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Steam & Diesel in unison?

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  • Member since
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  • From: Western transplant to the Deep South
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Steam & Diesel in unison?
Posted by Cederstrand on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 3:34 AM

On some steam excursions, a diesel is sometimes added. My question is how do the engineers in their respective locos know how much throttle & brake to apply during such runs? Thanks for any info on this process.

Cowboy [C):-)] Rob

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    February 2001
  • From: Poconos, PA
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Posted by TomDiehl on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:17 AM
 Cederstrand wrote:

On some steam excursions, a diesel is sometimes added. My question is how do the engineers in their respective locos know how much throttle & brake to apply during such runs? Thanks for any info on this process.

Cowboy [C):-)] Rob

The throttles are controlled separately by their engineers. Coordination can be through whistle signals or radio communication. The braking control of one of the locomotives is slaved to the control of the other, so one engineer will control the braking.

Smile, it makes people wonder what you're up to. Chief of Sanitation; Clowntown
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Posted by THE.RR on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 11:19 AM
Some excursions that regularly use a diesel helper have added a control stand to the steamer and MU that to the diesel following.  Especially when the trailing unit is a B unit painted to look like a baggage car.  The engineer has 2 throttles to operate, but it is just 1 engineer.

Timber Head Eastern Railroad "THE Railroad Through the Sierras"

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Posted by rogruth on Sunday, March 16, 2008 11:06 PM
The old Clinchfield #1 was set up that way.

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