Diesel Units

[Anonymous]

Can anyone say for sure what units run with what types of trains generally? Ex. Coal trains usually have 6-axle units while transfers usually have 4-axle units. Do U-Boats run with Geeps?

[Anonymous]

Most every thing today is being pulled by 6 axle loco's. EMD & GE don't even list a 4 axle road loco. in their catalog any more. As for MU lash-ups, a power coordinator can put a GE AC6000 with an EMD SW1500 if he had the strange desire to do so. You could also run the AC6000 from the cab of the little switcher if you wanted to. And you are correct in the assumption that the 4 axles are used mainly for switching, yard and transfer work.[:D]

[Anonymous]

I saw a picture of a GP-30 and a Western Mayland F-Unit pulling toghether! Anyway thanks.

[kevarc]

NS has issued guidelines on what unit can be mu'ed together. They want each consists to be like units. They do not what different HP engines together, mixed 4 and 6 axle units and AC & DC units together.

Chessie ran anything over Sandpatch, they would use GP's on coal drags down Sandpatch.

[dehusman]

You can MU almost any modern units together. Not so on older units due to different control systems in some pre 1960 deisels.

You do have to be careful of gear ratios. Put a passenger (or high speed) engine in with a "regular" engine on a drag freight and you will burn up the passenger engine's traction motors.

Often switch engines with AAR type B switcher trucks (a normal "switch engine" truck) have a speed restriction on them because the truck isn't as stable at higher speeds. Those switchers with road trucks (MP15's, SW150's with Flexicoil trucks) are designed to operate at road speeds.

There are also restrictions on engines with non-alignment controlled drawbars. The alignment control keeps the drawbars in line during buffing (shoving) forces. If you have too much tonnage behind engines without alignment control couplers, applying the brakes or shoving the train could cause the drawbars to skew sideways and derail the train or engines. For example Amtrak F40's used in freight service have to be on the point because they have non-alignment control drawbars.

Same with mixing AC and DC traction. You have to be especially careful if the AC is in the lead. An AC will keep on pulling down to low speeds that will fry a DC traction motor (why AC's are used on coal trains).

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dehusman

You can MU almost any modern units together. Not so on older units due to different control systems in some pre 1960 deisels.

You do have to be careful of gear ratios. Put a passenger (or high speed) engine in with a "regular" engine on a drag freight and you will burn up the passenger engine's traction motors.

Often switch engines with AAR type B switcher trucks (a normal "switch engine" truck) have a speed restriction on them because the truck isn't as stable at higher speeds. Those switchers with road trucks (MP15's, SW150's with Flexicoil trucks) are designed to operate at road speeds.

There are also restrictions on engines with non-alignment controlled drawbars. The alignment control keeps the drawbars in line during buffing (shoving) forces. If you have too much tonnage behind engines without alignment control couplers, applying the brakes or shoving the train could cause the drawbars to skew sideways and derail the train or engines. For example Amtrak F40's used in freight service have to be on the point because they have non-alignment control drawbars.

Same with mixing AC and DC traction. You have to be especially careful if the AC is in the lead. An AC will keep on pulling down to low speeds that will fry a DC traction motor (why AC's are used on coal trains).

We are starting to see the new Dash 9 AC's ahead of the SD70 on coal trains now. The Dash 9 DC's are only on freight. Now I know why.

Thanx

Mookie

[dekemd]

CSX doesn't seem to care about what's lashed together. ACs, DCs, four axles, six axles, it don't matter as long as it runs. It's very common to see two AC4400s and a SD40-2 behind them on coal freights. Saw one the other day that had two sd40-2s with a four axle GE between them. NS does seem to keep like units together. The odd thing NS does is use SD80MACS for locals! Never heard an explanation why.

Derrick

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kevarc

NS has issued guidelines on what unit can be mu'ed together. They want each consists to be like units. They do not what different HP engines together, mixed 4 and 6 axle units and AC & DC units together.

Chessie ran anything over Sandpatch, they would use GP's on coal drags down Sandpatch.

Not true about NS. if it is then they don't go by these guidelines whatsoever. I live on 3 track mainline of NS, and have experianced a load of different combos of GEs and EMDs mu'ed together. Most common are Dash 9s or 8s with SD60s and 70s. Also, they like thier SD40-2s, and use them for helpers as well as front end primary power, which they usually will throw a D9 behind with a few other different locomotives.
NS has only 16 AC units, which they keep from mainline duty and for what reason I don't know, they mostly use them for local and work trains, or branch coal service.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dekemd

CSX doesn't seem to care about what's lashed together. ACs, DCs, four axles, six axles, it don't matter as long as it runs. It's very common to see two AC4400s and a SD40-2 behind them on coal freights. Saw one the other day that had two sd40-2s with a four axle GE between them. NS does seem to keep like units together. The odd thing NS does is use SD80MACS for locals! Never heard an explanation why.

Derrick

Only reason I'm aware of Derrick is the fact that NS does not like AC motive power and keep them segregated from the rest of thier DC fleet. I travel thru PA on the weekends near Indiana, and usually see 2 pairs of the 80MACs in coal service on a branch line. I live above the gallitzin tunnels in PA, and quite often see a set of them delivering the local, as you have mentioned. They get serviced in town next to me, Cresson, PA, and I frequently watch 4-8 of them there. Also NS will put them on thier local work trains.

Sil

[dharmon]

Only reason I'm aware of Derrick is the fact that NS does not like AC motive power and keep them segregated from the rest of thier DC fleet. I travel thru PA on the weekends near Indiana, and usually see 2 pairs of the 80MACs in coal service on a branch line. I live above the gallitzin tunnels in PA, and quite often see a set of them delivering the local, as you have mentioned. They get serviced in town next to me, Cresson, PA, and I frequently watch 4-8 of them there. Also NS will put them on thier local work trains.

Sil

[JoeKoh]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

Only reason I'm aware of Derrick is the fact that NS does not like AC motive power and keep them segregated from the rest of thier DC fleet. I travel thru PA on the weekends near Indiana, and usually see 2 pairs of the 80MACs in coal service on a branch line. I live above the gallitzin tunnels in PA, and quite often see a set of them delivering the local, as you have mentioned. They get serviced in town next to me, Cresson, PA, and I frequently watch 4-8 of them there. Also NS will put them on thier local work trains.

Sil

Silvio,
I ask this out of ignorance and because you know way more about NS ops than I do, but if NS doesn't like AC units, why have them? It seems like they're not using them efficiently or to their full potential. Did they get them from Conrail or buy them new and then decide they didn't like them? It seems they would be ideal for coal drags, from what I gather from this and other posts.

Dan