What is the deal with F7b and GP60MB?

[Anonymous]

What are these types of cabless locomotives? I saw a gp60mb loco yesterday and wondered how they run. Are all of these types of locos radio controlled? If so, why dosnt the rr's invest in more cabless engines? Thanks-Ben

[countershot]

well if you are talking about slug units they run off a lash up with a nother loco but if it was running by it self i realy don't know, but in my home town i saw a truck that was hit by a train that took off after a radio control batteries ran out but i do not know about that.

[countershot]

were are you from?

[gmcrail]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bnsf97

What are these types of cabless locomotives? I saw a gp60mb loco yesterday and wondered how they run. Are all of these types of locos radio controlled? If so, why dosnt the rr's invest in more cabless engines? Thanks-Ben

These are "booster" units (hence the "B"). They are controlled from a cab unit through "MU" (Multiple Unit) cables, traditionally, though there are probably radio-controlled ones now that can be placed anywhere in the train. The F7B units are strictly MU-cable controlled. They run just like the cab units - diesel prime mover, generators, traction motors. Some even have control stands in them so the engine yard "hostlers" can move them around independently when needed.

The "slug" units mentioned in a previous post are a different animal entirely. There are no diesels/generators in a slug unit. They have been removed and replaced with heavy weights, usually slabs of concrete. A slug gets the electricity for its traction motor from a "mother" unit, which must be connected to it for the slug to run. Slugs are most commonly found in yard service where heavy traction is needed to move large cutrs of cars around.

The above being said, remember that there's a prototype for everything, so there are many exceptions to the above. An example is the road engines the C&NW (or RI? or both?) made out of old E8B units....

[ericsp]

One more thing, there is no GP60MB, it is GP60B.

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys, and for countershot, im in southern california near cajon pass if u have ever heard of it. One more thing, if the B units are bosster, then what does A unit mean?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bnsf97

Thanks guys, and for countershot, im in southern california near cajon pass if u have ever heard of it. One more thing, if the B units are bosster, then what does A unit mean?

You live by the cajon area!! SWEET!! That's a great place to railfan (take pics of trains)!

[Anonymous]

A unit means the locomotive has a cab.