hello, some of my favorite locomotives are big alcos. i know they were built for mainlines but did they ever switch out any industries?. and what pound rail could these go on?. thanks, dan
Since SD40-2's went on 75 and 90 lb rail, I would assume a C628 could also.
I'm sure that a C628 switched an industry at some point, but in the era they were operated, they would have been one of the big dogs and so would have been more likely to be on a mainline train than a local.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
"Did they ever switch out any industries?" That covers a multitude of possibilities, so the answer is yes and no. The older industrial areas still existed in the era of the big Alcos, and they were the exclusive domain of 4-axle power, usually switchers. Other industries were located off the main line, but in urban areas there were usually enough of them to justify regular local switching assignments to handle them, again with 4-axle power, either switchers or older roadswitchers.
Further out, there often was a wayfreight doing the local switching along the subdivision. But occasionally some might be switched by a through freight with big power, especially if they were remote or a big customer with a hot shipment. The track geometry had to be up to the task. Long engines with C-C trucks do not mix well with tight industrial curves. One approach that could be used in a pinch was to include a smaller unit in the power consist, and separate it out to do the switching. That meant a lot more work for the crew, separating the power and then having to put it back together after the switching was done.
They were regularly run on 80/85# rail. Significantly lighter rail, such as 60#, could be handled at slow speed However, a subdivision with such light rail normally had a number of other restrictions that meant big engines should be prohibited entirely.
John
Gidday, further to Dave and Johns comments is this site.......................
http://espee.railfan.net/spc-628.html
I gather they were used to drag blocks of cars from one yard to another in the Los Angeles area.
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
N&W used their 6 axle Alcos as yard switchers..I seen photos of N&W Y6Bs and Class As on locals.
I've seen NS D8-40CW on a local.CSX wide cabs on locals.
I would say a big Alco on a local was a possibility.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Depends on the quality of the track. Many years ago MR published plans for the BLW 6-axle passenger sharks & included a photo of one being used on a local freight! Almost any power could be used in a pinch if the track will support it. However, I know of a case where a couple big, modern 6-axle units were hauling a CSX train & had to make a setout on a curving spur with light rail & poor roadbed support. They spread the rails & at least one unit went on the ground. There's a reason switchers were/are built to be relatively light & agile. If they'd thought ahead, the crew could have put the setouts on the spur, then pulled several other cars from the consist to use as a 'handle", then pushed the setouts to their final position without putting the heavy engines on the light track. Maybe they were in a hurry, or maybe they just didn't think about that option.
The answer is certainly a yes. These "big guys" would not be found back in the light industrial trackage, but would certainly perform set-outs and pick-ups as needed.
While I can't think of a specific example of watching a C-628 switching industries (they weren't that common of a locomotive), I do recall the big Alcos in N&W yard service in Roanoke, VA. Also, I was out in Lawrence, Kansas in the mid-1970's for grad school and enjoyed visiting the Union Pacific main line. The one time that I saw a DDA40X come through Lawrence, it stopped and set out several cars. That was likely the ultimate in "local" power, so there is room for the big Alcos as well.
Bill
The Special Instructions part of the Employees Timetable was the place to look for engine restrictions. It would have a listing of the engines prohibited from using certain tracks or portions of tracks at various locations. As noted in posts above, big power could sometimes be used to work industries, but it was a good idea to keep the engine restrictions in mind.
Big engines can be used on light rail depending on the condition of the track and the tie spacing (closer ties will allow the rail to carry more weight)
Well,I forgot this tidbit..PRR used RSD7s on urban locals and C&O used their RSD7s on mine runs out of Peach Creek on the Logan Sub.
It's quite possible they did some set-outs / pick-ups at some point somewhere, but from a modeling standpoint, it's usually better to go with what's common rather than what's rare. C628s were huge engines designed to haul long heavy mainline trains at a decent speed, not work a wayfreight. For example, CNW's ex-N&W high nose units were first used on mainline trains between Duluth-Superior and Omaha, and later were sent to Upper Michigan to haul iron ore trains.
wjstixit's usually better to go with what's common rather than what's rare. C628s were huge engines designed to haul long heavy mainline trains at a decent speed, not work a wayfreight.
So was the RSD7 but,it ended up on locals and mine runs.N&W use their big Alcos as a yard engine.Ever see a SD45 working a local? N&W used them on heavy locals and on mine runs.
As I mention often before railroads have no set rules on how they use the locomotives.
awesome info everyone. i bought a atlas o scale 2 rail c-628 decorated for pennsylvania railroad. brakie you worked for prr did you ever get to see these beasts in operation?.also i cant decide if i want to keep it prr or paint it in sp colors.when didthe penn central paint these in their scheme?. thanks all
alcorsd15danbrakie you worked for prr did you ever get to see these beasts in operation?.
I seen the C628s as they past through Columbus on the Panhandel but,never as a railfan and you don't see much from a cab of a locomotive or a cabin.I do know the ones I seen was smokers.
These Alcos was also assigned to ore service for a short time before being reassigned to general service.
The Monon's C-628s didn't last long. They were just too big. However, they were assigned to general road freight service, so were called on to make pickups and set-outs on occasion. I recall vaguely a story by one engineer using them to do just that on some pretty light rail one night. He made it and got back out, but felt lucky to do so.
I'd expect this to be a fairly unusual use for C-628s. And it's always the case that many moves can be made using as a "handle' a cut of cars that are lighter than the loco to keep it off light or poorly maintained rail by reaching in to couple to cars in a siding or spur.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
BRAKIE wjstixit's usually better to go with what's common rather than what's rare. C628s were huge engines designed to haul long heavy mainline trains at a decent speed, not work a wayfreight. So was the RSD7 but,it ended up on locals and mine runs.N&W use their big Alcos as a yard engine.Ever see a SD45 working a local? N&W used them on heavy locals and on mine runs. As I mention often before railroads have no set rules on how they use the locomotives.
I'm sure that's correct, but let's put it this way...of all the C628s built, what pct. of their lifetime was used in yard switching or local wayfreight service?? 10%? 5%? 1%? Whatever it is, it's a small pct. I'd guess. Using a C628 on a 12 car wayfreight would be like a large construction company using a dumptruck instead of a company car to take somebody to the airport - it will work fine, but isn't the best use of the equipment.
FWIW I right now have basically a shelf switching layout that will eventually be part of a much larger layout, and I do sometime operate it with my C628s. But once the layout is more complete, the big engines will probably just be used on ore trains.
wjstix...of all the C628s built, what pct. of their lifetime was used in yard switching or local wayfreight service?? 10%? 5%? 1%? Whatever it is, it's a small pct. I'd guess.
Judging by the PRR I would guess 2% in yard service and on a odd local or mine run.
PRR used RSD15s in yeoman's service.
I'm not saying all railroads used their engines like the "cough!" "cough" "Standard railroad of the world" did.
wjstix FWIW I right now have basically a shelf switching layout that will eventually be part of a much larger layout, and I do sometime operate it with my C628s. But once the layout is more complete, the big engines will probably just be used on ore trains.