Heard via has taken away sand pipes off all their locos is this true and why?
dh28473Heard via has taken away sand pipes off all their locos is this true and why?
Guess they want the locomotive wheels to spin and true themselves. Don't know how the carrier lines they operate over will enjoy the rail burns.
I have no idea if what you heard is true, however, if it is - IT IS DUMB!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
No offence - train crews are not the best communicators of 'company policy'.
I have no idea of Canadian safety regulations - sand is a safety enhancer as it improves traction in the wheel/rail interface - both under power and under braking.
BaltACDNo offense - train crews are not the best communicators of 'company policy'.
Although it does remind me of the time when the president of the railroad call me and asked if I would run his special train. He said he asked for me because he heard that not only was I the smoothest-operating engineer on the railroad, but also because the press was going to be taking photos and he wanted the best-looking engineer. After the festivities, he took me out on his yacht and introduced me to his daughter. Afterwards he flew me to Europe on his private jet.
zardoz BaltACD No offense - train crews are not the best communicators of 'company policy'. Shirley you are not suggesting that railroaders would or even could communicate is such a way that woud lend itself to confusion, misrepresentation, exaggeration, equivocation, or subterfuge. I am appalled, aghast, shocked, and dismayed that you even suggest such a thing! Although it does remind me of the time when the president of the railroad call me and asked if I would run his special train. He said he asked for me because he heard that not only was I the smoothest-operating engineer on the railroad, but also because the press was going to be taking photos and he wanted the best-looking engineer. After the festivities, he took me out on his yacht and introduced me to his daughter. Afterwards he flew me to Europe on his private jet.
BaltACD No offense - train crews are not the best communicators of 'company policy'.
Shirley you are not suggesting that railroaders would or even could communicate is such a way that woud lend itself to confusion, misrepresentation, exaggeration, equivocation, or subterfuge. I am appalled, aghast, shocked, and dismayed that you even suggest such a thing!
zardoz - Engineer PHD
Thread makes it sound like this is a recent development, but I was under the impression Via Rail hasn't used sand in decades, if ever.
Leo_AmesThread makes it sound like this is a recent development, but I was under the impression Via Rail hasn't used sand in decades, if ever.
If that is a fact - I would like to know their reasoning.
I imagine because they're cheap and foolishly think it's a luxury rather than a necessity. Less onboard equipment to maintain, sanding facilities don't have to be maintained or stocked at terminals, etc.
From what I've seen, the F40PH's are lacking sanding equipment these days, possibly removed when they had their major capital rebuilds or maybe even earlier. And I've never seen a Via Rail Genesis with sanders visible, so I imagine they came that way from Erie. Never got a good look at the FP9 rebuilds or the LRC's, so don't know if they left the roster with sanding equipment still installed (Or in the case of the LRC's, ever were even equipped).
Been that way for a long time. The question on why Via doesn't use sand was being asked at railfan forums when the internet was a new thing to me, circa 1997 or so. I don't know how much earlier the policy goes, but it's been in place the entire century so far.
If I were to take a chance and wager a guess at how far back this dates, I bet the no sand policy was implemented after the second round of major cuts back around 1990. But that's just a shot in the dark.
I wonder if the two SW1000's are granted the luxury of having their sandboxes filled? I'm no locomotive engineer, but I have to imagine the crews appreciate having sand at their disposal when trying to dig in and lug a long passenger consist with a small switcher at a terminal or coach yard (Or are they just shop switchers?).
I was looking at a F40 the other day, not only did it not have sanders but the sandbox lids were removed and the openings plated over.
Looks like the SW1000's retain their sanding equipment, but who knows if it is used:
http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=21769
The pair of FP9ARM rebuilds I have access to (6304 and 6311, currently in private ownership and stored at the Alberta Railway Museum) have sanders:
http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=34316
VIA has not run long trains on lines with steep grades since the Atlantic (Montreal-Halifax via the ex-CP International of Maine route) was eliminated in 1994. Perhaps this influenced the decision to eliminate sanding.
I'm not saying I agree with the decision (I don't), but I can see some how some penny-pinching managers would come to it.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
I would think the HP/ton requirements of a passenger train would be high enough to require having locomotives that wil be no where near their adhesion limits in normal operation. The main benefit for sanding would be in improving acceleration from a stop, and possibly braking on extremely slippery rails.
Sand might have helped for the stopping distance.....
https://www.facebook.com/2GOFM/videos/10153232271667899/
Yikes! I see that guy didn't waste time bailing out. Can't say I blame him.
Balt,
That was one close call! In VIA's case, sanders would be more of a necessity for braking than acceleration.
Erik_MagBalt, That was one close call! In VIA's case, sanders would be more of a necessity for braking than acceleration.
VIA not wanting sanders for improved acceleration and grade climbing is one thing. Sanders for improved braking efficiency is a safety issue. Don't know how Canadian rail regulators allow them to get away without having sanders.
BaltACDSand might have helped for the stopping distance..... https://www.facebook.com/2GOFM/videos/10153232271667899/
I'm pretty sure it did help for the diesels accelerating in reverse.
I still don't quite believe they didn't collide. (Or that the 'cameraman' didn't point at the ground or shake around near the time of 'nearest approach'!)
Quite a bit of judgmental discussion about the fellow bailing out (and pratfalling) - you could tell who did and who didn't work for the railroad. Indicates that it was just as uncertain through the cab windows as from our vantage that 'two locomotives were a'goin to bump'; once the brake was set up in emergency there was not too much more to do ... and I would rate survival behind that blunt composite nose in a straight collision to be dubious at best.
Well, if VIA Rail thinks sand is passe' and obsolete they should watch this video of some Polish rail enthusiasts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGY145ODCXQ
Just because something's old-fashioned doesn't mean it's no good anymore.
Well that's what you and I would do in that situation!
I do find it strange and a bit awkward that VIA locomotives have no sanders.
Flintlock76Well, if VIA Rail thinks sand is passe' and obsolete they should watch this video of some Polish rail enthusiasts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGY145ODCXQ Just because something's old-fashioned doesn't mean it's no good anymore.
Recall seeing a video several years ago of a train in India - don't recall if it was steam or diesel - It had two men riding the leading footboards of the locomotive manually putting sand on the rail.......
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