Direction of locomotives in consist

[Anonymous]

Posted this in another area and now think I might have been in the wrong place...

I have looked at trains over and over again for some sign as to why certain engines point forward and others backwards... A truly curious person, I am.

What I want to know is are these conscious decisions, how the locomotives are in the yard when they are assembling trains, are some sign of the direction the engine needs to travel when broken away from the train?

Also, how are trains turned today without turn tables? Is there a manuever or certain type of train set-up?

Shawn

[Anonymous]

Posted this in another area and now think I might have been in the wrong place...

I have looked at trains over and over again for some sign as to why certain engines point forward and others backwards... A truly curious person, I am.

What I want to know is are these conscious decisions, how the locomotives are in the yard when they are assembling trains, are some sign of the direction the engine needs to travel when broken away from the train?

Also, how are trains turned today without turn tables? Is there a manuever or certain type of train set-up?

Shawn

[Anonymous]

Shawn:

As long as the lead locomotive points forward, it doesn't matter which way they all point--the locomotive runs identically either way. The lead locomotive doesn't even have to point forward; it's just preferred. One night on KCS, I rode a steel train with a single backward-facing GE AC4400CW for 150 miles, before we were able to come up to a wye where we could turn the unit. Some railroads place a speed restriction onto trains whose lead locomotive faces backward, some don't.

The people who dispatch and assign locomotives keep track of which whey they're pointing, so when they build consists they can provide a forward-pointing locomotive on the lead. If none are available, the usual turning method is a wye (turntables are rare). On a busy line, there's usually enough locomotives moving both ways each day to give sufficient numbers of forward- and backward-facing locomotives to choose from. On a line with one or two trains a day, the power dispatchers will attempt to build consists with one facing backward at the rear, so there's no need for turning the locomotives at the other end. But on one-locomotive jobs, it will almost always be facing backward for one-half of the run.

Mark W. Hemphill
Editor, Trains Magazine

[Anonymous]

Shawn:

As long as the lead locomotive points forward, it doesn't matter which way they all point--the locomotive runs identically either way. The lead locomotive doesn't even have to point forward; it's just preferred. One night on KCS, I rode a steel train with a single backward-facing GE AC4400CW for 150 miles, before we were able to come up to a wye where we could turn the unit. Some railroads place a speed restriction onto trains whose lead locomotive faces backward, some don't.

The people who dispatch and assign locomotives keep track of which whey they're pointing, so when they build consists they can provide a forward-pointing locomotive on the lead. If none are available, the usual turning method is a wye (turntables are rare). On a busy line, there's usually enough locomotives moving both ways each day to give sufficient numbers of forward- and backward-facing locomotives to choose from. On a line with one or two trains a day, the power dispatchers will attempt to build consists with one facing backward at the rear, so there's no need for turning the locomotives at the other end. But on one-locomotive jobs, it will almost always be facing backward for one-half of the run.

Mark W. Hemphill
Editor, Trains Magazine

[Anonymous]

Shawn,

In addition to Mr. Hemphill's reply, I would like to add two things. On the Rio Grande, all trains were required to have at least one opposite facing locomotive in the event another train approaching in the opposite direction lost power on a lead locomotive. also, in many cases, esspecially in the days of cab units, it was easy to see they hooked sets of 2 or 3 together, so it was common to see an A-B-A set hooked to an A-A set, etc. Keith

[Anonymous]

Shawn,

In addition to Mr. Hemphill's reply, I would like to add two things. On the Rio Grande, all trains were required to have at least one opposite facing locomotive in the event another train approaching in the opposite direction lost power on a lead locomotive. also, in many cases, esspecially in the days of cab units, it was easy to see they hooked sets of 2 or 3 together, so it was common to see an A-B-A set hooked to an A-A set, etc. Keith

[Trainnut484]

Hello Shawn,

The Southern Railroad was one of the few who decided to run their lead power backwards, or as the term goes "long hood forward." It was more of a crew safety practice. That practice continued up until Southern and Norfolk Western created Norfolk Southern in 1982.

Hope this helps.[:)]

[Trainnut484]

Hello Shawn,

The Southern Railroad was one of the few who decided to run their lead power backwards, or as the term goes "long hood forward." It was more of a crew safety practice. That practice continued up until Southern and Norfolk Western created Norfolk Southern in 1982.

Hope this helps.[:)]

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all those who replied... it does clear things up for me. Now I can look at know what I am seeing. Although everyone had great answers, I must say that I am quite pleased to see staff members using the forums along side the readers!

Thanks again,
Shawn

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all those who replied... it does clear things up for me. Now I can look at know what I am seeing. Although everyone had great answers, I must say that I am quite pleased to see staff members using the forums along side the readers!

Thanks again,
Shawn

[Anonymous]

Usually, the rr tries to have the rear unit facing to the rear; sometimes that doesn't happen for one reason or another. On some roads, you rarely saw the rear unit facing back. The original NYSW ran multiple RS1's...all facing the same way. Likewise, the Rutland ran their RS3's with multiple units in the same direction.

[Anonymous]

Usually, the rr tries to have the rear unit facing to the rear; sometimes that doesn't happen for one reason or another. On some roads, you rarely saw the rear unit facing back. The original NYSW ran multiple RS1's...all facing the same way. Likewise, the Rutland ran their RS3's with multiple units in the same direction.

[adrianspeeder]

How do the trailing locomotives know which direction they are going? If they are pointing both directions, do the reversers go in a certain position?

Thanks, adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

How do the trailing locomotives know which direction they are going? If they are pointing both directions, do the reversers go in a certain position?

Thanks, adrianspeeder

[therailnut]

as to your question to how trains are turned around? They use a wye track to turn or flip power as the railroads call it. They will run the train around the wye . They reverse up the other leg of the wye, then they go through the other leg of the wye with locos pointed they way they want them to go.

[therailnut]

as to your question to how trains are turned around? They use a wye track to turn or flip power as the railroads call it. They will run the train around the wye . They reverse up the other leg of the wye, then they go through the other leg of the wye with locos pointed they way they want them to go.

[Anonymous]

Adrianspeeder:

The reverser on all trailing locomotives is put in the netural or center position and removed.



Tom
Retired Snake
God Bless the Great Northern

[Anonymous]

Adrianspeeder:

The reverser on all trailing locomotives is put in the netural or center position and removed.



Tom
Retired Snake
God Bless the Great Northern

[edblysard]

Rear control panel has a selector switch, chose single unit, trailing unit controled from another unit connected at the long hood, trailing unit controled from another unit connected at the short hood, intermediate unit controled from either end. Reverser centered and removed.
Stay Frosty,
Edquote]Originally posted by adrianspeeder

How do the trailing locomotives know which direction they are going? If they are pointing both directions, do the reversers go in a certain position?

Thanks, adrianspeeder

[edblysard]

Rear control panel has a selector switch, chose single unit, trailing unit controled from another unit connected at the long hood, trailing unit controled from another unit connected at the short hood, intermediate unit controled from either end. Reverser centered and removed.
Stay Frosty,
Edquote]Originally posted by adrianspeeder

How do the trailing locomotives know which direction they are going? If they are pointing both directions, do the reversers go in a certain position?

Thanks, adrianspeeder