Boyd When referring to what pulls freight and passenger cars which word is more fitting, engine or locomotive?
When referring to what pulls freight and passenger cars which word is more fitting, engine or locomotive?
When I was 12 years old, in 1954, Steam power was running out it's final miles on the SP here in Southern California. A good friend of mine, who was the same age as I, lived in an old house, that backed up to the SP mainline in Pomona, California. He wasn't a Railfan, but everytime steam power went by his house, he said he saw a "locomotive" go by his house that day. Only steam deserved the name.."locomotive"..diesels were just "engines" I never forgot his observations.
[OUT WEST, THEY ALWAYS WERE CALLED "MOTORS. quote user="Boyd"] [/quote]
243129When folks ask me what I did for a living I would tell them I was in the 'engineering field'.
Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak
When folks ask me what I did for a living I would tell them I was in the 'engineering field'.
BoydWhen referring to what pulls freight and passenger cars which word is more fitting, engine or locomotive?
SD70Dude tree68 Ulrich On CP railroaders generally referred to SD40s as "the 3000s" in reference to their rated max horsepower output. One time I said "you mean the SD40?".. had no idea what I was talking about. From what I've seen over the years, it was common to refer to locomotives by their number series. Thus if a railroad numbered all their [insert model here] in the 4000 series, they'd be referred to as 4000's. Still the most commonly used method today. And also requires the least thought.
tree68 Ulrich On CP railroaders generally referred to SD40s as "the 3000s" in reference to their rated max horsepower output. One time I said "you mean the SD40?".. had no idea what I was talking about. From what I've seen over the years, it was common to refer to locomotives by their number series. Thus if a railroad numbered all their [insert model here] in the 4000 series, they'd be referred to as 4000's.
Ulrich On CP railroaders generally referred to SD40s as "the 3000s" in reference to their rated max horsepower output. One time I said "you mean the SD40?".. had no idea what I was talking about.
On CP railroaders generally referred to SD40s as "the 3000s" in reference to their rated max horsepower output. One time I said "you mean the SD40?".. had no idea what I was talking about.
From what I've seen over the years, it was common to refer to locomotives by their number series. Thus if a railroad numbered all their [insert model here] in the 4000 series, they'd be referred to as 4000's.
Still the most commonly used method today. And also requires the least thought.
On CSX the AC traction engines were sometimes referred to as 'Lightning Bolts' or 'Bolts' because of the lightning bolt representation painted underneath the locomotive number on the cab.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Until they start renumbering them.
One time we had to pick up two engines at our home terminal. We cut off our train and went into the yard. We weren't told which engines we were to pick up, so we called the yard. The footboard yard master (the switch engine foreman with extra duties of yardmaster) couldn't hear us so he had the switch engine relay. Not having the specific numbers handy, they told us to pick up a 4000 and a 8600 that were MUed together. We found them, tied on to a 4000 and a 8600 (don't remember the actual numbers), did out consist test and were headed back out when the footboard came on the radio. He told us we tied on to the wrong engines. The ones they wanted us to pick up were further back on a different track. So we put the first set back and made our way to where he told us. Sure enough there was another set waiting for us.
Jeff
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Faster than a speeding bullet!
More powerful than a junk?
If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?
At EMD, an engine was the diesel prime mover, locomotives were called by name or model or just called units. Could be related to units of production.
Dave
zugmann You really think railroaders are going to use a word as long as "locomotive"? That's a lot of syllables.
You really think railroaders are going to use a word as long as "locomotive"? That's a lot of syllables.
I agree.. I never heard any crew member use anything beside the words junk or power.
The 24 is as Randy described.
On 6 and 14 you push the independent handle farther to the left, past the release positions and hold it there (it is also spring loaded) to actuate/bail off.
I'm pretty sure our RS3 had a 6 brake - and I've bailed it off plenty of times.
I think the 24 brake had a bail attached to the independant brake valve. A semi circular ring that you could depress by pushing down on the brake handle to push a small valve under the bail lever down. It was a larger variety of the bail found on fly fishing rods.
Number 6 did not have a bail lever. I suspect that there was no bailing off until the arrival of the 24 brake.
Overmod jeffhergert I cut that sentence from my other post. I know I'm not the best writer, but what I wrote sure seems to me at least, to indicate a failure of the independent brake to bail off. It was probably quite clear in context that you meant 'failure to bail off' and also clear that I was confusing 'actuate' with 'apply' for how the independent would have gotten applied to be bailed off. Once Zug pointed that out, it was clear to me as written. But I still don't see what's wrong with using 'bailing off' to refer to actuating the release valve for the independent brake. I see it used, for example, in the orientation video for the P42.
jeffhergert I cut that sentence from my other post. I know I'm not the best writer, but what I wrote sure seems to me at least, to indicate a failure of the independent brake to bail off.
It was probably quite clear in context that you meant 'failure to bail off' and also clear that I was confusing 'actuate' with 'apply' for how the independent would have gotten applied to be bailed off. Once Zug pointed that out, it was clear to me as written.
But I still don't see what's wrong with using 'bailing off' to refer to actuating the release valve for the independent brake. I see it used, for example, in the orientation video for the P42.
Nor do I. However, I used the current term (as used by air brake and train handling rules) just in case the person I was talking to had limited experience. While I would expect that just about everyone in mechanical would recognize the term in daily use, with all the purges that have happened in all departments you don't know if the person you're dealing with only knows what the book (or computer screen) tells them.
It's like Triple Valve. Everyone uses the term, everyone knows what you're talking about when you say it. But it's not the correct term. Control Valve is correct. I believe the K brake system was the last to use a triple valve.
jeffhergertI cut that sentence from my other post. I know I'm not the best writer, but what I wrote sure seems to me at least, to indicate a failure of the independent brake to bail off.
Overmod zugmann You're actuating the bail-off feature. My concern was that he said he was using the words "bailing off" to describe his trouble, rather than failure in bailing off, which is what the frozen valve was producing. I'm sure they figured it out reasonably PDQ without any help from me either technically or semantically.
zugmann You're actuating the bail-off feature.
My concern was that he said he was using the words "bailing off" to describe his trouble, rather than failure in bailing off, which is what the frozen valve was producing.
I'm sure they figured it out reasonably PDQ without any help from me either technically or semantically.
The engine's independent brake wouldn't bail off.
I cut that sentence from my other post. I know I'm not the best writer, but what I wrote sure seems to me at least, to indicate a failure of the independent brake to bail off.
My not being a railroader, I always though the term "Bailing off" was akin to "bailing out a boat", there being some obscure common meaning to "bail" that fit both situations.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Overmod After all, railroaders still call it a 'throttle' when on a diesel engine it does no such thing, and never has.
After all, railroaders still call it a 'throttle' when on a diesel engine it does no such thing, and never has.
You should call EMD and GE and tell them to stop printing that word above the power controller handle. If a term is good enough for the manufacturer, it's definitely good enough for us.
Mechanically injected EMDs actually do have a manual throttle handle. But it's back in the engine room, and is more commonly called the layshaft.
In train orders double headed locomotives could be referred to as Eng 123 and Eng 456 coupled, and if there was a manned rear end helper, with Eng 789 assisting.
In TTTO days referring to the engines in play could get involved ie.
NO 93 ENG 5520 ENG 4444 COUPLED WITH ENG 6610 ASSISTING TAKE SIDING AT IUKA AND MEET NO 92 ENG 1455 ENG 4416 COUPLED WITH ENG 8817 ASSISTING.
The operators copying the above order for the identified trains would have to make 5 copies of the order for each train - One copy for each of the engines mentioned as well as the Conductor for the train's and one copy for the office records. Presuming the orders were being picked up on the fly, the operator would have to be quick with his train order hoops to hand up the orders to each of the engine crews as well as the conductor on the caboose.
zugmannYou're actuating the bail-off feature.
You're actuating the bail-off feature.
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
jeffhergertI did so because bailing off the independent is actually a slang term. It originated with the brake valve equipment used years ago and may have been correct back then. Now actuate the independent is the correct term, although I don't know of any railroaders in train or engine service who doesn't know what bailing off the independent means.
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