Were are slugs used?

[Anonymous]

If a slug adds more pulling power to a train because of the addional electric motors. Then why are they not used on main line frieghts? I would think that the western coal trains would have them.

[Modelcar]

Don't slugs just add more traction...as opposed to more power...

QM

[Anonymous]

My belief was, A slug provides more tractive effort which equates to better efficence which means more power. I'm probably missing something here can some one help me out?

[BR60103]

A diesel engine can provide a certain amount of power. At low speeds, not all this power is used by the electric motors to pull the train (it could be used to spin the wheels). So an extra unit (the slug) is added with no diesel but extra electric motors which use the spare energy.
However, over a certain speed, the motors on the main loco take up all the energy that the diesel produces with nothing left over for the slug. Slugs are usually confined to very slow speed operations like yards (especially hump yards).
The coal trains take all the power that the diesels can supply, so a slug isn't needed.
--David

[Anonymous]

Thank you for clearing that up for me. Now I understand why I see alot of slugs at Clearing yard and on the IHB! Slow moving trains puching heavy loads. Thank you again Sir
TIM A

[Anonymous]

The KCS used slugs on a coal train here in North Texas in the early 80's. The slugs were converted F units. They operated out of Sulphur Springs until more power could be acquired. They would even mate a GP40-2 to some of these F unit slugs(both A and B unit slugs).

[Anonymous]

Slugs are used in French cuisine, sometimes sauteed in butter or even in soups......Oh wait I was thinking of snails....sorry.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure where you are located or how familiar you are with CSX in Ohio but I know CSX still uses rebuilt GP-30's without the diesel engine as road units, most often with a four axle GP on manifest trains across Ohio.
Fairmont Motorcar Fan

[Anonymous]

According to the "Diesel Spotter's Guide Update," a 2,500 hp locomotive has power in excess of what it can use for tractive effort in the lower speed ranges. Slugs are beneficial because they can be paired with a mother unit to generate tractive effort without the need for operating a second diesel engine to turn a generator.

So, the slug can take the excess amperage from the mother unit and generate tractive effort. However, slugs are useful when starting a train or in the 12 mph or less range.

There are two breeds of slugs -- yard and road. Most often we see yard slugs. However, road slugs gained popularity with C&NW (which pioneered them for use on low-speed trackage), the Columbia & Cowlitz, Norfolk Southern, and the Oregon, California & Eastern, and the other railroads mentioned in replies above, such as KCS.

Not to be confused with road slugs were Seaboard Coast Line's MATEs (Motors to Assist Tractive Effort), which operate at a higher speed range and also are fuel tenders.

Hope this helps,

Paul Schmidt
Contributing Editor
Trains.com

[Anonymous]

I know The Belt Railway of Chicago uses 2 or 3 slugs. If you want to look at them go to www.beltrailway.com and check them out.

[dstill]

CSX uses them in NC also on the mainline. I see them on ocassion as someone mention old GP30s converted.

[BRAKIE]

The CSX also uses old GP35s for slugs.

[Anonymous]

Hello Brakie,

Does CSX use the MATEs in phosphate service as SCL once did?

In addition to the Columbia & Cowlitz and OC&E, the Pacific Northwest had another species of slug (besides the ubiquitous Banana Slug that thrives on the wet, west sides of Washington and Oregon). The Northern Pacific had three "Electric Trailers", two of which were rebuilt from Baldwin V0-660s and a third from a VO-1000. They were built for and assigned to Pasco, Wash., when the hump yard opened there in the mid-1950s. A slug by any other name works just as hard.

ETs 1 and 2 were retired in the late 1980s and later sold to the Azcon Corp. ET-3 was sold to the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range. Anyone have information on its disposition?

Paul Schmidt
Contributing Editor
Trains.com

[BRAKIE]

Hello Paul,
According to the CSX roster the mates was numbered 5200-5224.All of the mates are retired.
See www.trainwebb.org/csxphotos/hmtl/MATE.html

I hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Back in the 1980's NS had a small number (2-3 sets IIRC) of six axle road slugs rebuilt from SD45s. These were "double ended" slugs which were operated sandwiched between a pair of "mother" SD40-2s. They were specifically built for coal drag service and were quite different from NS's small fleet of six motor hump yard slugs(the road slugs had dynamic brakes,for instance). UP was interested enough in this concept that they borrowed a set for trials in Powder River coal service,but nothing ever came of it.
At that time NS had probably the largest fleet of road slugs, with many four motor units rebuilt from GP-9s as well as the six axle units.

[edblysard]

You may have slugs and slave units confused. Slugs have no engine/generator, only traction motors. Often the engine compartment and fule tanks are filled with concrete to add weight, hence tractive effort. Slave units, some cabless and with cabs have the engine and generator in place, run buy either mu cables or radio control. You most offen find slugs in hump yard service, and slave units in coal or other big haul service. But, ns did have a fleet of slave units they referred to as road slugs, and up has used their fleet of slugs in heavy freight service here in texas.

[wabash1]

the ns changed the name from slaves to radio trains due to a way it offended blacks in atlanta. these slaves were full working road unit. the lead unit would send a signal to the plain sided boxcar recieving these signals and thru relays tell the engines what to do weather it be power,dynamic or air application.

[Anonymous]

Radio trains were a Southern Railway operation, rather than N&W. They were tried on N&W portions of the railroad after the Southern merger, but were not successful, but still remained in service on the former Southern. N&W had a number of yard slugs converted from former Virginian H24-66's. There was even an attempt to make one from one of the rectifier electrics. That didn't work, but the FM's did, many retaining their original trucks and traction motors. N&W also converted GP9's to true road slugs, no prime mover. These alsso were equipped with dynamic brakes, with the exhaust hatch over the B end. The practice was for two of the slugs to be matched with GP40's on each end and served as pushers. That lasted for a little while, but now pushers are whatever 6-motor power is available. The GP9 slugs are now mated with the GP40's and work various humps. A bunch of them are in Roanoke.

[wabash1]

i work on the old southern side of this railroad. n&w people never did know how to railroad. they could not run radio trains so they scraped the idea . but up til 3 years ago was the last radio train i remeber being on.so when i say slaves that is from the southern.

[Anonymous]

Both the Southern and the N&W were very good railroads. That merger was the truest zebra of rail mergers I was ever involved with. Of course, from those who were affected by department head changes, the opinions varied. In some places you could go to a Southern location and hear, "N&W took over everything." You could also go to N&W locations and hear "Southern took over everything."
Radio trains were tried on N&W, especially on the Pocahontas Division and some on what is now the Winston Salem District of the Virginia Division. The terrain they were in would cause a loss of continuity, multiple tunnels, steep river valleys, etc. There just was not anyplace on the N&W where they would work or where they were needed. They continued on the Southern until technology advanced beyond them. For the Southern, they were a very good innovation.