Borrowed power on the Coast Starlight

[oregon shay]

When Amtrak uses additional power, like from the Union Pacific as seen in the following images, is the Amtrak engineer or a UP engineer (or both) in the lead locomotive?

Bringing-up the rear on today's northbound train was the private car Cyrus K. Holliday, which was cool.

- Wilton.

 

[rcdrye]

Amtrak crews routinely operate borrowed power on routes that they are otherwise qualified to operate.  In the case of an offline detour, a qualified employee of the detour host will be assigned as a pilot.

[ORNHOO]

For some time I have been wondering when Distributed Power would be applied to passenger trains. The primary reason would be to eliminate the need for the "hard wired" connection between the Locomotive and Cab Car on push-pull trains, but it also would be useful in rescue operations like on November 10 when Surfliner 777's entire consist was used to pull the Coast Starlight (hors de combat from a vehicle strike) from SLO to LAX. With DP the one working locomotive on #11 could have been operated from #777's cab.

[BaltACD]

ORNHOO

For some time I have been wondering when Distributed Power would be applied to passenger trains. The primary reason would be to eliminate the need for the "hard wired" connection between the Locomotive and Cab Car on push-pull trains, but it also would be useful in rescue operations like on November 10 when Surfliner 777's entire consist was used to pull the Coast Starlight (hors de combat from a vehicle strike) from SLO to LAX. With DP the one working locomotive on #11 could have been operated from #777's cab.

Don't hold your breath for DP in passenger operations.  In freight opeations it helps move more tonnage per train.  In passenger operations there isn't the necessity for DP to be able to move more paying passengers.  Oddball instances because of operational incidents does not generate a economic need for DP in passenger service.

[oregon shay]

Thanks for the insights.

 

-Wilton.