What do railroads and crews look for in a locomotive?

[Junctionfan]

This actually a two part question.

1/What do the railroads want out of locomotives for freight and passenger service? What features are they interested in either currently or to be invented?

2/ What about what the crews? What do they think makes a good locomotive or should make a good locomotive?

[csxengineer98]

crew confort...#1 in my book...how well is the ride..and how confortable it is to use....
csx engineer

[Anonymous]

....it's nice to know what the crews want, but I do believe historically they have had little say.

It's nice to see that a lot of the new locomotives out there now really do cater to crew comfort more than the loco's of past generations tended too.

[Junctionfan]

I have been told by a number of engineers that those desk consols suck and are uncomfortable and would rather locomotives had the old style controls.

[ValleyX]

Yes, chalk me up as one who doesn't like desktop controls, give me a conventional control stand.

Wish we could choose our own power every trip, would be nice to go out and say, "I'll take that one and that one." We're looking for a good ride but it seems that after units get a few miles on them, they don't ride very well.

Want a good loading unit with strong dynamic brake, loud horn, good bell, plenty of supplies, ice, water, paper towels, a full toolbox, all the lights working, good sanders, air conditioning or good heater, no holes through the door or elsewhere creating a drafty cab, some sound insulation

[Anonymous]

I've seen new NS engines and noticed that they have control stands and the other railroads all have the desk. Personally, I want a locomotive to be comfortable like anyone else and also reliable.

[Junctionfan]

I can't understand why CN won't give the engine crews a break and put air conditioning in the damn engine for the summer times. I hope at least other railroads particularly UP, KCS and BNSF does for their crews. (crossing the desert could be really bad without air conditioning)

[csxengineer98]

i like the desktop controll stands...for running..now taking a nap..they suck...no where to strech out ....
csx engineer

[Junctionfan]

I often wondered if engineers would benefit the most from those Craftmatic chairs in the cab.

[csxengineer98]

BNSF power rules..they have nice high back captins chairs in their cabs... best damn locomotives i have ever been on...
csx engineer

[Junctionfan]

csxengineer98

What do you think of those AC6000CWs?

[Randy Stahl]

Clean toilets !!!!!
Randy

[Anonymous]

As long as I go to work and get a HLCX unit, I am happy. Usually a clean toilet is nice to have also. What I really like is when they give you a wide body. Have caught a couple of them on switcher jobs.

[csxengineer98]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Junctionfan

csxengineer98

What do you think of those AC6000CWs?

you mean CW-60-9ACs...i like them... i like big HP units...like running the star ship enterpise...
MAKE IT SO
csx engineer