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Do "B" units have controls to move by themselves?

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Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 5:32 PM

Google "Hayti" for all the details you likely would want.

But those are not hostling controls; I believe it has a functional control stand, although more rudimentary than what a 'real' F cab would have.

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Posted by samfp1943 on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 5:27 PM

Anonymous

There was one coal hauling railroad in West Virginia or so that added a cab to some of it's older F-something-B units. They used them for shoving coal cars through the coal tipples.

 

   I recall an article in TRAINS, about the time this Thread was originally posted in this FORUM..

  The 'B' Unot in question was a Clinchfield RR, and had hostler controls in one end of the unit. I believe that the CRR stationed it at a coal mine customer; to move cars in and out of the coal company's mine load-out.   

   When the loaded train was complete, and loaded; the 'B' unit was hooked up to a road unit take the loaded train to stage the  cars for further delivery, to an on-line yard to be sorted into a train (?). 

 

 


 

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Posted by Former Car Maintainer on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 3:49 PM

The question in this thread about B unit hostler controls or switching controls can concern EMU's or DMU's. The BART system (EMU) used hostler panels at each end (x,y) of the B unit and the x end of the A unit. These panels contain a key switch, a reverse jog button, a uncouple button, a horn button and a propulsion handle. The propulsion handle is spring loaded to the stop position, and when lifted beyond the second click, the brakes are released and the car will move at low speeds for yard operations. The hostler controls are positioned at the end door window for visibility. The hostler controls are attached to the MU train lines if required to move coupled units.

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Saturday, May 16, 2009 1:51 PM

Have a couple of B&W pictures of two seperate SAL E?Bs moving by themselves at Jacksonville terminal. Cannot read road numbers. Seems logical since there was a lot of changing around of consists in Jax by all the RRs.

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Posted by cx500 on Thursday, May 14, 2009 5:30 PM
Kootenay Central

Lore says that, apparently, back in the Sixties, a Lethbridge Crew marooned at Crowsnest account a derailment to the West of the Divide took a B Unit and an assigned caboose East to Lethbridge as a 'Train'  displaying appropriate Signals rather than wait for the Greyhound.

B Units of that era did have portable headlights on each end.

Without a pilot to protect the motors, or the lead truck from derailment, they must ( may ) have operated at a reasonable speed.

The shoes would have gotten hot in the coulees.

Highball Brocket!

 Another story I heard about 40 years ago was a sighting of a B&M F7B being used to switch cars at the East Deerfield yard.  Desperation does cause strange things to happen, and the source was generally reliable.

 John

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Posted by Kootenay Central on Thursday, May 14, 2009 5:10 PM

.

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Posted by WSOR 3801 on Thursday, May 14, 2009 12:20 PM

 WSOR 102 doesn't have any sort of hostler control, trailing unit only. As it pretty much only runs in a set with 101 & 103, not really a problem.


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Posted by rrboomer on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 8:25 PM

I can't speak for the GP60B units, but the older first generation B units really could not be used to move a train under most circumstances.  While they were equipped with a feed valve for the brake pipe, they were not equipped with an automatic brake valve. The B units had an independent brake valve for the engine brakes which used the interurban style handle Randy mentioned and the required emergency brake valve.  They of course had an eight position throttle, a reverser,a bell, sander valve and a horn.  The controls were located on the right hand side at the first porthole behind the "F" end on EMD E and F units. I have no knowledge of what Alco, FM or Baldwin had, if any.

I should add that not all B units had hostler controls.

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Posted by espeefoamer on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 8:01 PM

In the early 70s a friend and I were at Mission tower in L.A. and we saw a ex Santa Fe F7B being moved from Redondo Jct.roundhouse to LAUPT.The hostler was leaning out the side door operating the controls.One of the weirdest things I have ever seen.

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Posted by wabash1 on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 5:22 PM

henry6

Many had "hostler" controls at one end or the other, so as to be able to move around.  As for being able to control a locomotive set or a whole train, no.

Yes "B" units do have controll stands and yes you can run a train or even just light locomotives from them. 

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Posted by chad thomas on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 5:09 PM

Paul_D_North_Jr

For some reason the link posted above takes you to the Forums "contents" page.

Here's another try at the correct link:

http://krugtales.50megs.com/rrpictale/GP60/GP60b.htm 

If that still doesn't work, go to:

www.alkrug.vcn.com/home.html

Then, at the top of that page, click on "RR Photo Essays"

which should take you to a page that is captioned "Tales From The Krug".

Scroll most of the way down the Index list on that page to the 4th line from the bottom for the March 21, 2000 link for the "GP60M and GP60B study", and click on that. 

Scroll all way down to bottom of that page, and then click on "To PAGE 2 for a look at the GP60B". 

Right in the 1st paragraph he says that "The GP60Bs have no controls for moving by themselves".

bubbajustin, if you're reading this, you should really read page 1 of this essay on the trials and tribulations of a working locomotive engineer.  Also a heckuva photo and explanation of the desktop controls. 

- Paul North.

 

 Don't forget to check out the rest of the site. Lots of good stories and info on Al's site.

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 4:52 PM

For some reason the link posted above takes you to the Forums "contents" page.

Here's another try at the correct link:

http://krugtales.50megs.com/rrpictale/GP60/GP60b.htm 

If that still doesn't work, go to:

www.alkrug.vcn.com/home.html

Then, at the top of that page, click on "RR Photo Essays"

which should take you to a page that is captioned "Tales From The Krug".

Scroll most of the way down the Index list on that page to the 4th line from the bottom for the March 21, 2000 link for the "GP60M and GP60B study", and click on that. 

Scroll all way down to bottom of that page, and then click on "To PAGE 2 for a look at the GP60B". 

Right in the 1st paragraph he says that "The GP60Bs have no controls for moving by themselves".

bubbajustin, if you're reading this, you should really read page 1 of this essay on the trials and tribulations of a working locomotive engineer.  Also a heckuva photo and explanation of the desktop controls. 

- Paul North.

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by chad thomas on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:53 PM
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Posted by GP-9_Man11786 on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:00 PM

 

Could a B Unit also be radio-controlled like certain yard switchers are?

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Posted by trainfan1221 on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 2:30 PM

Supposedly the controls were towards the back of the unit, there is supposed to be a small window, at least on some, for the person moving it to see out of.

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Posted by henry6 on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 12:23 PM

Many had "hostler" controls at one end or the other, so as to be able to move around.  As for being able to control a locomotive set or a whole train, no.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 10:16 AM

The RI B-units with a cab (there were two of them, RI 750-751) were the AB6's and they were factory-built as such.  They originally operated on the Colorado Springs segment of the "Rocky Mountain Rocket", which split from the Denver segment at Limon, CO.

Most boosters were equipped with hostler controls (not a full control stand) to allow movement within a yard or shop area.

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Posted by Randy Stahl on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 8:34 AM

The f-7 B's we had on the Milw had port hole windows you opened and put your head out to move it. The bonus was that the airbrake handles fit CNS&M interurbans.....

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Posted by ndbprr on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 8:26 AM

The PRR GP9b engines all had controls requiring the hostler to stick his head out of the porthole window when operating.  Rock Island had  a B unit (E6 I think) that ran on a train to colorado where it and a couple of cars were disconnected and run as a separate connecting train (to Colorado Springs I think).  They cut a couple of windows in the end for the crew and bolted a headlight on top.  Quite unusual and a one of a kind.

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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 6:53 AM

There was one coal hauling railroad in West Virginia or so that added a cab to some of it's older F-something-B units. They used them for shoving coal cars through the coal tipples.

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Posted by pajrr on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:42 AM
I have a video (NYC I believe) that shows a B-unit moving through the engine facility by itself. It is a very unusual sight! Put a powered B-unit model on a model railroad and run it by itself. You will see what it looks like!
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Posted by wabash1 on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 2:43 AM

yes

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Posted by silicon212 on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 12:17 AM

I do know that the BNSF GP60Bs have hostling stands so they can be moved about in a yard, etc.

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Do "B" units have controls to move by themselves?
Posted by Boyd on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 11:17 PM

Do "B" units have controls on them so they can be moved by themselves? 

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