Sometimes on the railroad there are some head scratchers.
Here's one:
Three GP-40s leading a train. Lead unit catches fire underneath. Fire is easily put out but a few miles down the track it catches on fire again. When the cab fills with smoke the engineer stops the train and calls the local fire department.
On the scene, the fire is out. The train is sitting on the main line. The track is good , well anchored 136lb rail on good condition ties and surfacing. The right number 2 wheel is derailed to the inside of the rail.. why?
That one's gonna keep me awake all night. Can I stop scratching when my scalp gets sore?
Norm
Broken axle? Or possibly something else wrong with the truck / traction motor assembly?
Randy your stipulations seem too preclude track or rail problems, though I'm sniffing for red herring.
Randy, the phenomenon of catching fire underneath and then again within a couple of miles.....42 years runnin', searched the memory banks and they're 'rupt.
Brake shoes heating, grease smoking off hot wheels, a wheel bearing about to fail will flame....lots of gaseous stuff, vapor, and smoke .
2R was "broken" after the fires underneath and GP40's ran short hood forward, thus 2R was opposite the hand brake axle(s) of the ones I know; red herring alert.
I'm wading in shallow, not you, shark infested waters.
Cause;wheel bearing failure causing fracture of the wheel. the stuff causing the fire.
That answer is too easy after excluding stuff; that it's not likely correct; betcha'
Gee.. that wasn't very hard. You're right, a broken axle caused by overheated traction motor suspension bearings.
It was tougher for my helper to figure out that day until we opened the lid on the bearing box.
Anyone else got a good riddle?
What we need here is a link to Houston Ed's pictures of a naked truck assembly from a couple or more years ago. Of course, those axles weren't broken but there was a pretty good explanation of traction motor mounting.
OK.
A train leaves Chicago for Denver, 1,067 miles away and travels at an average speed of 50 MPH. At the same time a train leaves Denver for Chicago and travels at an average speed of 35 mph.
How far is each train from both Chicago and Denver when they meet?
They meet in mile 627 from Chicago or 438 from Denver. They could save nearly 30 miles by taking the BNSF instead (Union Station to Union Station).
Randy StahlAnyone else got a good riddle?
Set of yard power consists of a mother and slug (both 4 axles), a sd40-2, and a gp38-2. 4 axles are online, sd40 isolated. Consist running via remote control linked up with the slug. A couple times a night, the gp38-2 on the tail decides to go the opposite way from the rest of the fleet and play tug-of-war. Stop, and try again, and all is right in the world.
Thoughts?
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
1. Broken internally or gummed-up (dirty) wire or pin / contact in the reverser circuit in the Multiple-Unit jumper cables connecting the GP38 to/ towards the remote-controlled slug ==> intermittent connection, probably best when pushing the GP38, but which only occasionally (= not always) transmits the "Reverse Direction" command.
2. GP38 is also remote-control equipped, was last set up for the same remote control box, and was not turned off before being included in the consist ?
- Paul North.
I'm with Paul , sticky reverser/ dirty interlock
And I was going to suggest the 38's computer was named "Hal".
Duckin' and runnin'.
Randy Stahl Gee.. that wasn't very hard. You're right, a broken axle caused by overheated traction motor suspension bearings. It was tougher for my helper to figure out that day until we opened the lid on the bearing box. Anyone else got a good riddle?
Thanks, Randy! I'm not a genius by any means but I figured with one wheel, and one wheel only off the track and inboard of the same SOMETHING had to have happened to shorten the axle. A breakage seemed to be the obvious solution.
Or maybe I just got to it first.
Wayne
greyhounds OK. A train leaves Chicago for Denver, 1,067 miles away and travels at an average speed of 50 MPH. At the same time a train leaves Denver for Chicago and travels at an average speed of 35 mph. How far is each train from both Chicago and Denver when they meet?
mudchicken A train leaves Chicago for Denver, 1,067 miles away and travels at an average speed of 50 MPH. At the same time a train leaves Denver for Chicago and travels at an average speed of 35 mph. How far is each train from both Chicago and Denver when they meet?
Assumptions: measurements taken from the locomotive pilots; both trains on the same route; 'meet' is the point or time the two pilots pass or contact each other. Note that it doesn't matter to the question if there is a cornfield meet...
Effective combined speed to make the journey: (1067/85) or about 12.55 hours. To get the individual proportions achieved by each of the individual trains, multiply this time by their speed:
For 35 mph, about 439.35 miles (from Denver)
For 50 mph, about 627.65 miles (from Chicago)
Of course the reciprocal gives you the 'other' distance:
For 35 mph, about 627.65 miles to Chicago
For 50 mph, about 439.35 miles to Denver
Thanks, Mr. Gauss.
Randy Stahl Sometimes on the railroad there are some head scratchers. Here's one: The right number 2 wheel is derailed to the inside of the rail.. why?
The right number 2 wheel is derailed to the inside of the rail.. why?
Paul_D_North_Jr 1. Broken internally or gummed-up (dirty) wire or pin / contact in the reverser circuit in the Multiple-Unit jumper cables connecting the GP38 to/ towards the remote-controlled slug ==> intermittent connection, probably best when pushing the GP38, but which only occasionally (= not always) transmits the "Reverse Direction" command. 2. GP38 is also remote-control equipped, was last set up for the same remote control box, and was not turned off before being included in the consist ? - Paul North.
1. What's odd is that you go in one direction (east), stop, then go east again when it happened once or twice. Wasn't like the reverser was thrown in between. I'd hedge my bets on the MU cable instead. I'll have to check with the mechanical guy here when he comes back.
2. Only thing with RCO gear is the slug. (the locomotive slug.. not the conductor slug)
By the way, if anyone else comes up with one of those cockamamie math word problems that drove us all nuts in school there's gonna be a complaint to the moderators!
I recall one night a consist from the CSX showed up at my shop. There was one SD40-2 that only loaded in forward. I didn't have a lot of time to mess with it but I did notice that the FOR relay wasn't dropping out. Meter showed about 20 volts on the operating coil when the reverser was in reverse. Under normal circumstance there would be zero potential and the relay would drop out. Since I didn't have a lot of time to trace the wiring for transient voltages I did the fastest thing I could think of the get the engine pulling train, I took my 72 volt test light, cut the alligator clips off , installed fast on connectors and plugged the light bulb across the FOR operating coil. The light bled off the 20 volt transient and let the FOR relay drop out and the RER relay pick up.. the downside was that when the engine was put in forward the electrical cabinet lit up...
Firelock76 By the way, if anyone else comes up with one of those cockamamie math word problems that drove us all nuts in school there's gonna be a complaint to the moderators!
A boy slides a block of ice on an inclined plane of 13 degrees. Assuming no friction...
zugmann Firelock76 By the way, if anyone else comes up with one of those cockamamie math word problems that drove us all nuts in school there's gonna be a complaint to the moderators! A boy slides a block of ice on an inclined plane of 13 degrees. Assuming no friction...
OK, who's the @#$% moderator on this site? Think I was kidding?
Firelock76OK, who's the @#$% moderator on this site? Think I was kidding?
Fine. If you are going to take offense, then we will figure it out WITH friction!
Randy StahlSince I didn't have a lot of time to trace the wiring for transient voltages I did the fastest thing I could think of the get the engine pulling train, I took my 72 volt test light, cut the alligator clips off , installed fast on connectors and plugged the light bulb across the FOR operating coil. The light bled off the 20 volt transient and let the FOR relay drop out and the RER relay pick up.
Randy
Were you working in a running shop at the time? I know there are those who would call what you did 'haywiring'. I call it knowing your stuff, the basis of all good trouble shooting in my experience and getting the unit working and in the available time. I recall cutting pennies, when they were actually made of copper and fitting them to relay contacters in order to get relays working. Amazing also how a well ground/shaped nail will work as a shaft key in a fuel pump. Did that more than once in the north in the middle of winter to get boilers and furnaces up and running in low temperatures. They don't call your work a shopcraft for nothing. I imagine paperwork went forward to advise someone correct the problem in a shop other than a running shop, which is where I assume (perhaps incorrectly) you were at the time. Tough luck about the extra light in the cabinet. Better than an non operating unit.
Charlie
Chilliwack, BC
Randy StahlI recall one night a consist from the CSX showed up at my shop. There was one SD40-2 that only loaded in forward. I didn't have a lot of time to mess with it but I did notice that the FOR relay wasn't dropping out. Meter showed about 20 volts on the operating coil when the reverser was in reverse. Under normal circumstance there would be zero potential and the relay would drop out. Since I didn't have a lot of time to trace the wiring for transient voltages I did the fastest thing I could think of the get the engine pulling train, I took my 72 volt test light, cut the alligator clips off , installed fast on connectors and plugged the light bulb across the FOR operating coil. The light bled off the 20 volt transient and let the FOR relay drop out and the RER relay pick up.. the downside was that when the engine was put in forward the electrical cabinet lit up...
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Actually there wasn't any paperwork.. the engine was going back to the CSX with the train. I'm sure one of the CSX electricians found it , had a good chuckle and took the time to find the transient .
Firelock76 zugmann Firelock76 By the way, if anyone else comes up with one of those cockamamie math word problems that drove us all nuts in school there's gonna be a complaint to the moderators! A boy slides a block of ice on an inclined plane of 13 degrees. Assuming no friction... OK, who's the @#$% moderator on this site? Think I was kidding?
Three men were on a business trip and had to stay in a hotel over night. The price of the room was $30.00, so the men decided to split one room, three ways. Each one paid $10.00. Well, after they paid, the manager realized that he overcharged them on their room. The room only cost $25.00, so he gave the bellboy five one dollar bills to give to the three men.
On his way up to the room the bell boy was trying to think of a way to split $5.00 three ways. After thinking about it awhile, he decided to keep $2.00 for himself and give each man $1.00 back. Now, if each man (who paid $10.00) gets $1.00 back that means they each paid $9.00 ($10.00 – $1.00 = $9 ). $9.00 multiplied by three (because there are three men) equals $27.00 plus the $2.00 the bell boy kept equals $29.00!
What happened to the missing dollar?
zugmann Firelock76OK, who's the @#$% moderator on this site? Think I was kidding? Fine. If you are going to take offense, then we will figure it out WITH friction!
Mutter-mutter-mutter-mutter-mutter......
If a locomotive and a half can haul a train and a half a mile and a half in a minute and a half...
How many bananas are in fruit salad?
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Semper Vaporo If a locomotive and a half can haul a train and a half a mile and a half in a minute and a half... How many bananas are in fruit salad?
Numerically, the same as the volume of any given right triangle divided by the squares of its sides... ;-}
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