Many of the trains I see in my area have the same locomotives working together in the same order. Is that just coincidence or do certain locomotives tend to hang out together long term?
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
I don't see the locals here as often as I used to, but I'd see the same loco for a while, then a new one would replace it. Undoubtedly that was because they got rotated out for service, inspections, etc. I looked up one that had worked here for a while and found a picture of it in Detroit - 500 miles from here and not even remotely on the same line.
I suspect that you're seeing the same thing, plus there's no reason to separate the pair until there is, so they tend to run together for a while. When there's a reason to send one or both elsewhere, they will, and you'll have a new pair to watch for a while.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Yard and local power tend to hang out for a while. As Tree said, being changed when inspections or mechanical problems cause them to leave.
Our regular coal pool power tends to stay on the same train sets for a few cycles. You'll see, or hear over the radio, the same engine numbers for a few weeks. It's not unusual to get on a coal train or empty one day, then the same set again a week later and have the same locomotives and cars.
Other engines, like the heritage or other specially painted units, seem to make an appearance and then disappear. I saw the WP unit the other day. First of the original batch of heritage units I've seen in a while.
Jeff
The roundhouse tribe and hostelers often do not want to MU units just for the fun of it. The pin connections often need troubleshooting, especially with some of the older stuff. (If it ain't broke, don't fix it syndrome)
Our terminal has assigned power. So I've run the same engines countless times.
Every once in a while we will get an interloper (usually if a couple of our engines are in the shops), but they don't normally stick around long.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
Power for the intermodals to North Baltimore seem to make a quick turn back to Chicago on Csx.The mother slug sets I've seen tend to stay together when they are hauling work trains.
stay safe
Joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
I noticed the same thing many years ago when I had a summer job at the US Steel warehouse (former Pressed Steel Car Co.) in Hegewisch. The plant was switched by an EJ&E local and EJ&E 416 or 305 was the regular power.
mudchicken The roundhouse tribe and hostelers often do not want to MU units just for the fun of it. The pin connections often need troubleshooting, especially with some of the older stuff. (If it ain't broke, don't fix it syndrome)
You never count (depend) on dynamics being there. They will fail at the worst time.
That's why you have air.
zugmannYou never count (depend) on dynamics being there. They will fail at the worst time. That's why you have air.
Maximium speed in decending grades relying on air alone is approximately 12 MPH or less. Going faster overheats the air brake/wheel interface and with air alone control of the train is then lost.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Nevermind.
zugmann Nevermind. What do I know.
Nevermind. What do I know.
I know nothing.
zugmann I know nothing.
At times I receive a post via email--and I do not find on the forum where it was posted.
Johnny
zugmannI know nothing.
On the CSX Mountain Sub, after a runaway about 20 years ago, when the engineer 'thought' he had working dynamics on his 3 unit consist but in reality only had dynamics on one - The NTSB, in their investigation found, that on the 2% graded territory that the runaway happened (I believe it happened on 17 Mile Grade) that with extended use at speeds higher than 12 MPH the braking force of the air brakes would fade away account excessive heat.
As I recall the NTSB report, the speed limits on this territory (25 MPH) were set with the expectations that dynamics would be in effect on all units in the engine consist. Because of brake operation on other grades before the one that the runaway happened on, the brakes had already been heated to the point of failure by the time the train started down 17 Mile Grade - by the time everything came to a stop - 78 of 80 cars had derailed, somehow the engines did not. A person in a house adjacent to where the cars began piling up was killed when the house was destroyed.
NTSB recommended and the FRA enforced CSX changing the maximum allowed speed on the grades as well as changing Timetable Special Instructions about train handling on the Mountain Subdivision grades.
As you know I am not an Engineer - I am just processing the information I have been able to gleen from NTSB accident reports and TTSI in various CSX timetables covering mountainous territory.
Setting speed limits that can only be maintained by use of Dynamics leaves the Engineer hung out to dry IF the Dynamics aren't working properly and the train speed is above 12 MPH.
BaltACD zugmann I know nothing. On the CSX Mountain Sub, after a runaway about 20 years ago, when the engineer 'thought' he had working dynamics on his 3 unit consist but in reality only had dynamics on one - The NTSB, in their investigation found, that on the 2% graded territory that the runaway happened (I believe it happened on 17 Mile Grade) that with extended use at speeds higher than 12 MPH the braking force of the air brakes would fade away account excessive heat. As I recall the NTSB report, the speed limits on this territory (25 MPH) were set with the expectations that dynamics would be in effect on all units in the engine consist. Because of brake operation on other grades before the one that the runaway happened on, the brakes had already been heated to the point of failure by the time the train started down 17 Mile Grade - by the time everything came to a stop - 78 of 80 cars had derailed, somehow the engines did not. A person in a house adjacent to where the cars began piling up was killed when the house was destroyed. NTSB recommended and the FRA enforced CSX changing the maximum allowed speed on the grades as well as changing Timetable Special Instructions about train handling on the Mountain Subdivision grades. As you know I am not an Engineer - I am just processing the information I have been able to gleen from NTSB accident reports and TTSI in various CSX timetables covering mountainous territory. Setting speed limits that can only be maintained by use of Dynamics leaves the Engineer hung out to dry IF the Dynamics aren't working properly and the train speed is above 12 MPH.
Wrong weight may have factored into the SP incident. It did not factor into the CSX runaway.
Wrong weight and inop DBs. The SP incident has been well documented.
Here is the Wiki on the derailment in question. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_train_disaster
Been involved in the aftermath of four runaways, including the initial Duffy Street mess at Devore (Really strange when the Chief DS asks you to find the other railroad's unfortunate fail .... thankfully missed the pipeline incident)
Once past the point of recovering the train and physics takes over, that has to be a terrible feeling that you are along for the ride and there is nothing you can do. I will always remember the orange and blue wheels on what was left of the locomotives. Tennessee Pass/ Pando back to the tunnel long after Duffy Street was no fun either.
Back to the OP's topic. Back in the mid 80's, Conrail used SD40-2's 6391-6496 as the power on the Windsor tunnel transfer for several months.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.