Neutrino wrote: I've heard of the UP and looking at that auction site, I saw this: When did they start doing this and what does the "Y" stand for?
I've heard of the UP and looking at that auction site, I saw this:
When did they start doing this and what does the "Y" stand for?
I don't know if the moderator will allow this but for all those who have read this question and may have responded to it, you need to go the Atlas Forum, HO Scale Model Railroad Forum, and read the post, "Okay, I give up," and it's replies. It's very interesting.
Mark
I'm not sure if there are any hard and fast rules. The main reason for the Y designation was to make room for UP's growing main line locomotve population. They moved ALMOST all of the yard type loco's to this designation to make room for all of their new six-axle road power. We have a Y-numbered Gp-15-1 which services my facility which is indeed an RCE. However, sometimes the local guys use a GP-38-2 which still has a road number but is an RCE also. They right now are using an ex-SP GP-60(they like the air conditioner). Maybe there is a plan to complete the changeover, but for now, it's whatever you're taking a picture of.... If you're interested I can take down the numbers tomorrow when the guys come into my plant.
Mikie
A friend of mine works for UP. I think he mentioned something about the "Y" designating yard service AND the engine is equiped with remote control. That means that the engine is being controlled by the brakeman who may be on the other end of of the string of cars. It also alerts those around the engine it may move either direction at anytime with out some one in the cab looking out for those who may be around the engine.
Brakeman has a chest pack of controls of engine. Sort of like a super DCC radio controlled system. This system also cuts down labor costs and frees up yard engineers for long haul jobs.
Mark B
alfadawg01 wrote: SOU Fan wrote:Did Southern Railway ever have any engines that were yard engines, that were marked with a "y"?Southern placed a random letter behind every road number as a check character for their computer system. It is quite likely that some of their yard switchers carried a "Y" behind their number, but it was not intended to designate yard engines.
SOU Fan wrote:Did Southern Railway ever have any engines that were yard engines, that were marked with a "y"?
Southern placed a random letter behind every road number as a check character for their computer system. It is quite likely that some of their yard switchers carried a "Y" behind their number, but it was not intended to designate yard engines.
The Southern "check letter" was not random, but was calculated by a rather horribly complicated algebraic system (which I can't remember now, and probably couldn't remember how to decipher even if I could). In the early days of computers, you typed in the loco number, and the computer expected 4 digits. It took the first four keypunches you gave it, even if you mis-typed it. To help prevent errors, the check letter was added. If the number entered didn't match up to the check letter (by the formula) the computer would give an error message and you would re-enter the number. Of course, computers are much improved now, and the check letter became obsolete.
Southern absorbed many roads over the years, and sublettered the reporting marks to denote which loco (and cars, in some cases) belonged to which road. In practice, any loco could go anywhere on the system, it was primarily an internal auditing and bookkeeping measure. For instance, SD9's were sublettered CG (or CofG) denoting their Central of Georgia heritage. In some cases, locos were even numbered into separate groups when they were bought, to denote which subsidiary the were assigned (ownership) to. For example, in the case of F7's:
4207-4269 Southern F7A
4385-4429 Southern F7B
6114-6120 CNO&TP F7A
6130-6149 CNO&TP FP7A
6160-6183 CNO&TP F7B
6714-6719 AGS F7A
6756-6758 AGS F7B
No F7's were assigned to the NO&NE, A&EC, GS&F, or others, though some had earlier F units. This was done with nearly all classes of loco's over the years, and NS still does this today (though they may not actually subletter the units, it may be done internally in the computers).
Brad
EMD - Every Model Different
ALCO - Always Leaking Coolant and Oil
CSX - Coal Spilling eXperts
Midnight Railroader,
Use of the old reporting marks has nothing to do with protecting them like in copyright material. UP gained these by merger, and they are registered with the AAR. UP can 'release' them, but has decided to keep them. It is quite common for a railroad to keep the merged reporting marks - the 'ORER' usually has a entry of reporting marks owned by each company.
The use of old MSL/CGW/CMO reporting marks by the C&NW was done for tracking purposes of 'leased' equipment. This has been done for grain hoppers and coal cars. The UP has kept this system. Back in the 70's, the C&NW did sub-letter some older engines as they got repainted green/yellow. My understanding was that this was done to make it easier to track engines that still had equipment leases active. It is hard to imagine a 25 year old F3 that they were still making payments on! The C&NW as lettered some existing frt cars if they conflicted with current C&NW proper cars.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Bill
"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig"
wjstix wrote: Part of it comes from them just having so much equipment, they need more than 1 set of reporting marks. If you look closely, you can see UP equipment whose reporting marks are CMO (Omaha Road) MSTL (Minneapolis & St.Louis) CGW (Chicago Great Western) and CNW (Chicago North Western. These aren't old cars still carrying old reporting marks, in many cases they're recently purchased equipment. FWIW CNW before the merger used these reporting marks too.
Part of it comes from them just having so much equipment, they need more than 1 set of reporting marks. If you look closely, you can see UP equipment whose reporting marks are CMO (Omaha Road) MSTL (Minneapolis & St.Louis) CGW (Chicago Great Western) and CNW (Chicago North Western. These aren't old cars still carrying old reporting marks, in many cases they're recently purchased equipment.
FWIW CNW before the merger used these reporting marks too.
I'd be interested to know where you heard they needed more reproting marks because they have so much equipment.
About 5-6 years ago and it stands for "Yard" service.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com