dknelson Yes it is possible, and I have seen it done. When the CP Royal Hudson went on a tour of CP and Soo Line cities many years ago, around 1979-80 or so, in addition to a train of dark red passenger cars painted to match the dark red on the engine's tender, two F unit "B" units similarly painted were part of the consist, and all were in a high gloss paint. Presumably the Hudson was retro-fitted with a throttle in the cab that could control the diesel electrics, and there were likely regular MU hoses at the back of the tender. When the train left Waukesha WI rather late at night, as the train was being assembled for departure the locomotive was having a lot of wheel slip issues, until it coupled on to the F units and the MU hoses were attached. Leaving town the 4-6-4 put on a good show of smoke and loud exhausts, but once it was running at track speed north on the Soo Line past Duplainville (now CN trackage ironically) it was obvious that the primary motive power was the diesels - they probably wanted to make it all the way to Stevens Point with that tender full of water and fuel. The steam power was more to power the whistle (although the engine also had a distinctive horn that blew for crossings with the two longs, a short, and a long using the openings musical notes of O Canada!) and keep lubricating lines working. Even with no real steam exhausts to be heard, hearing first generation EMD prime movers working hard as we waiting at a totally dark country crossing at midnight was a chilling sound. I believe other excursion steam has been fitted with a diesel locomotive control stand in the cab, so in theory any diesel electric, cab unit or B unit, could be coupled to it. In the case of the Royal Hudson train, the goal was to make the F units look inconspicuously like the rest of the train. Dave Nelson
Yes it is possible, and I have seen it done. When the CP Royal Hudson went on a tour of CP and Soo Line cities many years ago, around 1979-80 or so, in addition to a train of dark red passenger cars painted to match the dark red on the engine's tender, two F unit "B" units similarly painted were part of the consist, and all were in a high gloss paint. Presumably the Hudson was retro-fitted with a throttle in the cab that could control the diesel electrics, and there were likely regular MU hoses at the back of the tender. When the train left Waukesha WI rather late at night, as the train was being assembled for departure the locomotive was having a lot of wheel slip issues, until it coupled on to the F units and the MU hoses were attached. Leaving town the 4-6-4 put on a good show of smoke and loud exhausts, but once it was running at track speed north on the Soo Line past Duplainville (now CN trackage ironically) it was obvious that the primary motive power was the diesels - they probably wanted to make it all the way to Stevens Point with that tender full of water and fuel. The steam power was more to power the whistle (although the engine also had a distinctive horn that blew for crossings with the two longs, a short, and a long using the openings musical notes of O Canada!) and keep lubricating lines working. Even with no real steam exhausts to be heard, hearing first generation EMD prime movers working hard as we waiting at a totally dark country crossing at midnight was a chilling sound.
I believe other excursion steam has been fitted with a diesel locomotive control stand in the cab, so in theory any diesel electric, cab unit or B unit, could be coupled to it. In the case of the Royal Hudson train, the goal was to make the F units look inconspicuously like the rest of the train.
Dave Nelson
How can I find photos of that train?
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
Please check out my other thread about the Old Vicksburg Bridge and the Thebes Bridge!
Your Welcome!
The GS4 and the Alco PB unit is actually somthing I have always wanted to do.
dinodanthetrainman This is the kind of thread I like. cx500 As far as I know, the ability to control diesels from the steam engine that the others described only appeared much later with preserved steam. Clinchfield may have been the pioneer. If you are modelling the transition era, the diesels required a separate engineer and a control cab. Only if you're being prototypical. That and so much more was possible at that time
This is the kind of thread I like.
cx500 As far as I know, the ability to control diesels from the steam engine that the others described only appeared much later with preserved steam. Clinchfield may have been the pioneer. If you are modelling the transition era, the diesels required a separate engineer and a control cab.
As far as I know, the ability to control diesels from the steam engine that the others described only appeared much later with preserved steam. Clinchfield may have been the pioneer. If you are modelling the transition era, the diesels required a separate engineer and a control cab.
Only if you're being prototypical. That and so much more was possible at that time
Ok thanks!
Well even if the prototype didn't do it at that time. Was it possible with transition era tech to do it?
Interesting. Thanks!
Wow I had no idea any actual railroads did that! To actually have a prototype for it, that's wonderful! Thank you for the information!
The UP can MU diesels with its steam. Well not exactly. In any of those set ups there are two separate sets of controls the diesel and the steam and the engineer controls each set of power independently of the other.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Hi I have an interesting question for you all. Is it possible (hypothetically speaking) for a diesel b-unit to be placed behind the tender of a steam locomotive and be operated without an a-unit? Just picture if you will the Southern Pacific Daylight rounding a curve in the mountains led by a GS-4 and followed by an Alco PB unit what a sight that would be!