Trains.com

Question for a locomotive engineer

1647 views
15 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Austin, TX
  • 10,096 posts
Posted by lionelsoni on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 8:06 PM
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.

Bob Nelson

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Rolesville, NC
  • 15,416 posts
Posted by ChiefEagles on Monday, June 13, 2005 9:40 PM
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.

 God bless TCA 05-58541   Benefactor Member of the NRA,  Member of the American Legion,   Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville Laugh,   KC&D QualifiedCowboy       

              

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Austin, Texas
  • 87 posts
Posted by TexasEd on Monday, June 13, 2005 6:03 PM
I went and looked throught that site again and found a lot of cab-hood configurations as well.
http://www.trainweb.org/ttat
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Austin, Texas
  • 87 posts
Posted by TexasEd on Monday, June 13, 2005 5:59 PM
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/
http://www.trainweb.org/ttat
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 13, 2005 3:33 PM
Nice photos of road power. But I thought the starting post was for drill engines, no? NW-2's?
  • Member since
    August 2003
  • 6,434 posts
Posted by FJ and G on Monday, June 13, 2005 12:40 PM
Nice shooting chief.

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









  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Rolesville, NC
  • 15,416 posts
Posted by ChiefEagles on Monday, June 13, 2005 12:32 PM
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.

 God bless TCA 05-58541   Benefactor Member of the NRA,  Member of the American Legion,   Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville Laugh,   KC&D QualifiedCowboy       

              

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Rolesville, NC
  • 15,416 posts
Posted by ChiefEagles on Monday, June 13, 2005 8:09 AM
Great hearing you all tell the train stories. Keep it up. [:)]
Here is what I saw in Dubuque.






Looks like anyway you want too.

 God bless TCA 05-58541   Benefactor Member of the NRA,  Member of the American Legion,   Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville Laugh,   KC&D QualifiedCowboy       

              

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 13, 2005 6:13 AM
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.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 12, 2005 11:55 PM
Notch8,,,My conductor always fell asleep with a cig burnin' and a newspaper on his lap,,,You?
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 12, 2005 5:59 PM
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.
  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Hobart, In
  • 568 posts
Posted by jwse30 on Saturday, June 11, 2005 9:20 PM
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
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: North Texas
  • 5,707 posts
Posted by wrmcclellan on Saturday, June 11, 2005 5:03 PM
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

Regards, Roy

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Willoughby, Ohio
  • 5,231 posts
Posted by spankybird on Saturday, June 11, 2005 2:44 PM
Here was a couple of engines that was pulling out a coal drag from the local power plant. They are hood to hood




I am a person with a very active inner child. This is why my wife loves me so. Willoughby, Ohio - the home of the CP & E RR. OTTS Founder www.spankybird.shutterfly.com 

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • 3,176 posts
Posted by csxt30 on Saturday, June 11, 2005 2:22 PM
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
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Austin, TX
  • 10,096 posts
Question for a locomotive engineer
Posted by lionelsoni on Saturday, June 11, 2005 11:27 AM
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?

Bob Nelson

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month