Remember when

[tr206]

Just sitting here remembering my youth when life was bustling when the 2 stroke Detroits were in their hay day and the skunky smell of their smoke and how Cat Cummins Mack all seam to have their own distinct exhaust smell, call me weird just takes me back to seemingly better days.  How about you?

[DoubleEagle]

For me, I think the more distinctive difference between the engines was the sound. It was possible to easily identify the engines that way, and to detect common problems.

[CrabbyMilton]

I certainly don't disagree but I still like to think that if things in the old days were so much better, then why don't they exist anymore? You can apply that to pretty much everything. Jet powered airliners vs. piston? Jet powered planes can fly higher and faster and are much quieter. Can't see a downside. Steam locomotives vs. diesel.
Steam has the nostalgic factor but not much else. Alternators vs. Dynamo's in vehicles. Not too much of a contest there.

[dtcerrato]

Computers and social media are taking the personal touch out of the equation. Heck people in real close proximity use social media instead of a coffee or adult beverage visit/break. We love our antique two stroke turtle for bringing us back in time including the slowness rather than the hurry.

[CrabbyMilton]

Well given the fact that there are so many horrible people out there, it's probably a good think personal contact isn't as necessary now. How time does go by though since I can't even remember hearing a 71 or 92 engine other than YOUTUBE.

[Iceni John]

Just sitting here remembering my youth when life was bustling when the 2 stroke Detroits were in their hay day and the skunky smell of their smoke and how Cat Cummins Mack all seam to have their own distinct exhaust smell, call me weird just takes me back to seemingly better days.  How about you?

When I was an ardent train buff in my formative teenage years I always maintained that 2-stroke diesels' exhaust smelled different that four strokes'.   My friends used to joke with me about that, but I could reliably say if a two-stroke Deltic locomotive had passed by recently instead of a four-stroke powered loco, and most of the time I was correct!   I still have strong recollections of the unique smell of Deltics at London's Kings Cross station, very different (in my mind) to the smell of four-stroke Sulzer and English Electric powered locos.   Why is this so?   Surely diesel fuel being burnt should smell the same, regardless of how the Suck/Squeeze/Bang/Blow cycles are configured?   Maybe I was instead smelling the accumulated oil residue in Deltics' exhausts  -  after prolonged idling they would blow out prodigious quantities of white smoke when they were throttled up, and this was supposedly the oil/fuel/whatever in their exhausts' being heated up and blown out.

Maybe it's time for a "Smell The Detroit Difference" bumper sticker for our buses, but CARB wouldn't like that.

John   

[chessie4905]

Fuel has changed a lot since the 50's with additives and such. Exhaust smell has changed along with it. Maybe they should start using a blend with peanut oil instead of ethanol.

[uncle ned]

Crabby  maybe you need to let us know where you live.

Ken Arnold, Pat McNeil and I go by our friend Jarra Smith's grave.  Back up to it and blow 2stroke smoke all over it.

Next time we might have to make Pat wait until Ken and I are through.  I hear he has gone over to the other side.  a 4stroke.

uncle ned

[CrabbyMilton]

I'm in Milwaukee, WI.
I remember MCTS's fleet of 150 1980 RTS's. All but 6 of them had the 8V-71 but 6 of them had the 6V-92 turbo. I was in disbelief when I heard one of those 92's Still don't know why they got those. But then in 1985  I heard a 4 cycle 6 cylinder and saw one of the RTS's and couldn't believe it. They took 2 of them and put in the CUMMINS L-10(new at the time) as an experiment for a few years. I made it a point to ride on one of them. Not nearly as smooth as the 71 and 92 but these newer ones have really come a long way in smoothness. The 2 buses used in the experiment had their 8V-71 engines returned to them after the test.

[tr206]

  Iceni John gets it. I like the Smell the Detroit Difference idea.  I says seemingly better times only because I was young and didn't have a care in the world. The times were definitely not easier. Grew up in a bustling small town in Wisconsin lots of milk trucks of coarse farmers then small towns had all you needed to live like a bus depot, lumber yard, a shoe shop, clothing store, drug store, train stop etc now most small towns are ghost towns and the small farms are gone the sense of neighborly community no longer exists your on your own kind of. So are these better days I would say yes in some way and definitely no. For some reason diesel smoke and coal smoke brings it all back love it.

[Tedsoldbus]

I'm a new age junkie because I take my father in law to steam and diesel. He lives up the street and brings his golf cart down to sit behind my bus when I fire up the 6V92. He just likes to smell it and listen while I am airing up. He was 30 years in a 4105 but can't drive now. I have his FMCA #4106 on the bus since he still rides in it now and then. He got me hooked on the bus thing. We live in the N Ga mountains and I take him to nearby TN where there are 4 different steam trains to ride. Steam or diesel, and he is happy. He is 90 and trying to see if he can still do the bus stairs for one more road trip. Booked for Loudonville OH end of August for Flx parade.
Please say a little prayer for me that I can get him there.

[Tedsoldbus]

didn't proof read my post. He had a 4106, and is FMCA life member 4125. Gary Hiemer

[luvrbus]

I have always liked the older CAT and Cummins engine working all-day @ 900rpm full throttle,my favorite is the EMD 710 train engine it sounds like it really running @900 rpm max lol 1 piston equals the cubic inches of a 8v71   

[chessie4905]

Years ago, our families went to Disney World, Fla. They used all RTS busses. They had dd50 4 cylinder engines. Sounded like rotating bucket of rocks and weren't smooth when accelerating. Power wise, they were ok.

[luvrbus]

Years ago, our families went to Disney World, Fla. They used all RTS busses. They had dd50 4 cylinder engines. Sounded like rotating bucket of rocks and weren't smooth when accelerating. Power wise, they were ok.

There will never be diesel made that will idle as smooth as the 8v71 IMO ,the series 60 Detroit will shake the sheets off the bed @ 500 to 600 rpm