Wow, who needs pipe when you have that long sucker! Did anyone count the cars?
I have been seeing UP do that same locomotive setup lately too. The first one I saw kinda freaked me out...
RJ
"Something hidden, Go and find it. Go and look behind the ranges, Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go." The Explorers - Rudyard Kipling
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As rail traffic grows or changes from traditional patterns, one would be amazed at the number of connection points that create a neeed for trains to be run-around to continue their trip to destination. With distributed power on the train, the requirement becomes just getting the crew from one end of the train to the other.
In most cases, the ability to build a 'continuous movement' connection are prevented by geography.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
We see a little of the one locomotive leading, and two in DPU on some of the Grain Worms running thru this area. Usually signifies a unit ttrain running empty to reload.
UP seems to do that on some of their empty Coal drags heading back out to the PRB.
Or they will run one in the lead and 1 in DPU. Have seen that on the Northbound line through Coffeyville,Ks.
Normally they always have more locomotives in the lead than pushing. I would guess they are probably running it backwards for so many miles until they get to a junction. From there they get into the lead locomotives and go in the opposite direction to another destination. This is common practice for dead end industries that have a single track (such as a rock quarry) going into and out of the industry. They many not have a switch to run locomotives around the train until they get onto the main line. So naturally it is just better to tow your helpers to the industry so you are ready to go when you leave.
If it is a dead end line with a single track and extends many miles it would also be slow backing it up with a conductor hanging on the lead car (if there was no caboose or locomotive). If this was the old days that lead locomotive would have probably been a caboose. But since cabooses are rare and since they didn't want the conductor hanging on the side of a car for 10 or 20 miles going 20MPH, they probably added that locomotive for both speed and safety.
You will have to see what kind of set up they have when they bring the empty cars back. I will be there will be two locomotives in the front and one pushing.
From YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvreQfcv-Hw
I think the Bakken Field is one of the most exciting things to happen in the US and US railroading. This is the BNSF getting a role on some oil cans from a standing start with one pulling and two pushing.
Anybody got an idea why the locomotives were configured like that?
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