I was walking to my car this evening after work when I heard a familiar low "rumble" and knew that a train was passing underneath the bridge that I was crossing over. As I turned to my right, I viewed two giant CSX SD-somethings pulling a string of intermodel cars, heading to destinations west.
As I was musing about what it would be like to drive one of those huge monstrosities, the thought occured to me: Do locomotive engineers primarily drive one particular locomotive (like some truck drivers) or type of locomotive? Or do they drive whatever locomotive is given them by the railroad?
Sorry for the rudimentary question but...I hadn't thought about it before and thought I'd ask. Thanks!
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Most locomotive engineers I know have their preferences, but they take what the railroad gives 'em. Some of the more creative engineers will find ways to get their favored power in the lead. Several years ago while railfanning on the BNSF in Valley Park, Missouri, a westbound freight pulled up short of the first grade crossing and stopped. Power was a scruffy SD40-2 leading a factory-fresh Dash 9-44CW. The engineer called the dispatcher on the radio and asked permission to turn the power on the wye that enters the Chrysler plant just across the Meramec River.....he claimed that the lead unit had a defective horn (it did sound a bit strange, but it did work). Dispatcher said OK, and 20 minutes later the train left town with a considerably newer locomotive in the lead.
I shouldn't slander the hogger in question.....a horn is a safety appliance and if it's on the verge of failing, he did do the right thing. But it was a warm day and that GE had an operating air conditioner......
Bill
"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig"
Engineers do have preferences. But unless there is reason to "shop" the loco, you have to use what the yardmaster/trainmaster/power bureau gives you.
In the yard or local service, you'll probably see the same few locos everyday. In road service, you'll get a different one every trip.
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
Bill & Nick,
Thanks for your input, fellas. Has that always been the case - even in the steam era? Since the steam engines all had there own unique personalities, quirks and tendencies, in my mind I always thought that in road service a particular engineer and crew got the same one or two locomotives. Its sorta funny what kind of errant conclusions you can come to, without giving them much thought.
alfadawg01 wrote:In the steam era, especially in the nineteenth century, some railroads did have particular locomotives assigned to individual engineers.
Same as most caboose's were assigned to a particular crew.
In the steam era, the Southern would assign a specific PS-4 to a specific (highly qualified senior) engineer, who would usually add special decorations to 'his' engine. That is why PS-4s had brass 'candlesticks,' eagles and lodge symbols on the headlight mounting platform.
IIRC, the engineer's name was stenciled on the cab side just below the window.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
This reminded me about how Casey Jones worked on the I.C. running commuter trains to the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, and got to see the I.C.'s new huge (for the time) 2-8-0 engine. He became so enamored of it that he managed to convince the railroad to assign it to him as his personal engine, despite the fact that it should have gone to someone with more seniority.
Anyway, assigning a specific engine to a specific engineer was apparently pretty much phased out by the 1920's. Cabooses lasted longer, pool service cabooses didn't become really common until maybe the 1970's - many railroads marked such cabooses with a "P" to indicate they weren't assigned to any one conductor or crew. BTW maintenance of the cabooses declined sharply once they weren't assigned to one conductor from what I've heard.
p.s. IIRC on some of the southern U.S. railroads in the steam days, it wasn't unusual for an engineer to have a specific (usually black) fireman assigned to him?? They worked together as a team.
Jason
Modeling the Fort Worth & Denver of the early 1970's in N scale
If the Service Center is doing their job properly, the locos on each end will face opposite directions, for quick turnaround at the end of the line. For the ones in middle it really doesn't matter.
Jason,
In the case of two locomotives, they will usually have them facing in opposite directions (cab forward) to one another so that, if they ever need to go in the other direction, they don't have to turn the engines around to do it. The 2nd locomotive becomes the lead locomotive and vice versa.
Same goes with more than two locomotives. The outside locomotives will be pointing in the forward position. The locomotive(s) sandwiched in between can face eithier way.
jguess733 wrote:That leads me to another question. Is there any rhyme or reason to the way locomotives are coupled to a train? For example, do a certain number have to be facing forward? Or do they just couple up what they have regardless of the direction the cab is facing?
Depends on the locomotive plan for the train.
Some require a front-back set (lead unit forward, trailing unit backwards)
Some require lead two units facing forwards (common on hot trains).
Performance wise it really doesn't matter, except that if you have non-dynamic brake units they should be in the trail, if you mix AC and non-AC power you probably want a non-AC in the lead, if you have a airconditioned unit, it leads, if you have a DP unit it leads, if you have a video camera equipped unit it leads.
In cab signal territory the lead uunit has to be equipped with cab signals.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com