Big consists

[Anonymous]

The biggest consist I ever saw ( in the flesh) had nine various types of NS locos.

[rvos1979]

When I worked for the WSOR, we would occasionally get a ballast train with 5 SD40-2s for power because of 1% grades between Rock Springs and Madison. One had to be very careful with train handling because of the up and down nature of the sub, one crew managed to yank out the drawbar on a Herzog ballast car. (Wasn't me!!)

WSOR still runs between five and seven units on their Saturday trains from Horicon to Janesville, normally the GP38s are shut down or isolated, and the SD40-2s are doing the work. The GP38s usually go back up north on Sunday afternoon, although WSOR has been known to split that set up to run two trains to Horicon because of the amount of cars sitting in Janesville (about 90-100 cars, or about 5600 feet is all that will fit between road crossings).

Randy

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CSSHEGEWISCH

Any consist with over 4 units probably has some that are isolated or DIT. The drawbar strains would be too great otherwise.

You never saw SP's Kaiser Ore Train when it was running, did you? It often looked like every unit on the LA Division was entrained in the consist. Especially back in the early 60's when most of the units were either F-7's or GP-9's.

Andre

[Anonymous]

I like big consists. CGW normally fan 6-12 F units to pull it's 100+ car trains.

[Anonymous]

Some bigger consists I've seen around here on CSX:

Mixed freight with an 8-40BW, an 8-40CW and two Geeps



CP train with 2 AC4400s and two CEFX SD45M-2s

[Anonymous]

There are a couple of factors out east here that cause very large consists to be made every so often.

There is a rule that you can't have more than 24 powered axles, because on the grades CSX pulls here, too much power would tear the train apart. Also, on CSX, you will see modern locos with lightning bolts painted on the sides - this is not just decoration, it shows that the loco is a high-power AC-traction unit, and it is to be considered as *9* powered axles in the equation, so two lightning bolts on the head end is pretty common out here.

In general, the rule-of-thumb is that trains going east carry freight of some sort (autos, cargo, and what-have-you), and trains going west are either empties or carrying garbage of some sort (actual garbage containers, scrap metal, recycled paper, empty containers/trailers, and the like). So, west-bounds are lighter and require fewer engines. Over the course of the work week, since fewer engines are needed for lighter trains, locos start to stack up in eastern yards like Beacon Park. At the end of the week, there will be a few trains that have between ten and twelve engines (only two powered, of course [;)] ), pulling a long string of empty intermodal cars. Many times, there will be a light-power consist going west on Sunday between Boston and Selkirk as well.

Due to commuter rail ops and scheduling between Chicago and Boston, most fast van trains run at night, so sorry to all you photographers. Scanner fans may have some fun, though, at the van site in Springfield, MA, and in Worcester, MA.

Another factor is that, in NY the fuel prices are higher than in Boston, so a lot of times extra engines will be sent east to be refueled, then ferried west again on the light engine move.

[Anonymous]

In the east there are few grades that require more than 2 or 3 modern engines. Remember, 2 modern locos (are we at the fourth generation already?) can replace 3 or 4 thrid generation locos (ie, SD40s).

[cr6479]

Awhile ago i heared on my scaner ,defect dector. This is what said Conrail coldwater New York track 2 no defects total axle count 76 1095 train speed 60 miles per hour over.

[Gluefinger]

Ah, that's what CP's 286/287 train is good for! The power transfer between Chicago and St. Paul, it almost always has at least four engines.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

I've not seen an ATSF rule book or timetable that allowed you to exceed 24 -28 powered axles, perhaps if you say all the units were online all of them had traction motors cut out ?

I have some PC timetables that state in the Special Instructions that you could not exceed 24 powered axles in a consist. You could not isolate individual motor circuits to bring the motor count down to 24 but had to isolate the whole locomotive.

[Wooster25]

Had 9 Units on 21m (TVLA) out of Conway about a month ago. NS 8349, BNSF 751, BNSF 4183, NS 9136, NS 9445, NS 6589, NS 8356, NS 8883, NS 9659. I also had 8 units on a 10E just before the new year of course most of them were headed for the Altoona shop NS 9302, 9084, 4815, 6657, 8394, 5529, NREX 5475, NS 8304. Big consist still happen around these parts quite often.

[TheStationmaster]

Last year I counted 9 on a eastbound BNSF through Flagstaff. I've been told that this is not unusual on certain days and that it probably came up the Peavine line from Phoenix.

[blhanel]

I could kick myself for not being in a better position, but I saw enough of this southbound freight to tell that it had at least 10 units up front. From what I could make out, there were NS, CSX, Santa Fe, a Conrail unit, and God knows what else in the mix. I spotted it this past Sunday on the other side of the Mississippi just north of Hastings, MN. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to cross the river and chase it.[banghead][banghead][banghead]

http://static.flickr.com/35/106096533_365678db7c.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/37/106096532_6bebc289f1.jpg?v=0

[Anonymous]

Biggest power consist I've ever seen on CSX here was a BNSF 8-40BW, NS 8-40CW, CSX GP38-2 and CSX GP40-2, all running. I've seen shots and heard stories though, of 4 Conrail SD80MACs lugging a 150+ car coal train somewhere in Pennsylvania. Two on the lead, two in the middle, must've been quite a site!

[ValorStorm]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mbkcs

ValorStorm, if a dispatcher referred to the conSIST of said train instead of CONsist, would he then be "conning" us?

Under these circumstances the dispatcher would merely be offering "asSISTance."

[miniwyo]

DD they could also be heading back to Ogden for extra power coming back east too.

[Anonymous]

Thanks anb740 and ValorStorm for the explanations. anb740, I can't wait for the next opportunity to look at a passing train and observe the size of its consist.
ValorStorm, if a dispatcher referred to the conSIST of said train instead of CONsist, would he then be "conning" us?

[Anonymous]

Yesterday in Springfield IL saw 10 UPs - all newer and larger (too far away in an urban setting to decide if they were EMD or GE) - headed north with no freights attached. Much more common to see consists with 5 engines or so (for the flat prairie, no less) and freight cars headed north. Occasionally will see something similar on Norfolk & Southern headed east towards Decatur yards.

[Anonymous]

Tuesday Night 8 Units left Halifax with an intermodal train, usually 3 units. Why, almost 2 feet of snow

[ValorStorm]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mbkcs

Please help me understand "consist."

As has been explained there is a locomotive consist and a freight consist. What would be hard to glean from text however is the pronunciation. CONsist is the generally accepted pronunciation, rather than conSIST.

In 1998 I heard on my scanner someone asking for confirmation about the number of units on an eastbound out of Missoula on the MRL 3rd sub. I was sure I misunderstood the answer when after a brief pause I thot I heard "20." I stepped out the front door of my old house in Clinton, and stared in awe as more than a quarter mile of motive power paraded past. 20 units, all running, no idea how many were isolated. Too bad it was night time.

[zardoz]

I know those multi-unit consists are cool to look at, but they are rather a pain to operate with, unless you are actually using all of the units. Otherwise, all you have is a bunch of 200+ ton lumps of metal doing nothing but adding stress from slack action to the first knuckle of the train.

[dldance]

QUOTE: Originally posted by miniwyo

WOW Chad, Those are some great power lashups!

dd- They come from somewhere east i have seen plenty of those come through here too.

Since between miniwyo and me there is a significant drop in altitude - might UP be adding units just for extra dynamic braking?

dd

[Sterling1]

Up here, i managed to see but not photograph a five unit WB consist manifest on CSX.

CSX:
C40-8W
AC44CW
3 Leasers:
Alstom SD40-2
Helm SD4xx
Another SD unit

That's what I saw in the middle of the night.

[miniwyo]

WOW Chad, Those are some great power lashups!

dd- They come from somewhere east i have seen plenty of those come through here too.

[anb740]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mbkcs

Please help me understand "consist." Some of the postings refer to the number of locomotives a train has; others the total number of cars. I thought the latter was the correct usage of the term. If I am correct, and I may not be so, then it wouldn't matter how many locomotives are in a consist. The number of containers to locomotives is more relative to weight-pulling and terrain, isn't it? And could the extra units that are seen occasionally just being dragged back to the shop, being used a DP power or to another point on the line for DP use? And historically, how different are your observations?

In a sense, the word is correct on both counts. But, for this post, it is refering mainly to the locomotive consists. These days, most of the bigger consists like the ones posted earlier serve as engine "hops" to move large amounts of power from one terminal to another. (although a few here and there just flat out need the power!) CSX runs light engine sets w/no freight cars on a routine basis around here....it makes for some really interesting power lashups with all the foreign and lease stuff running around! For the rule, the engineer is only allowed to use the number of locomotives it takes to keep the train up to track speed. (some of these hoggers see that as somewhat of a loophole, and will crank up every unit they've got!) There are also several more rules that apply to # of locomotives on one train, speed, etc...but that's another whole topic itself!

[Anonymous]

Please help me understand "consist." Some of the postings refer to the number of locomotives a train has; others the total number of cars. I thought the latter was the correct usage of the term. If I am correct, and I may not be so, then it wouldn't matter how many locomotives are in a consist. The number of containers to locomotives is more relative to weight-pulling and terrain, isn't it? And could the extra units that are seen occasionally just being dragged back to the shop, being used a DP power or to another point on the line for DP use? And historically, how different are your observations?

[Randy Stahl]

I've not seen an ATSF rule book or timetable that allowed you to exceed 24 -28 powered axles, perhaps if you say all the units were online all of them had traction motors cut out ?

[caldreamer]

I used to see the SP use 10 SD45's pulling 100-150 car trains over the sierres nevada mountains in california.. Does anyone know how many units and what kind of engiens the UP uses on the runs from Roseville to Sparks??

Ira

[anb740]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AMTK200

I've seen 7 C44-9W's with 3 SD70MAC's before.

Geez, that's a LOT of horsepower. I would assume these were all BNSF? Sure would like to have seen that set!

anb740