Question for a locomotive engineer

[lionelsoni]

I'm thinking about permanently coupling my two NW2s so that I can wire the motors in series, since I always use them coupled anyway and I expect I can get better low-speed operation in series.

What would be the preferred arrangement for switching with prototype locomotives of that type? Hood-to-hood, cab-to-cab, or hood-to-cab?

[csxt30]

Well, not an engineer, but I know the guys on the ground like a cab near them , so I have to suggest hood to hood. We used to have them that way when I worked in Erie, Pa. That was when CSX first took over Conrail. Sometimes they would come back from the lake split up, w/an engine on each end. Mostly though, I like the way they look, when hood to hood! Thanks, John

[spankybird]

Here was a couple of engines that was pulling out a coal drag from the local power plant. They are hood to hood

[wrmcclellan]

Bob,

It depends on the era you model. In the early staem to diesel transistion, diesels (other than F and E type) were run long hood first as the issue was engineer and fireman safety in a collision. So early MU'd switchers were coupled cab to cab.

In later years when engineers became used to the improved visibility of the cab being first, they started running hood to hood.

Regards,
Roy

[jwse30]

The railroad (E,J, & E) that services the steel mill I work at, typically couples them cab to cab, when they have two cab units on a train. They have a few calves and slugs, and it's more typical to see one of them coupled to a cab unit.

Once in while, I'll see a pair of their switchers out on the "road" , and I've seen them as a pair (444, and 445), and they have always been coupled cab to cab.

J White

[Anonymous]

The answer is: it depends.
In the yard, I prefer to be cab out (long hood coupled) beause I have good visibility and can see the switch alignment very well. Also while shoving, which happens quite a bit in the course of a drill slip, I can still see the move and my crew, with ease.
On the road I prefer to be long hood out (cab coupled) as drill engines are set up for that direction of travel. Turning around to look out of the back of the cab can take it's toll on one's back after a few hours, lond hood forward, that is not a problem. Yes, visibility is not as great looking down the side of the carbody, but if the conductor stays awake (HA HA) that is a non issue.

[Anonymous]

Notch8,,,My conductor always fell asleep with a cig burnin' and a newspaper on his lap,,,You?

[Anonymous]

The cell phone is what gets me. Sometimes it's glued to their ear for the majority of the trip, After a while it gets annoying so the the cab window gets thrown open, I blow the horn really hard, and just don't bother to shut the bell off. Works every time. And yes, I have seen the cig and newspaper deal before.

[ChiefEagles]

Great hearing you all tell the train stories. Keep it up. [:)]
Here is what I saw in Dubuque.






Looks like anyway you want too.

[ChiefEagles]

Bob, just got through watching a Kalmbach video "Trains and Coal". NS movie. Was watching the engine arrangements while it was playing. Some run cab forward, some run nose to nose, hood to hood, one low nose SD was running hood forward and so on. They were running into mines in WV, KY and VA. They use cabooses on some as they back up to 30 miles into some mines. The cabooses seem to have some sharp screechy whistle on them for the crossings. Even had a UP diesel lashed up with a NS. Part of the loading, the NS was in front and some of the time the UP was. So, do as you please.

[FJ and G]

Nice shooting chief.

Mostly they are like in the 1st 2 shots and the last, taken recently from my VRE train near Springfield, Va.

[Anonymous]

Nice photos of road power. But I thought the starting post was for drill engines, no? NW-2's?

[TexasEd]

Bob,

We can drive up to Waco and check out the Belmead yard or to Temple to see if they have any switchers there.

I found this site earlier with lots of switchers on it:
http://yardlimit.railfan.net/

[TexasEd]

I went and looked throught that site again and found a lot of cab-hood configurations as well.

[ChiefEagles]

TexasEd, I know Temple and Copperas Cove. Got friends that live there. Fished Stillhouse Lake the last time I was there. Flew to Dallas from Waco.

[lionelsoni]

I went with cab-to-cab. But I didn't make it permanent. I figured out an arrangement of connectors that allows them to be run separately or, using an elaborate MU cable, in series. Most of the trouble was finding room for the connectors inside the locomotives.

The result is what I hoped for, smooth low-speed operation with no pickup dropouts and no need to synchronize the e-units.