yellow thingies

[Mookie]

Well, I don't know what else to call them!

On the engines of the SD70 MACS we have hauling coal and some freight thru here, some of the engines have a "yellow thingie" on one of the sets of trucks. We can't get close enough for a good description and the binoculars were in the old car (not sure I want to use binoculars at this point in time). But we have seen them on several different engines and would love to have someone shed some light on this. They are canary yellow and look a little bigger than a bread box,

I am thinking they may be a sensor of some type, but not going to guess because one of you out there will give me the answer, I am sure.

Thanx

Jen

[eolafan]

Not exactly sure what you are referring to but I believe you may be close with your guess and that the "thingie" as you call it is a wheel slip sensor that uses pulses of radar to detect slippage of the driving wheels (anybody who has a radar detector on their car dash may notice it goes off when some units like the SD70MAC pass by that have such systems installed). Hope this is right!

[edblysard]

Hi Jen,
Read you post, wow..thingies? And all this time I thought they were whatchmaacallits..
Ok, seriously, what I belive you are referring to is a bracket with a roller for the brake chain. The SD70 and SD90 both have electric assisted hand brakes, and use a really slow motor to wind them up.
James, not sure they use radar to check wheel slip. What may be setting off your radar detecter is the GPS system up loading infomation. Both the 70 and 90 have this from the factory. And both are AC motors. These guys, if there is a bare cable or the rectifier rack isnt "tuned" correctly, give off EMPs, pulses of microwaves which can really wreck your raido/cell phone reception. As for the wheel slip, I belive, (note belive, not know) they still use the axle reveloution counter/speedo cable to check the diffrence in wheel speed.
I e-mailed EMD to see if someone there would claify that. Dont hold your breath. But, we get these motors down here all the time, so next time one is where I can get to it, I will take a look, and get back to you.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Anonymous]

without seeing a photo i can't really be sure but they could be the EOT device. Most railroads hang spare EOT's (end of train devices) on the truck of there locomotives. There was some discussion about this on trainorders.com a few months back.
hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

without seeing a photo i can't really be sure but they could be the EOT device. Most railroads hang spare EOT's (end of train devices) on the truck of there locomotives. There was some discussion about this on trainorders.com a few months back.
hope this helps.

[Mookie]

well, now I really have to get close enough to see them. We don't notice them on all the engines, just every so often. They are usually really bright yellow and that is what catches your eye. But since I only see them occasionally, I don't know if they may be on the opposite side or not. I will make this a priority this weekend - plead for some extra time at the "tracks" and see if I can come up with more information!

Thanx Guys!

Jen

[Anonymous]

Ed, I disagree with you on the wheelslip detection deal. I was told that the MACs do use radar to compare the unit's speed with wheel movement to control slip. I don't know if the speed recorder is fed by radar though. I can say that I have seen these yellow boxes on some of our MACs on the BNSF and know for a fact that they are "space modulators," and house the highly radioactive di-lithium crystals that power the fridge and the chemical toilet. hehehe. Also our MACs do not have power hand brakes, unless you count my two arms as power.
Ken

[Mookie]

Ken - I went home and discussed this with my "read a magazine while you watch the trains" husband and he reminded me that they aren't on all trains.

Any reason for them to be on some and not on others?

He also described them as bright yellow, around a foot, maybe less wide and he said he saw a short post on the underside of this "item", pointing toward the tracks. I didn't see it, but he is the "eyes" and I am the "ears" in our family.

I will continue to investigate, maybe even tonite!

Jen

[Jackflash]

The radar is used for the "Super Series" wheel slip control system, jackflash

[edblysard]

The fridge and toilets work on your units?
Wow.
Stay Frosty
Ed

[edblysard]

See, you get to learn something new everyday. Thanks, Jackflash.
Still gonna go look up close next chance I get. Had two in the roundhouse today, they didnt have anything out of the ordinary on the trucks, so I will keep both eyes peeled, just in case.
Stay Frosty
Ed

[Anonymous]

Ed, I whine and moan about the carrier alot, but, I have to admit. Our cabs aren't too horrible. Could be better, but, not extremely bad. Anyway, inoperative toilet or fridge, and I claim cc. $$$$

[Anonymous]

Jenny, I will find out for sure what those yellow dudes are the next time I'm at the Diesel Serv. Fac. Since I'm on the Extraboard It may be awhile until I catch a pilot job. But I will find out.
Ken

[Mookie]

Thank you, Ken. It doesn't seem to be on all of them, but enough to make me question what they are. It has really peaked my interest.

Jen

[Jackflash]

Ed, the radar horn (antenna) is located up under the locomotive, you wont see it from the side of the unit, jackflash

[wabash1]

the yellow thingie or what ever anyone is calling it is a bracket used for hanging the eot when in pusher service. I had a bnsf unit the other day that had this on it. it is mostly on the newer units.

[Mookie]

Well, that makes sense - I still haven't been back to see if we could get a better look for a better description, but they are on BNSF and so far have only been on the SD70MAC's. They are really quite yellow - hard not to spot and seem to hang on one of the sets of trucks on the engine. But I haven't seen them on all the engines, just one once in awhile.

Will go look this weekend - supposed to be clear and sunny and maybe I can figure out how they work. Or maybe not, since I wouldn't know an EOT if it wasn't on the EOT.....

[Jackflash]

Hey j, wonder why they want to take the EOT off,
I've couppled to the rear more than once, and we
didnt take the EOT off, just disconected the brake
pipe and laced the hose to the rear locomotive.
jackflash

[Anonymous]

What knind of EOT did it have? Was it a side winder or one that fits in the hole on the knuckle? At NS we had both and the knuckle ones could be pinched if you tried to couple with it on. We didn't have any brackets for EOT's we just strapped them onto the grab irons or if we had more than one unit, in the trailing. And by the way they have spare EOT's? We would scour the yard for the dang things! It's harder to misplace a caboose.

[Mookie]

OK - went out train tracking this weekend and have something to add to the mix. Bear with me - I am such a novice at this - We saw two different yellow thingies! They are both on the rear or 2nd set of trucks on the engine - one was on the engineers side and it looked as if it had a line right with it - pointing at the tracks - I am thinking sand?

The other was on the what used to be the fireman's side. It was more square, about the same size and had an open bracket next to it.

Of course, we are sitting still and the engine is leaving or coming into town and I really didn't think it was a good idea to run along side and try to see what it was. Also, we did a lot of pointing, which I am sure made the crew very uneasy (sorry guys).

The 2nd one - I could see an EOT being fastened into the bracket, but what is it's little, yellow box next to it - a charger?

Just tell me it is a place to hang a lunchbox and the other one is a place to get a drink of water and I will be happy!

Jen

[edblysard]

Hi Jenny,
Bet on the bracket being for a spare knuckle, and the box may be for the knuckle pin. As for sanders, they would point to the tracks, but be mounted on the truck in front of the leading wheel, and to the rear of the second set of trucks, at the rear wheel of that set. One set on each end of the locomotive, both sides, real close to where the wheel meets the track.
Still looking here to find one on a SD70.
Stay Frosty,
Ed sanding hoses~~~(ooo[_____] ooo)~~~

[Mookie]

I will do some more looking - both sides if possible - and see if we can get one to stop and let us look it all over. What a great project for my weekends!!!!! :)

Will try to get a little clearer description of the devices, too!

[eolafan]

I'll have to take your word that the "yellow thingie" is used to hang a spare EOT device (FRED?) but I have seen many a BNSF SD0MAC with "yellow thingies" on them but never an EOT device hanging from one of them!

[wabash1]

After i posted this reply I thought the same thing i take this from the fact we have these on out engines in the same place painted the same color. the bnsf dont have the style of eot the ns has we have the side mount and the ns better way screw up kind. So until i read something else or proven wrong that is my answer and i am sticking to it.

[wabash1]

Jen i like the idea you have ... I think the railroad should give us packed lunches in these and cold beer. steak or chicken this trip... oh heck its miller time

[Mookie]

I have figured out there are two - painted yellow, probably easy to see in the dark. The one that I saw on the fireman's side (or whatever side it is now) was a good size for the EOT (FRED)
Maybe it is just my imagination, but the bracket was about the right size and the box next to it was for possibly smaller parts. My husband-who-reads-magazines while I watch, says there may have been a lock on the square box. Still working on the one on the engineers side and I will keep this open until one day - someone will stop close enough to me to let me examine it from the engineer's seat in the car!

For now we will just say it is for lunches and a cold one of your choice...

[edblysard]

Yellow thingies exposed for what they really are...
Hi Jenny,
Whoever said they were a bracket for a EOT device was correct. We had BNSF CW 44-9, unit # 4607 in the yard today. It had your yellow thingies. Allthough the correct trem would be thingie, its all one piece.
Located on the engineers side, on the truck, just in front of the center axle. The bracket is horiziontal, if you are facing the motor, the box is on the left hand side of the bracket. The EOT sits in the bracket, in the same manner as it would sit in a coupler, with the air hose hanging down. The box contains the spare battery, and has a compartment for air hose gaskets. This one was labled, stating "open lid before attaching EOT" So I did, it seem the end of the air hose is suppose to attach to the side of the box to keep it from being damaged. And yes, it was painted yellow.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Mookie]

Hi Stuffed: Feeling better?

So glad you finally got the Thingies figured out!
Boy is that a relief - but now I have to go out and look around for something else to ask about!

If I could just get one of those big guys to sit really still, so I could look it over carefully, but that is another dream.

Thanx!

Jen

[Mookie]

PS - Thanx to Jason and Wabash - they came up with EOT idea!

[edblysard]

Yup, lots and lots.
And If you and the guy who reads magazines while you watch trains ever get to Houston, I can get you a cab ride in a MK1500d, and we allways have a few road engines in the ready track/round house lead you can look over to your hearts content. I would have got a photo of the yellow thing, but the camera was at home. Figures.
Stay Frosty,
Ed