Andrew Falconer wrote: |
What years did run-through power become an established practice? Andrew Falconer |
|
Probably began with the diesel era..1950's..and was quite common by the 1960's..
Steam engines werent as easy to "pool"! but diesels are easy to keep on any train.
I know the LV and the NKP were pooling power between New York City and Chicago beginning in 1964..
The two railroads established a joint TOFC train, the "Apollo"..NKP would take the train out of Chicago, heading east to Buffalo, (which was the NKP's eastern terminal.)
Buffalo was the LV's Western terminal..the train was handed off at Buffalo to the LV to continue East to New York City..(same for the opposite train running east to west)
NKP power would often "run through" onto the LV at Buffalo and continue east over LV rails..and conversly LV power would often stay with the train at Buffalo, heading west to Chicago on the NKP..it was more efficient and faster to simply keep the same power on the train for the whole run..and since it was a joint operation, the two railroads "shared" their locomotives to make the train more efficient and competitive.
Scot