Are there any circumstances where an RR might have MUed yard switchers like GE 70 tonners?
Joe Staten Island West
One thing to keep in mind is that some older yard engine types simply did not have the capability to be MU-ed with another unit. However, if they could, it might not be uncommon in larger yards to use sets of power to be able to move more cars.
Today cars are bigger and heavier than in the past, and switching with pairs of units or with slug boosters for added tractive effort is pretty normal.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
It happened many times. On a number of short lines the 70 tonners were also the road power. Light rail or bridges meant larger locomotives were prohibited.
Having said that, to MU yard switchers they had to be equipped with MU connections. That is an extra cost item when purchased, or retrofitted, so most switchers were not equipped. On the major railroads sometimes a handful of their Alco or EMD switchers would gain MU capability and be assigned to specific services such as hump yards while most of the fleet would stay without.
John
Certainly. Here are a few.
Transfer runs: often long cuts of cars that need moved offline to another road's yard or interchange track
Hump yard: entire trains are pushed over the hump for sorting
Arrival and departure tracks: whole trains are broken up and made up on these, so long cuts are often the rule
That said, 70-tonners tended to be on the smallish side even for switching, so they might be MU-ed even for light swicthing service. There were relatively few of them used like that, because they were mostly purhcased by short lines and industrial lines; there were relatively few on the Class 1 RRs.
And you have to keep in mind, if following a prototype, whether a switcher even had MU capability. Many early ones did not, so MUing would require two or more crews, which gets expensive.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Thanks Everyone. I was looking for a reason to MU the SIW 2 switchers as I find they run better but I did not want it to look too out of place. Now I think its Okay.
Joe,
I can see doing exactly that for the non-prototype reason you stated. I convert 70-tonners to HOn3. This certainly doesn't improve their running characteristics. 2 out of the 3 I have running right now are fine on their own, but the third one can be cranky. Better to partner it with a well-running one. I use the pair to haul freight to and from my Chama staging loop.
Of course, the Rio Grande never had any 70-tonners so never needed to MU them. But it works for me. Here's a pair on the ready track in Durango.
People often think they're small and in SG, they are. In NG, they're hulks. I lowered the cabs on these after the above pic was taken, which helped get that hunkered down NG look. The next pic shows them with the lowered cabs.
Logging railroads used MUed switchers as road power due to weight and size advantages.
mlehman Joe, I can see doing exactly that for the non-prototype reason you stated. I convert 70-tonners to HOn3. This certainly doesn't improve their running characteristics. 2 out of the 3 I have running right now are fine on their own, but the third one can be cranky. Better to partner it with a well-running one. I use the pair to haul freight to and from my Chama staging loop. Of course, the Rio Grande never had any 70-tonners so never needed to MU them. But it works for me. Here's a pair on the ready track in Durango. People often think they're small and in SG, they are. In NG, they're hulks. I lowered the cabs on these after the above pic was taken, which helped get that hunkered down NG look. The next pic shows them with the lowered cabs.
Actually I MU'ed Them but not Back to Back but That is a Minor Change which makes sense since I MU my Geeps That way.
Milwaukee Road and Lehigh Valley were two roads that used small switchers such as SW1's and similar EMD models, on lightly maintained branches. Steel and coal hauling shortlines such as Montour, Pittsburgh & Shawmut, Cambria & Indiana, Union, and others (all in Pennsylvania) used multiple SW7's and/or SW9's as their mainline power. I recall MU'd Alco S-2's and/or S-4's being used on the B&O's Akron-Canton, Ohio branch, and similar S-2's and/or S-4's being used by NKP on transfer runs in the Canton area. As for GE 70 tonners, I believe St. Johnsbury & Lamoille County used them in multiples.
Tom
Yes. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12kgCCiXGLA
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Brakie: Great video and that guy has a couple more vids of the 70 tonners hard at work. Anyway so now there are 2 SIW 70's moving tank cars in and out of The Hess complex unloading petroleum products..
The Minneapolis Northfield and Southern sometimes used 4 EMD switchers m.u.ed together on trains; Milwaukee Road did it with their SW1s on one of their former 3' gauge lines - nothing heavier could work on the line.
Generally switchers used together are back-to-back, but it wasn't uncommon to see them nose-to-nose for better visability. I have a couple of EMD switchers I lettered for Lake Superior Terminal & Transfer, and I run them nose-to-nose just like the real railroad did.
Hello All,
If you consider a cow & calf configuration or a slug-unit MU'd then...yes.
A quick search on RailPictures.Net turned up several images of slugs MU'd to SW1500s and even a D&RGW slug! (I love that site!)
Then a searched for calf resulted in several images of cow & calf sets of various road names.
As I understand (and I'll be swiftly corrected if I don't) the difference between a calf and a slug is a calf has a prime-mover (diesel generator) that provides it's own power to the traction motors. A slug has no prime-mover and the traction motors receive their power from the lead unit or, in some cases, overhead Catenary.
For control purposes each of these units are MU'd to the lead loco.
That being said...To paraphrase one contributors signature, "Your railroad, Your rules!" I'm certain that somewhere some railroad or industry MU'd switchers for cost savings (over buying larger locos) and flexibility.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
BNSF does in the Duluth-Superior terminal. Missabe did with their first switchers in the early 50's. Both use two cab units. Oliver Mining had cow and calf units from EMD, Alco, and Baldwin.
wjstix The Minneapolis Northfield and Southern sometimes used 4 EMD switchers m.u.ed together on trains; Milwaukee Road did it with their SW1s on one of their former 3' gauge lines - nothing heavier could work on the line. Generally switchers used together are back-to-back, but it wasn't uncommon to see them nose-to-nose for better visability. I have a couple of EMD switchers I lettered for Lake Superior Terminal & Transfer, and I run them nose-to-nose just like the real railroad did.
Oddly enough , I've had them overheat running in this configuration. Remember the cooling air intake is on the end of the locomotive.
Okay so that only leaves the question of cab forward or backorder I have decided to go cab forward so the crew can easily see what the are doing.
joe323 Okay so that only leaves the question of cab forward or backorder I have decided to go cab forward so the crew can easily see what the are doing.
If I may for general information..The direction the switcher faces will depend on the yard.
A forward yard the switcher will operate long hood forward because the switch stands is on the engineers's side (right side) if the yard is a reverse yard then the switcher will operate cab forward since the switch stands is on the fireman's side (left side).This will put the engineer on the left side where he can see the switchman's signals.
If the switchers are MU'd then the units would face both directions like so the engineer can be on the switch stand side simply by going to the unit that faces the switch stands.
A simple thing I was taught to remember about hand signals.
Go away! Pull forward hand signal.
Come to me! Back up hand signal.
Randy Stahl wjstix The Minneapolis Northfield and Southern sometimes used 4 EMD switchers m.u.ed together on trains; Milwaukee Road did it with their SW1s on one of their former 3' gauge lines - nothing heavier could work on the line. Generally switchers used together are back-to-back, but it wasn't uncommon to see them nose-to-nose for better visability. I have a couple of EMD switchers I lettered for Lake Superior Terminal & Transfer, and I run them nose-to-nose just like the real railroad did. Oddly enough , I've had them overheat running in this configuration. Remember the cooling air intake is on the end of the locomotive.
The EMD cow and calf configuration were the TR series. Together they were considered one locomotive. They were connected together by a drawbar not couplers. Both units were powered.
All cosisted of a cow (cab unit) and calf (cabless) except the TR3 which was a cow and two calfs.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GM-EMD_locomotives#Switchers_.28SW.29
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
I can't speak for other roads, but Southern Pacific had MU connections on their SW1500's. They were often used MU'd in pairs. More rare were the times when they would be in the consist of a road train. When this happened they were probably being transferred between terminals, or returned after being repaired.
That is a definite yes. I have old pictures of mu'ed locomotives in Santa Fe's yard in Amarillo, Tx.
Thank You.
Bozo Texino I can't speak for other roads, but Southern Pacific had MU connections on their SW1500's. They were often used MU'd in pairs. More rare were the times when they would be in the consist of a road train. When this happened they were probably being transferred between terminals, or returned after being repaired.
Southern Pacific was big on using switch engines as light road engines. In fact, they did MU many switch engines including some the GE 70 tonners. http://espee.railfan.net/spge70t.html An early use of the 70 tonners was on the Powers branch where they replaced old 4-8-0's on log trains due to light rail.
Andre
Just for fun, do a search for North Louisiana and Gulf. It was a short line connecting Gibsland, LA and the equally short line Louisiana & Northwest, on the Illinois Central with the Rock Island at Jonesboro, LA.
The NL&G ran first SW9, then SW1500 multiple units as their road switchers. They ran 2-3 per train. Now it is GPs, of course.
NDG:
I remember that potboiler movie. No academy awards (what a surprise)! As I recall, the villain was a guy by the name of Mr. Hayt. Subtle, no?