I just read this article in CT: https://ctr.trains.com/way-it-was/railfan-stories/2019/06/like-hell-they-will
It mentions radio-controlled DPUs in 1967. I wouldn't have thought that was done yet back then. Could the writer be mistaken?
Still in training.
I just found an article on Southern remote operations in the October 1964 Trains. The article, "One throttle, One engineer" shows three GP30s leading the train and a remote B unit receiver with another three GP30s. The train is #154, photos by Curt Tillotson, article by David P. Morgan. Southern was a pioneer in remote operations. Morgan writes that the remotes are still experimental, but have been running for more than a year.
Ed in Kentucky
According to this article Locotrol was first tested in 1963.
https://ncrails.com/sr-locotrol-exclusive/
Southern was probably the prime user of Locotrol in the late 1960's and early 1970's, using them on more than unit trains. Some other roads used them but almost exclusively on mineral tonnage.
Thank You.
Locotrol (RCE) and DPU are slightly different animals in application. The ATSF RCE F-units (just the carbody with the engine removed, replaced with a big block of concrete and the radio gear)ran between La Junta CO and either Albuquerque/Belen or Winslow) in the company of SD-26, SD-39 and later SD-40/45 units well into the 1980's. (Some SD40-2's got the extended nose, "honorary alligator" treament for the locotrol radio gear).
With the RCE equipped trains, the idea was it was the tractive effort, not the extra horsepower that got you over Raton and Glorietta without drawbar or knuckle failures. (coal and mixed freight, occasionally really long pigs)
YoHo1975we got Snoots where the nose was elongated to hold the equipment.
timzAs it happens, SFe slave/master SD40-2s and SP slaves/master SD40T-2s had long noses, but didn't some standard UP SD45s carry the radio equipment in the 1970s?
I remember something specifically describing the progressive reduction in size and complexity of the packaged equipment during the late '60s and '70s, which at some point almost certainly would have allowed 'new' installation in an otherwise-unmodified EMD locomotive. Can't remember now if that was put out by a company like Harris, or by some radio trade press, or available online as some kind of article or on a forum like Trainorders.
Someone knowledgeable in the engineering history of Locotrol/DPU could almost certainly answer this definitively, perhaps to the month and year of introduction or when 'enabling' antenna technology or protocols became available.
I am embarrassed that I do not remember details.
I believe that Detroit Edison had the only Locotrol units in the Northeast/Midwest at that time.
Southern Rwy. and I believe Southern Pacific were the earliest users of radio control DPUs in the late 60s. In some cases "B" units and sometimes even box cars were converted to house the receiving equipment.
How physically large was the recieving equipment back then, compared to now?
Do virtually all currently-manufactured engines have DPU send/recieve equipment?
Backshop I believe that Detroit Edison had the only Locotrol units in the Northeast/Midwest at that time.
Penn Central had remote equipment on some SD45s. See the article, "A day in the life of a road foreman" by John R. Crosby in the July 1972 Trains. Crosby on pages 26-28 tells about teaching a young engineer how to handle five SD45s hauling 21,000 tons of unit coal train. I don't have a date when the equipment was installed on the SD45s. PRR and PC SD45s were built between 1966-1968.
timz YoHo1975 we got Snoots where the nose was elongated to hold the equipment. As it happens, SFe slave/master SD40-2s and SP slaves/master SD40T-2s had long noses, but didn't some standard UP SD45s carry the radio equipment in the 1970s?
YoHo1975 we got Snoots where the nose was elongated to hold the equipment.
As it happens, SFe slave/master SD40-2s and SP slaves/master SD40T-2s had long noses, but didn't some standard UP SD45s carry the radio equipment in the 1970s?
Union Pacific SD45s #3622-3623 were the first two radio control units on that railroad. The units were built in March 1968 and RC testing was first tested in Weber Canyon, Utah. Additional SD45s had RC equipment added later in 1968 and into 1969. A DD35A and a DD35 were additionally equipped with RC. The complete story of UP's early RC operations is in Diesel Era's, "Union Pacific SD45s" by Steve Orth and Don Strack. See Diesel Era March/April 2000 pp 10-23.
SSW9389 See the article, "A day in the life of a road foreman" by John R. Crosby in the July 1972 Trains. Crosby on pages 26-28 tells about teaching a young engineer how to handle five SD45s hauling 21,000 tons of unit coal train. Ed in Kentucky
See the article, "A day in the life of a road foreman" by John R. Crosby in the July 1972 Trains. Crosby on pages 26-28 tells about teaching a young engineer how to handle five SD45s hauling 21,000 tons of unit coal train.
Looking through some 1968 editions of Extra 2200 South last night I found a couple more early users of remote control. Kansas City Southern purchased SD40s for remote control service in the last quarter of 1966. These units were first used on the grades between Pittsburg, Kansas and DeQueen, Arkansas. The area of operations was further extended to Shreveport, Louisiana. The other early remote control operator was Canadian Pacific. I found reference to "robot" units, but no exact information on what equipment or where it was operated. Who has information on these early CP operations.
SSW9389The other early remote control operator was Canadian Pacific. I found reference to "robot" units, but no exact information on what equipment or where it was operated. Who has information on these early CP operations.
We had recent posts on this specific subject in a different topic and threads. This included a publication that covered some of the early history including the Fairbots. I'll let someone like SD70dude or NDG provide the definitive story and links here.
YoHo1975Yes, Locotrol got started that far back. It wasn't until the 70s that it was integrated into the locomotives and we got Snoots where the nose was elongated to hold the equipment.
Pennsylvania Railroad SD45s #6200-6209 were remote units. The EMD orders are #7090 and 7091. The even numbered units are the transmitters and the odd numbered units are the recievers. These units were delivered in January and February 1968.
The UP SD45s were also set up as remote transmitters and receivers in 1968.
SSW9389Santa Fe started radio control with two RSD-15s #844 and #846 and RC control car #10 rebuilt from an F7B in August 1967. This equipment was used on a unit coal train between York Canyon, New Mexico and Fontana, California. Data from Santa Fe Motive Power by Joe McMillan see page 90. Ed in Kentucky
SOUTHERN, out of "LOUISVILLE , KY" used to run a few B-23-7's with a remote boxcar in between, to pull over "edwardsville hill"
My first real job out of college was for GRS in early 73. My first field job site that summer was the then brand new computer controlled Southern Rwy hump yard in Muscle Shoals (mistakenly named "Sheffield Yard" by GRS but that name still sticks :-) Mid-train radio controlled helpers were common on trains coming into the yard. The locals referred to them as "radios", i.e. "cut them radios out and put them on the *** track" and things like that.
73, Chris Hausler
SSW9389 The Loco Trol equiptment was ordered by the PRR. There were 5 master units and 5 slave units. Masters were 6200-6202-6204,6206 and 6208 The slave units were 6201-6203-6205- 6207 and 6209. They were delivered past the date of the PRR/NYC merger. The 6206 was the last unit ever delivered in PRR paint.-- Ken Backshop I believe that Detroit Edison had the only Locotrol units in the Northeast/Midwest at that time. Penn Central had remote equipment on some SD45s. See the article, "A day in the life of a road foreman" by John R. Crosby in the July 1972 Trains. Crosby on pages 26-28 tells about teaching a young engineer how to handle five SD45s hauling 21,000 tons of unit coal train. I don't have a date when the equipment was installed on the SD45s. PRR and PC SD45s were built between 1966-1968. Ed in Kentucky
The Loco Trol equiptment was ordered by the PRR. There were 5 master units and 5 slave units. Masters were 6200-6202-6204,6206 and 6208 The slave units were 6201-6203-6205- 6207 and 6209. They were delivered past the date of the PRR/NYC merger. The 6206 was the last unit ever delivered in PRR paint.-- Ken
Mid-1968 Addenda: From the pages of Extra 2200 South you can learn about some Locotrol experiments. Penn Central outfitted U25Bs 2555 and 2535 as Transmitter and Receiver respectively. During June 1968 Locotrol was tested on the track between Springfield, MA and Selkirk Yard near Albany, NY. The following month the same master and receiver were used to test Locotrol operations between Selkirk Yard and Elkhart, Indiana.
ALL:
I am paraphrasing from Schrenk and Frey's "Northern Pacific Diesel Era-1945-1970, starting on page 225.
In 1968, the NP converted two FB units to Locotrol receivers with transmitters in various head end units. They were used between Mandan and Glendive because of that undulating grade. I rode the head end of the westbound Mainstreeter west of Mandan while on my way to a union meeting. The old engineer said very loudly that engineers belonged in the cab of the remote locomotives!
I don't know if the GN, CBQ, or SPS dabbled in RCU technology.
Ed Burns
Retired clerk from Northtown (Minneapolis).
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