Pennsylvania has a comparatively large program to support the infrastructure (only) of its regional, shortline, switching, and even private tracks. Although it's tiny compared to the funding for highways and airports. I'm sure that's one reason we have so many of them - not that it's a bad thing - 65, the most of any state!
https://www.penndot.gov/Doing-Business/RailFreightAndPorts/Pages/Grants-and-Loans.aspx
Note that the maximum funding for a Rail Freight Assistance Program project is $700K (or $750K). So the RBM&N bridge must have been under the Rail Transportation Assistance Program/ Capital Budget program.
2019 awarded projects: https://www.penndot.gov/Doing-Business/RailFreightAndPorts/Documents/BRF%202019%20Awarded%20Projects.pdf
I don't have enough time to do the math this morning, but it looks like the total is in the $35M range, which is about $35 $3.50 [corrected] per capita in the state (based on 10 million population) / $10 per typical family - well worth the money for the benefit, IMHO. [added] In the grand scheme of the state budget, it's 'rounding error'.
- PDN.
Well that was wicked decent of them.
10 million came from the state.
https://www.rbmnrr.com/happenings/2014/8/18/reading-northern-railroad-awarded-10-million-grant-for-new-railroad-bridge-in-carbon-county
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
I wonder how much of the cost of that bridge is borne by RBMN. 14 million bucks seems like a pretty heavy price for eliminating the end-change move.
Does anyone know how many trains a day go through there?
Probably RBMN has a siding there, where the engines can run around the consist.
In freight operations, "changing ends" can mean multiple things.
If there is a siding, the locomotive consist could be uncoupled and moved to the other end of the train. We call this action "running around the train".
If the locomotive consist is more than one unit it is usually (but not always) advantageous to lead (control) the others from the unit at the front end of the consist. This is similar to what Dave described on streetcars (without seats or trolley poles of course), here is how to do it on units with 26L or newer air brake systems.
1. Remove reverser handle. To do this the throttle and dynamic controller handles must first be placed in the off or idle positions.
2. Fully apply independent brake.
3. Make a automatic brake application and wait for exhaust to cease.
4. Move automatic brake cutout valve to the "out" position.
5. Move automatic brake handle to the "handle off" position and pin or remove handle. On 26L the handles can be removed, on 30CDW and all the electronic systems they cannot, and most of our units have a locking pin to prevent the handle from accidentally being moved to the "emergency" position, which still works even if the automatic is cut out. Watch the gauges and confirm that the brake pipe pressure does not change.
6. Move independent conditioning (MU-2a) valve to the "trail" position. Some older units may have both "trail 6" and "trail 24" positions, in that case the "trail 24" position should be used.
7. Place independent brake handle to the fully released position, and remove handle if possible. Watch the gauges and confirm that the brake cylinder pressure does not change.
8. Change headlight switch to proper position. On EMD units you would select "controlled from another unit coupled at either end", on GE you would select either "short hood trail" or "long hood trail", depending on which end of the unit is facing outward.
Now go to the new lead unit and cut everything in. Make sure that the independent brake handle is inserted and in the fully applied position BEFORE placing the MU-2a valve in the "lead" position. Failure to do so can result in the brakes releasing, and I can think of more than one accident caused by this.
Our rules require that a "shop track" air brake test must now be performed on the entire locomotive consist, with an observer on the ground to confirm the application and release of the brake pistons. This requirement may vary on other railroads, here is our procedure:
1. Release all brakes.
3. Release independent.
4. Make a 15 PSI automatic brake reduction.
5. Bail off (actuate) to release. You do this by pushing down on the independent brake handle.
6. Make another automatic brake reduction.
7. Release it, place throttle to notch 3 and wait for the RSC/alerter to initiate a penalty brake application. Confirm that the brakes apply and all engines return to idle on their own.
8. Release brakes, then place automatic handle in emergency.
9. Release brakes. If everything worked you are now ready to proceed.
If you have a locomotive consist at each end of the train, whether they are set up in DP or not, it is possible to lead from the forward facing unit without uncoupling anything. If DP you would push the appropriate buttons on each unit to make your leader the remote, and vice-versa on the other end, and then perform the required air brake and direction tests.
If not in DP you can condition the locomotive brakes to act like a car by cutting out the automatic brake and leaving the independent set up for lead, with the handle in the release position.
Either way you still need someone at each end of the train to do the required work.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Thanks, Gerald, Carl and Dave.
Changing ends on a classic streetcar means setting air-brakes to full service, centering the reverse handle, removing the reverse handle, the controller handle, and the air-brake handle, possibly folding the seat against the wall. carrying the handles to the other end of the car, while flipping the seat-backs of the cross-seats for facing forward, then inserting all the handles, and if the car is trolley-pole equipped, using the retreaver ropes to put what is how the front pole under its roof-hook and placing the rear-pole's shoe or wheel on the wire/
O(n a rapid-transit train, similar, usually today without flippinig seats and of course without any trolley-pole matter.
On a freight train, in can mean moving the power from one of the train to the other, which probabliy what Reading and Northen does and will do untill the new bridge opens. This was forced on them by the inhereted track layout which was owned by different railroadsd with different traffic patterns. I don't think they run regularly with power on each end.
GERALD L MCFARLANE JR It's literally what it means, they have to change ends in order to change direction, it's like a switch back, but not a switch back...in other words the bridge creates a through route between Reading and Wilkes-Barre.
It's literally what it means, they have to change ends in order to change direction, it's like a switch back, but not a switch back...in other words the bridge creates a through route between Reading and Wilkes-Barre.
So, are you confirming that the trains are typically running with an engine(s) on each end? Is the rear, non-crewed engine synced to the lead unit and pushing, as a DP unit? Or is it idling?
How long are these trains usually? I'm curious about how far the crew members must walk. Walking along tracks can be very tough going if one is forced, by spatial realities, to walk on the slanting ballast.
Changing ends is common, even on two-unit consists, to be as close as possible to the front end. When our hump shoves used two units, the engineer would change ends at some convenient time after the shove (and the necessary kicks, shoves, etc.) to head back the couple of miles to the other end of the receiving yard, where he would change ends again for the following shove.They thought they were going to eliminate that problem when they acquired the SD38-2s and initially paired them nose-to-nose, but having the two cabs (this is why the term "wide-cab" makes no sense to me--those "standard cabs" were every bit as wide!) that close to each other made the visibility just as bad from the second unit as having the short hoods at each ends of the consist. They finally decided that one unit could handle the shoves.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Yeah. Maybe that's it: maybe freights have engines at each end, and it's the crew walking from end to end, not the engine running around the train (maybe there's so siding, or one big enough, for running around). Man, if crews are walking the length of long freights, that's consuming a lot of time.
Without knowing specifics regarding the bridge, the usage I am familiar with is when there is a control facility on each end of a train. In the case of a freight line, they might keep a locomotive on each end of the train to facilitate switching a facing-switch location. Or similarly if there are multiple locomotives in a consist, the rear-most loco might be used in a similar manner.
The use I am most familiar with is in suburban service, where there is a locomotive (usually) facing away from the main terminal (like Oglivie Center in Chicago), and a cab-car on the inbound-to-depot end of the train. When the crew needs to operate in the opposite direction, the Engineer will "change ends", meaning he will switch from controlling the train from one end (like the cab-car) to controlling the train from the other end (like the locomotive).
In a news item about Reading & Northern, there is a photo with this caption:
The new $14 million bridge over the Lehigh River at Nesquehoning Junction, Pa., will enable Reading & Northern freight trains to make their Reading to Wilkes-Barre run without changing ends.
What does that mean? I don't understand what the problem is, or what is meant by "changing ends" as a fix for the issue.
Now, I can envision a track configuration where there is essentially 2/3 of a wye, whereby trains can enter one line from another, but only in the direction opposite that which it needs to travel. Essentially a wye missing one leg. So then, via a siding, the engines must run around the train before proceeding.
Is that the situation? Is this bridge the needed missing third leg of a wye?
Still in training.
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