle, and the rest of the fearless staff. In addition to learning about the Bros’ two-year Mormon missions, humble beginnings, and world travels, you’ll also get the unforgettable details of their hilarious, most well-known pranks, and the remarkable stories behind the personalities that have made Diesel Brothers one of the fastest growing and most popular reality TV shows. But wait—there’s more! The book is chock full of essential advice for anyone who’d like to get in on the action. Whether you’re a die-hard monster truck fan or just looking for inspiration to upgrade that piece of junk in your garage, Heavy D and his crew are here to show you how it’s done. You’ll learn how to find the best bargain in the junkyard, how to play hardball with tough-talking dealers, and how to turn that sad sack heap of parts into a badass diesel vehicle. What are you waiting for? Get out there and let diesel freedom ring!
