Deadhead

[Mookie]

Are engines ever "deadheaded" or do they always work? ie: A string of 3-5 engines, are they working all of them or are some of them just being moved?

And - we always laugh when the local news shows a train story and a picture of a NS engine. We are big-time BNSF. But the other day, a NS engine was spotted moving thru the yards. Any thoughts on why?

Jen

[favuprailroadfan]

Jenny, Yes engines are deadheaded all the time. Some could be working some aren't. The reason for this is because they are DIC(dead in consist) or just going for their 92 day FRA inspection. Some times, there will be entire strings of 9 or 10 engines dead behind one or two working. I was in Arizona, along the UP sunset Route. I saw a train with 18 units on board. I know this was a deadhead. I had never seen that many engines on a train at one time. But the train was only 45 cars long. Talk about your hpt (Horsepower per ton) ratio.

Dru

[favuprailroadfan]

Jenny, Maybe it was just a lone wolf, and lost its way. No just kidding. Odds are this train was a coalie going to or coming from a mine that is in NS territory in the eastern part of the US. BNSF sends many trains down to Georgia and Alabama for the plants down there. This is probably why you saw the NS there. Its just a run-through no big deal. It'll be back on its home rails soon.

Dru

[Anonymous]

Not all the locomotives in a consist have to be operating. Sometimes when engines can't be fixed at a small terminal they are placed in a consist for a train that is going in the direction of a major shop. At NS we called them DEAD IN CONSIST or DIC. No it is not the four letter word. And sometimes if you have more horsepower than you need you can isolated the units were the prime mover idles but supplies no horsepower. As for NS locomotives on other railroads if NS uses a BNSF engine they might be billed for using it under power. To repay that NS might send a unit for BNSF to use. It is a little more complacated then this. During the merger with Conrail NS borrowed a lot of engines from others and they had to pay them back. Anyway I will take a BNSF C-44-9W over a NS one any day.

[Mookie]

Glad I didn't try to take it back home, then!

Thanx Dru - this explains a lot!

Jen

[Mookie]

Michael: Since I identify most engines by the name on the side of the engine, I am going to make a stab that the C-44-9W is a Dash 9.

And - Is the Dash 9 as big as an SD70 - size-wise?
They look mighty big to me!

I await your corrections.

Jen

[favuprailroadfan]

Even though I'm not Micheal. But here is the diff.
SD70 is rated 4000 HP. The c44-9 is 4400hp. SD70 EMD C44 GE(gags everytime). GE's has wings on the back end of the unti. These are the radiators. EMD's are flat and square. Except for the SD90MAC. They have wings also. But allow me say something before I forget. The newer SD70M's do you have wings but not like the GE's. GE's are 4 cycle engines. EMD's 2 cycle. Thats the only things I can think of for now.

Dru

[Mookie]

Well, that sounds like what I see. In fact we have seen them at a distance and the wings are a dead give away. Actually, for Lincoln's yards being as big and busy as they are, we run very little variety thru here.

I am putting that in my notes - about the GE vs EMD cycles. I go home at nite and we have "class" on all I learn here!

Thanx Dru

Jen

[favuprailroadfan]

Ok, put this in your notes also. The EMD's load faster than the GE's do. EMD's get to speed quicker, and run more smoothly. GE's sound like a belching pig or something. The GE's load slower but pull better. Plus if you ever notice fire coming out the stack. Its just unspent fuel getting shot out and ignited, put on one of heck of a show when it does it. The GE's sound like they are chugging, like on old steamer.

Dru

[favuprailroadfan]

Are u in some type of school there? Or is it just for your personal referances? It takes some time to learn all this.

Dru

[Mookie]

I did put it in my notes. But I notice the SD70 -
until they sound that screechy horn - is very, very quiet. By the same token, I don't remember that the Dash-9's make any noise either? You would think something of that size and weight would be noisy. Is the Dash noisier than the 70?

Jen

[favuprailroadfan]

Oh yes, very much so. The GE's sound sick. The SD70's are quiet until they get right there. The SD70's that you see are the AC version. When they are up to speed, they will whine like you won't believe. All this is the AC motors working. The C44-9W's that yall have there are not the AC version. BNSF does not have these. They have the DC version in intermodel service. They did test 3 GE AC's awhile back, and I think they still may be in Denver CO.


Dru

[Mookie]

I am in school, but only because I work here.
No, I am just curious - I won't learn a lot, because there are only certain aspects I am interested in. I don't photo, I don't chase and I don't bark - but I do love to just sit and watch and admire the power of the trains! There is nothing nicer than being able to look down a long track and see an engine coming toward you.
So I ask questions just so I am not a complete dummy about something I like. But I am only bird-watching - don't want to raise them.

Jen

[Mookie]

Ah, I see. We only see them when they are coming or going and at a very low rate of speed so they are very quiet. Either really slowing down or just starting to pick up a little speed. But even loaded down with coal and good ball bearings (is that correct) on the cars, they run quietly. I can see where someone would run into them in the dark!

Jen

[favuprailroadfan]

Yes you are correct. I am not real hep on the cars. The locomotives is my main point of study. I can tell you almost everything. Ball bearings is just of the many aspect of the car running quietly. Well built cars, good axles and everything helps them run quiet.


Dru

[OldArmy94]

Hehehe, I know what you mean about GE's chugging. I was watching a couple of U-Boats in our local yard and they sounded like a sick washing machine. I love that noise, though! The AC units are just too quiet for me.

[favuprailroadfan]

I like the AC's when they are pulling ag rade or at speed.

Dru

[Anonymous]

The Dash-9's that NS owns are rated at 4000 hp but can be uprated to 4400 hp. As for the SD-70 they whine when sitting still. It will drive you nuts, hearing protection is a must with those engines. The SD-70M's may be different. I never got a big-MAC so I can't tell the difference. BNSF likes them so they must know. I always thought that GE's were sick, coughing and hacking up fire balls.

[Mookie]

Michael - it is the SD70MAC that we watch coming and going - those are the ones that are so quiet -in the dark and running w/o lights you wouldn't know they are there. That is what is so intriguing - they are so big and so quiet.

Jen

[wabash1]

Jenny The whole sd line up is noisy when running at wide open throttle. at idle they are fairly quiet. i would never give up a emd consist for a ge consist a emd consist a typical emd consist will load quicker pull better and make train handling easier than any ge consist can. a ge engine is quieter, but wont load or pull as well as a emd. I have ran both emd and ge type ac traction motor and was not impressed compaired to the ole dc traction motor units. the best thing a ge has going for it is the dynamic brakes. this is where the ge out performs the emd.

as far as the cars go it is called roller bearings not ball bearings similar use just differant the roller bearings are cylinder shape there is more of them in the casing and more contact area than ball bearings. another way to state it is bycicles use ball bearings a car will use roller bearings( what they call wheel bearings) this is what your dad and grampa when they took the front wheel off the car and packet the bearings this is what they was doing that was a roller bearing . hope this helped

[Mookie]

Fortunately, I have the forum, my boss, and my husband trying to explain this all to me.

I am not very mechanically inclined, but love to at least watch. Not many people will let me get in the way, so I appreciate all the help from the forum.

I am still working out the AC/DC situation and dynamic brakes. I know Trains Mag did some articles, but they get too technical for me, so I rely on the forum people to put it in plain English.

Jen

[wabash1]

If you didnt live so far from me and could go at a minutes notice, I let you take a trip with me learn hands on what it about. From the tresspassers to the people who race you at crossings to letting you run and feel what the train is doing. Then you would be able to understand what we talk about and be alittle more mechanical oriented about these things. I am sorry I am not more like ed, In that i cant compose a letter of exsplanation. ( No offense Ed) I just tell it. In as few words as possible. That is what the railroad force us to do so they cant pick our statements apart to twist our words to fire us.

[BRAKIE]

Jenny I did not read every answer so bare with me if this was said before..Units can also be ran in unit consist where their are needed due to a motive power shortage.This is some times cause by a un-balance of trains..You may have had more east bounds then west bounds trains or visa versa causing a shortage of motive power at one of the terminals..Then the locomotives are returned light or a power move as some calls it to the terminal needing the units.

[Mookie]

Wabash - you do just fine - you have written some technicals that I understood the first time thru!
I was watching the people go around the gates just this weekend. Fortunately, the trains are always just leaving or coming in and not going very fast at all, but ... It leaves your heart in your mouth.

Jen

[Mookie]

Well, that makes sense - I know sometimes we see fully loaded coal trains with 2 units (one front and one in the back) and other times, we see empty coal trains with 4 units. There is never a dull moment!

Jen

[favuprailroadfan]

Micheal, If I'm not mistaken, the reason why your SD70's are so loud is becuase they don't have the isolated cab. NS's are just regular cab. UP's are safety cab loco's. I didn't know that NS were only 4000hp, I'm glad you told me this.

LAters, Dru

[Anonymous]

Yeah the SD-70 had the spartan cab, but they seemed louder than the GP-60's. I wonder if NS is still trying to do power matching. The consists coming out of Detroit were always a little different. Seems like we got junk all the time.

[wabash1]

No the ns is isnt power matching and dont think you have the monopoly on junk. That is all i have run since the first of the year. with the exceptions of the bnsf and up power we get. I cant remeber the last decent ns power i got. but if you go to the loco screen where you can monitor the engine you will see that the sd70 will put out 4000-4400 hp. the dash 9s will only do 4000-4100. i have had some dash 9s that are putting out 4300-4500 and they seem to do fine for a change.