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[Anonymous]

Beyond trying to make the forward engine run face first I doubt the railroads care about how the rest of their trailing units face unless there is a special reason to such as helper districts, switching needs (on manifest or locals) and very occationally publicity.

[BR60103]

A couple of observations from southern Ontario:
VIA Rail seems to run all their locos facing forward, except for the trains where there's a loco on each end (that was with LRCs and they're all gone.)
CN runs local freights with 2 chop-nose geeps hooked up every way. I've even seen them with the two noses coupled. [:o)]

[BR60103]

A couple of observations from southern Ontario:
VIA Rail seems to run all their locos facing forward, except for the trains where there's a loco on each end (that was with LRCs and they're all gone.)
CN runs local freights with 2 chop-nose geeps hooked up every way. I've even seen them with the two noses coupled. [:o)]

[Anonymous]

I saw a passenger train (8 cars or so) last week with two locos, one in back, one in front. The leading GP40-2 loco was coupled backwards. So it was going rear-end first[:)]
I do not know why that happened. Oh, and that was on the mainline too.

[Anonymous]

I saw a passenger train (8 cars or so) last week with two locos, one in back, one in front. The leading GP40-2 loco was coupled backwards. So it was going rear-end first[:)]
I do not know why that happened. Oh, and that was on the mainline too.

[kenneo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Alaskaman

I saw a passenger train (8 cars or so) last week with two locos, one in back, one in front. The leading GP40-2 loco was coupled backwards. So it was going rear-end first[:)]
I do not know why that happened. Oh, and that was on the mainline too.

I'll lay odds that at the end of the line they had no way to turn the engine or no practrical way to "run around" the train, so, by putting one at each end facing "outward" from the train, then you drag the rear engine to the "end of service" point, the engine crew changes units, and then "return to sender". It has always been a rule that you never ever operate a carbody unit (such as F7, F40PH, E8) backwards because of the severe limitation on visibility unless you absolutely have no chioce and it is an emergency.

[kenneo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Alaskaman

I saw a passenger train (8 cars or so) last week with two locos, one in back, one in front. The leading GP40-2 loco was coupled backwards. So it was going rear-end first[:)]
I do not know why that happened. Oh, and that was on the mainline too.

I'll lay odds that at the end of the line they had no way to turn the engine or no practrical way to "run around" the train, so, by putting one at each end facing "outward" from the train, then you drag the rear engine to the "end of service" point, the engine crew changes units, and then "return to sender". It has always been a rule that you never ever operate a carbody unit (such as F7, F40PH, E8) backwards because of the severe limitation on visibility unless you absolutely have no chioce and it is an emergency.

[Anonymous]

Amtrak runs all the Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha trains that way (engine at each end, 4 passenger cars in middle) so they don't have to waste time turning the train.

[Anonymous]

Amtrak runs all the Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha trains that way (engine at each end, 4 passenger cars in middle) so they don't have to waste time turning the train.

[Anonymous]

All that is true, and Alaska Railroad does that (put locos on both ends) because the train has to stop at the airport which on the spur 4 miles off the mainline. And then it has to continiue to downtown Anchorage, but since there is no way to turn the train around they just hook two GP40-2 locos to each end, and one acts as a generator for passenger cars (HEP). But that one day i saw the front loco pulling backwards, which is kinda unusual. [:D]

[Anonymous]

All that is true, and Alaska Railroad does that (put locos on both ends) because the train has to stop at the airport which on the spur 4 miles off the mainline. And then it has to continiue to downtown Anchorage, but since there is no way to turn the train around they just hook two GP40-2 locos to each end, and one acts as a generator for passenger cars (HEP). But that one day i saw the front loco pulling backwards, which is kinda unusual. [:D]

[AltonFan]

I once observed in the Santa Fe yard in Raton, NM that groups of locomotives seemed to be coupled so that the end units were facing in different directions. The idea seems to have been that as long as these engines were mu'ed together, there would be no need to turn them, the crew could just operate from whichever unit was "forward".

Actually, at that time, I took a number of Amtrak trips, and the practice of having the lead and trailing units of mu'ed locomotives facing different directions, by my observation seemed typical.

[AltonFan]

I once observed in the Santa Fe yard in Raton, NM that groups of locomotives seemed to be coupled so that the end units were facing in different directions. The idea seems to have been that as long as these engines were mu'ed together, there would be no need to turn them, the crew could just operate from whichever unit was "forward".

Actually, at that time, I took a number of Amtrak trips, and the practice of having the lead and trailing units of mu'ed locomotives facing different directions, by my observation seemed typical.

[traisessive1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BR60103

A couple of observations from southern Ontario:
VIA Rail seems to run all their locos facing forward, except for the trains where there's a loco on each end (that was with LRCs and they're all gone.)
CN runs local freights with 2 chop-nose geeps hooked up every way. I've even seen them with the two noses coupled. [:o)]

I have seen back to back locomotive consists on VIA's
And oh...when 52/40 and 56/42 get to brockville and split....you sometimes back a nose to nose cause the montreal train is sooo long and needs 2 engines.

And yes....cn in their yard locomotves dont give a crap how theya re...but CP is sooo perfect its always back to back

[traisessive1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BR60103

A couple of observations from southern Ontario:
VIA Rail seems to run all their locos facing forward, except for the trains where there's a loco on each end (that was with LRCs and they're all gone.)
CN runs local freights with 2 chop-nose geeps hooked up every way. I've even seen them with the two noses coupled. [:o)]

I have seen back to back locomotive consists on VIA's
And oh...when 52/40 and 56/42 get to brockville and split....you sometimes back a nose to nose cause the montreal train is sooo long and needs 2 engines.

And yes....cn in their yard locomotves dont give a crap how theya re...but CP is sooo perfect its always back to back