Bad train pictures

[edblysard]

Nora,
Yes, they do have a "key" of sorts.
It is the reverser handle.
This handle fits in a slot centered in the engineers control stand, right under the throttle.
Placed center, the locomotive is in netural, pu***o one side, forward, the other way is reverse.
The handle has small notches, somewhat like a car key, whick lock it in place.
Most engineers carry a spare with them.
Some road require the reverser to be removed when the motors are tied down.
For both you and Mookie, I would bet that, within a hour, Wabash could teach you guys enough to not only start the locomotive, but move it around.
And here is something for Nora to think about.
If someone did manage to steal a locomotive, where exactly would you go with it?
Its not like you can drive one over to the chop shop!
The instant you passed a signal, the dispatcher would know someone was out there on his or her tracks, and begin trying to get them on the radio.
If they didnt respond, and kept moving , the dispatcher would call the railroad cops, and assume they had a runaway.
Hollywood has done a great job of providing the impression that all you have to do is jump on, crank her up and go.
It dosnt work that way, and it isnt like the tracks go somewhere that you cant find!

Stay Frosty,
Ed

[edblysard]

Nora,
Yes, they do have a "key" of sorts.
It is the reverser handle.
This handle fits in a slot centered in the engineers control stand, right under the throttle.
Placed center, the locomotive is in netural, pu***o one side, forward, the other way is reverse.
The handle has small notches, somewhat like a car key, whick lock it in place.
Most engineers carry a spare with them.
Some road require the reverser to be removed when the motors are tied down.
For both you and Mookie, I would bet that, within a hour, Wabash could teach you guys enough to not only start the locomotive, but move it around.
And here is something for Nora to think about.
If someone did manage to steal a locomotive, where exactly would you go with it?
Its not like you can drive one over to the chop shop!
The instant you passed a signal, the dispatcher would know someone was out there on his or her tracks, and begin trying to get them on the radio.
If they didnt respond, and kept moving , the dispatcher would call the railroad cops, and assume they had a runaway.
Hollywood has done a great job of providing the impression that all you have to do is jump on, crank her up and go.
It dosnt work that way, and it isnt like the tracks go somewhere that you cant find!

Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mikeygaw

ok... here we go.... what's the difference between articulated and non-articulated steam locomotives?

Hi, Mikey!

Here is how I understand it, but don't take any of it for granted:

Articulated steamers have two (or more - Erie and Virginian railroads had locomotives with three) sets of cylinders+driving wheels, or two or more engines. The front engine is not rigidly fixed to the locomotive, its rear end is hinged approximately between the rear engine's cylinders, so it can swing under the boiler in order to enable the locomotive to negotiate curves etc.
There are two types of articulated locomotives in the U.S. that I know of, the simple articulated, and the Mallett type.
The Mallett articulateds can easily be spotted by giant front cylinders. Their front or low-pressure cylinders are approx. 50% larger than the rear or the high-pressure ones. That's because the steam from the boiler is fed to the rear cylinders first, and the rear cylinders exhaust it into the front cylinders via large steam pipes. The steam loses some of the pressure and heat in the process, and that's why the front or low-pressure cylinders are so large - to make better use of the remaining steam energy.

The cylinders of simple articulateds are all of the same size and they all get high pressure steam directly from the boiler.

I think I remember a sentence from a 1979 Model Railroader: "All Malletts are articulated, but not all articulateds are Malletts."

I think the Beyer-Garrat locomotives also fall into the category of articulateds. They were mostly used in Africa. They also have two engines which are both hinged to a frame that carries the boiler and the cab of the locomotive and I think one of the engine carries the water tank above it, and the other carries the fuel (coal or oil). Interesting machines, and most of them narrow (1076 mm) gauge.

Non-articulated steamers can have more than two cylinders, too - those are called compound locomotives. Their third (or third and fourth) cylinders are concealed inside the frame, under the boiler. Complicated maintenance.

Another type, the Pennsylvania Railroad's T-1 Duplex steamers (4-4-4-4), had two sets of (outside placed) cylinders+drivers in a rigid frame, so they weren't articulated. I think the S-1 or what their name was (4-4-6-4), the PRR giants, were also rigid-frame locos.


Have fun,
Oliver

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mikeygaw

ok... here we go.... what's the difference between articulated and non-articulated steam locomotives?

Hi, Mikey!

Here is how I understand it, but don't take any of it for granted:

Articulated steamers have two (or more - Erie and Virginian railroads had locomotives with three) sets of cylinders+driving wheels, or two or more engines. The front engine is not rigidly fixed to the locomotive, its rear end is hinged approximately between the rear engine's cylinders, so it can swing under the boiler in order to enable the locomotive to negotiate curves etc.
There are two types of articulated locomotives in the U.S. that I know of, the simple articulated, and the Mallett type.
The Mallett articulateds can easily be spotted by giant front cylinders. Their front or low-pressure cylinders are approx. 50% larger than the rear or the high-pressure ones. That's because the steam from the boiler is fed to the rear cylinders first, and the rear cylinders exhaust it into the front cylinders via large steam pipes. The steam loses some of the pressure and heat in the process, and that's why the front or low-pressure cylinders are so large - to make better use of the remaining steam energy.

The cylinders of simple articulateds are all of the same size and they all get high pressure steam directly from the boiler.

I think I remember a sentence from a 1979 Model Railroader: "All Malletts are articulated, but not all articulateds are Malletts."

I think the Beyer-Garrat locomotives also fall into the category of articulateds. They were mostly used in Africa. They also have two engines which are both hinged to a frame that carries the boiler and the cab of the locomotive and I think one of the engine carries the water tank above it, and the other carries the fuel (coal or oil). Interesting machines, and most of them narrow (1076 mm) gauge.

Non-articulated steamers can have more than two cylinders, too - those are called compound locomotives. Their third (or third and fourth) cylinders are concealed inside the frame, under the boiler. Complicated maintenance.

Another type, the Pennsylvania Railroad's T-1 Duplex steamers (4-4-4-4), had two sets of (outside placed) cylinders+drivers in a rigid frame, so they weren't articulated. I think the S-1 or what their name was (4-4-6-4), the PRR giants, were also rigid-frame locos.


Have fun,
Oliver

[UPTRAIN]

Slugs

[UPTRAIN]

Slugs

[Mikeygaw]

ok... here we go.... what's the difference between articulated and non-articulated steam locomotives?

[Mikeygaw]

ok... here we go.... what's the difference between articulated and non-articulated steam locomotives?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wabash1

Kevin you mean i give the impression i am not a nice guy.... that is nice. there is not to many of them rules i aint broke either. I wont go into spacifics right now. but i have a few basic that i brake regularly. its like braking the law if you dont get caught you didnt do it.

nora

In starting a train its not hard and i will walk you thru step by step how i do it.
fisrt you get on the engine put your stuff down and then you open up the control cabinit and close all the breakers and knife switch. then you go out to the engine room and prime the engine. then you fo back inside and make sure the control stand switches are corectly positioned ( something you should have done before you went to prime the engine that you forget to do every time) then go back out to prime the engine ( a good prime is fine) then you turn the switch to start ( if it is a GE engine this may take 10 sec before it even starts to crank they are like a woman you got to get them stimulated before they decide to start a EMD will crank right away) if it is a computorized engine you wont have a lay shaft if it has a lay shaft push it in while cranking. after engine starts go back inside and wait for the air to come up. when everything is ready with the engine help the conductor find his way to the cab. ( not all conductors need this some engines come with conductors. from previos trip) thats all there is to it.

I'ts only a crime if your caught.

Not that i'm encouraging kids to burn down their schools, or people to race Trains to the track. See, then i'll just kick the persons head in if I catch them, and thats not a crime unless i'm caught, See the circle? so the moral of the story is don't let kevin or the law catch you.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wabash1

Kevin you mean i give the impression i am not a nice guy.... that is nice. there is not to many of them rules i aint broke either. I wont go into spacifics right now. but i have a few basic that i brake regularly. its like braking the law if you dont get caught you didnt do it.

nora

In starting a train its not hard and i will walk you thru step by step how i do it.
fisrt you get on the engine put your stuff down and then you open up the control cabinit and close all the breakers and knife switch. then you go out to the engine room and prime the engine. then you fo back inside and make sure the control stand switches are corectly positioned ( something you should have done before you went to prime the engine that you forget to do every time) then go back out to prime the engine ( a good prime is fine) then you turn the switch to start ( if it is a GE engine this may take 10 sec before it even starts to crank they are like a woman you got to get them stimulated before they decide to start a EMD will crank right away) if it is a computorized engine you wont have a lay shaft if it has a lay shaft push it in while cranking. after engine starts go back inside and wait for the air to come up. when everything is ready with the engine help the conductor find his way to the cab. ( not all conductors need this some engines come with conductors. from previos trip) thats all there is to it.

I'ts only a crime if your caught.

Not that i'm encouraging kids to burn down their schools, or people to race Trains to the track. See, then i'll just kick the persons head in if I catch them, and thats not a crime unless i'm caught, See the circle? so the moral of the story is don't let kevin or the law catch you.

[northwesterner]

I am not sure if this meets your needs, but the UP switches out cars at the Chicago Tribune Printing plant at Chicago & Halsted frequently (on Thursdays for sure). What is fun about this location is that the tracks go underneath the actual intersection. So you can just lean over the guard rail while waiting for the #8 Halsted bus and the action is right in front of you.
Since the Sun-Times moved its printing plant to the suburbs, there is no action beyond the Trib. When the Sun-Times was still printing downtown, the local would cross the river just South of Kinzie (site of the Chicago River flood of '93), go UNDER the Merchadise Mart, the IBM building and several others to switch out cars by the Wrigley building. It was kind of creepy to see a big SD40-2 come out of the shadow of the Merchandise Mart pulling a string of newsprint cars.

[northwesterner]

I am not sure if this meets your needs, but the UP switches out cars at the Chicago Tribune Printing plant at Chicago & Halsted frequently (on Thursdays for sure). What is fun about this location is that the tracks go underneath the actual intersection. So you can just lean over the guard rail while waiting for the #8 Halsted bus and the action is right in front of you.
Since the Sun-Times moved its printing plant to the suburbs, there is no action beyond the Trib. When the Sun-Times was still printing downtown, the local would cross the river just South of Kinzie (site of the Chicago River flood of '93), go UNDER the Merchadise Mart, the IBM building and several others to switch out cars by the Wrigley building. It was kind of creepy to see a big SD40-2 come out of the shadow of the Merchandise Mart pulling a string of newsprint cars.

[techguy57]

To any Chicago railfans (Zardoz made me think of this)
I went Elmhurst to trainwatch westbounds out of the Proviso yard on Saturday. Unfortunately not a lot of action while I was there. But I was wondering if you might be able to answer a question for me. I sat in the park in Elmhurst just west of 290/294, also at the Metra Station at Berkeley, and had my girlfriend drive across the Mannheim Overpass a couple of times so I could watch the yard. I hope to go back with a friend and take some pics from the pedestrian part of the Mannheim overpass later on this month. Anyway here's my question: Is there anywhere else in the area I can, legally, go to get a good view of the yard.
I really don't want to be a nuissance, but I find yard work kinda fascinating. It just seems there are very few places where they can be easily viewed.
Thanks for the help.

Mike

[techguy57]

To any Chicago railfans (Zardoz made me think of this)
I went Elmhurst to trainwatch westbounds out of the Proviso yard on Saturday. Unfortunately not a lot of action while I was there. But I was wondering if you might be able to answer a question for me. I sat in the park in Elmhurst just west of 290/294, also at the Metra Station at Berkeley, and had my girlfriend drive across the Mannheim Overpass a couple of times so I could watch the yard. I hope to go back with a friend and take some pics from the pedestrian part of the Mannheim overpass later on this month. Anyway here's my question: Is there anywhere else in the area I can, legally, go to get a good view of the yard.
I really don't want to be a nuissance, but I find yard work kinda fascinating. It just seems there are very few places where they can be easily viewed.
Thanks for the help.

Mike

[zardoz]

Nora:
Regarding the distance travelled in 12 hours...
Much depends on the location. Where I used to go to work, it was at CNW's Proviso (Chicago) yard. Proviso was a yard where trains were initially made up.

IF the locomotives were ready on time, and IF the train was ready on time, and IF there were no conflicting moves preventing you from getting the locomotives attached to the front part of your train, and IF there were no conflicting moves preventing you from doubling or tripleing the train together, and IF there were no bad-order cars that needed to be set out, and IF, once the train was ready to go, there were no conflicting moves blocking the tracks out of the yard, with luck we could get out of the yard in under three hours; if not.....well, crews have died on their hours and never left the yard. Total miles run: 0.

Other locations the crews go on duty at a yard and simply get on an arriving train and the arriving crew gets off and the departing crew gets on and continues on it's way with minimal delay. Other locations might see an outbound crew set out and pick up cars at their initial terminal; that can take a few hours.

To get 300 miles in 12 hours requires an AVERAGE speed of 25mph! Considering that most people that travel by car average only about 50mph, you can see why trains "only" go 150-200 miles per crew.

[zardoz]

Nora:
Regarding the distance travelled in 12 hours...
Much depends on the location. Where I used to go to work, it was at CNW's Proviso (Chicago) yard. Proviso was a yard where trains were initially made up.

IF the locomotives were ready on time, and IF the train was ready on time, and IF there were no conflicting moves preventing you from getting the locomotives attached to the front part of your train, and IF there were no conflicting moves preventing you from doubling or tripleing the train together, and IF there were no bad-order cars that needed to be set out, and IF, once the train was ready to go, there were no conflicting moves blocking the tracks out of the yard, with luck we could get out of the yard in under three hours; if not.....well, crews have died on their hours and never left the yard. Total miles run: 0.

Other locations the crews go on duty at a yard and simply get on an arriving train and the arriving crew gets off and the departing crew gets on and continues on it's way with minimal delay. Other locations might see an outbound crew set out and pick up cars at their initial terminal; that can take a few hours.

To get 300 miles in 12 hours requires an AVERAGE speed of 25mph! Considering that most people that travel by car average only about 50mph, you can see why trains "only" go 150-200 miles per crew.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Nora

QUOTE: Originally posted by wabash1

In starting a train its not hard and i will walk you thru step by step how i do it.
fisrt you get on the engine put your stuff down and then you open up the control cabinit and close all the breakers and knife switch. then you go out to the engine room and prime the engine. then you fo back inside and make sure the control stand switches are corectly positioned ( something you should have done before you went to prime the engine that you forget to do every time) then go back out to prime the engine ( a good prime is fine) then you turn the switch to start ( if it is a GE engine this may take 10 sec before it even starts to crank they are like a woman you got to get them stimulated before they decide to start a EMD will crank right away) if it is a computorized engine you wont have a lay shaft if it has a lay shaft push it in while cranking. after engine starts go back inside and wait for the air to come up. when everything is ready with the engine help the conductor find his way to the cab. ( not all conductors need this some engines come with conductors. from previos trip) thats all there is to it.

I think I see your point -- you'd have to know what you were doing in order to get the thing going anyway. Because this doesn't make much more sense to me now than it did when Mookie asked the question about how to start an engine a few months ago. [:I]

--Nora

Well Nora, wouldn't you just know that a man designed these things! If they would have a woman do it, the steps would be much lower, it would have a good, sturdy key, recliners and magnets for the refrigerators, to put school papers up. Also, the potty would be sanitized and with a little wallpaper - flowered.

This is just way to complicated - if a woman can drive an SUV the size of a tank, why not simplify the engines! [tup]

Mookie

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Nora

QUOTE: Originally posted by wabash1

In starting a train its not hard and i will walk you thru step by step how i do it.
fisrt you get on the engine put your stuff down and then you open up the control cabinit and close all the breakers and knife switch. then you go out to the engine room and prime the engine. then you fo back inside and make sure the control stand switches are corectly positioned ( something you should have done before you went to prime the engine that you forget to do every time) then go back out to prime the engine ( a good prime is fine) then you turn the switch to start ( if it is a GE engine this may take 10 sec before it even starts to crank they are like a woman you got to get them stimulated before they decide to start a EMD will crank right away) if it is a computorized engine you wont have a lay shaft if it has a lay shaft push it in while cranking. after engine starts go back inside and wait for the air to come up. when everything is ready with the engine help the conductor find his way to the cab. ( not all conductors need this some engines come with conductors. from previos trip) thats all there is to it.

I think I see your point -- you'd have to know what you were doing in order to get the thing going anyway. Because this doesn't make much more sense to me now than it did when Mookie asked the question about how to start an engine a few months ago. [:I]

--Nora

Well Nora, wouldn't you just know that a man designed these things! If they would have a woman do it, the steps would be much lower, it would have a good, sturdy key, recliners and magnets for the refrigerators, to put school papers up. Also, the potty would be sanitized and with a little wallpaper - flowered.

This is just way to complicated - if a woman can drive an SUV the size of a tank, why not simplify the engines! [tup]

Mookie

[Nora]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR

Nowadays, a crew can take a train 200-300 miles, and they get paid well for doing it.

Wow, that doesn't seem terribly far! How's this then -- in an average 12 hours, how much time would be spent getting a train ready to go, actually going somewhere, and just sitting waiting?

--Nora

[Nora]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR

Nowadays, a crew can take a train 200-300 miles, and they get paid well for doing it.

Wow, that doesn't seem terribly far! How's this then -- in an average 12 hours, how much time would be spent getting a train ready to go, actually going somewhere, and just sitting waiting?

--Nora

[Nora]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wabash1

In starting a train its not hard and i will walk you thru step by step how i do it.
fisrt you get on the engine put your stuff down and then you open up the control cabinit and close all the breakers and knife switch. then you go out to the engine room and prime the engine. then you fo back inside and make sure the control stand switches are corectly positioned ( something you should have done before you went to prime the engine that you forget to do every time) then go back out to prime the engine ( a good prime is fine) then you turn the switch to start ( if it is a GE engine this may take 10 sec before it even starts to crank they are like a woman you got to get them stimulated before they decide to start a EMD will crank right away) if it is a computorized engine you wont have a lay shaft if it has a lay shaft push it in while cranking. after engine starts go back inside and wait for the air to come up. when everything is ready with the engine help the conductor find his way to the cab. ( not all conductors need this some engines come with conductors. from previos trip) thats all there is to it.

I think I see your point -- you'd have to know what you were doing in order to get the thing going anyway. Because this doesn't make much more sense to me now than it did when Mookie asked the question about how to start an engine a few months ago. [:I]

--Nora

[Nora]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wabash1

In starting a train its not hard and i will walk you thru step by step how i do it.
fisrt you get on the engine put your stuff down and then you open up the control cabinit and close all the breakers and knife switch. then you go out to the engine room and prime the engine. then you fo back inside and make sure the control stand switches are corectly positioned ( something you should have done before you went to prime the engine that you forget to do every time) then go back out to prime the engine ( a good prime is fine) then you turn the switch to start ( if it is a GE engine this may take 10 sec before it even starts to crank they are like a woman you got to get them stimulated before they decide to start a EMD will crank right away) if it is a computorized engine you wont have a lay shaft if it has a lay shaft push it in while cranking. after engine starts go back inside and wait for the air to come up. when everything is ready with the engine help the conductor find his way to the cab. ( not all conductors need this some engines come with conductors. from previos trip) thats all there is to it.

I think I see your point -- you'd have to know what you were doing in order to get the thing going anyway. Because this doesn't make much more sense to me now than it did when Mookie asked the question about how to start an engine a few months ago. [:I]

--Nora

[dehusman]

A brakeman and a conductor are the same craft, so basically do the same thing. The difference is the conductor is in charge of the train (the captain, so to speak). The engineer is second in command and the brakemen report to the conductor and the fireman reports to the engineer.

Dave H.

[dehusman]

A brakeman and a conductor are the same craft, so basically do the same thing. The difference is the conductor is in charge of the train (the captain, so to speak). The engineer is second in command and the brakemen report to the conductor and the fireman reports to the engineer.

Dave H.

[bbrant]

Have a question that I believe falls into this category. On a freight train, what's the difference between the brakeman and conductor?

I was under the impression that if there was a mechanical problem that needed to be inspected, the brakeman was the one who walked along until the problem was found or if a switch needs thrown, they were the one to do it.

If that's the case then what is the role of the conductor and what other responsibilities does the brakeman have?

Thanks,
Brian

[bbrant]

Have a question that I believe falls into this category. On a freight train, what's the difference between the brakeman and conductor?

I was under the impression that if there was a mechanical problem that needed to be inspected, the brakeman was the one who walked along until the problem was found or if a switch needs thrown, they were the one to do it.

If that's the case then what is the role of the conductor and what other responsibilities does the brakeman have?

Thanks,
Brian

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wabash1

Kevin you mean i give the impression i am not a nice guy.... that is nice. there is not to many of them rules i aint broke either. I wont go into spacifics right now. but i have a few basic that i brake regularly. its like braking the law if you dont get caught you didnt do it.

nora

In starting a train its not hard and i will walk you thru step by step how i do it.
fisrt you get on the engine put your stuff down and then you open up the control cabinit and close all the breakers and knife switch. then you go out to the engine room and prime the engine. then you fo back inside and make sure the control stand switches are corectly positioned ( something you should have done before you went to prime the engine that you forget to do every time) then go back out to prime the engine ( a good prime is fine) then you turn the switch to start ( if it is a GE engine this may take 10 sec before it even starts to crank they are like a woman you got to get them stimulated before they decide to start a EMD will crank right away) if it is a computorized engine you wont have a lay shaft if it has a lay shaft push it in while cranking. after engine starts go back inside and wait for the air to come up. when everything is ready with the engine help the conductor find his way to the cab. ( not all conductors need this some engines come with conductors. from previos trip) thats all there is to it.

Wabash - I think you are very nice - especially to Ladies in Learning, small kids and lost dogs/cats!

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wabash1

Kevin you mean i give the impression i am not a nice guy.... that is nice. there is not to many of them rules i aint broke either. I wont go into spacifics right now. but i have a few basic that i brake regularly. its like braking the law if you dont get caught you didnt do it.

nora

In starting a train its not hard and i will walk you thru step by step how i do it.
fisrt you get on the engine put your stuff down and then you open up the control cabinit and close all the breakers and knife switch. then you go out to the engine room and prime the engine. then you fo back inside and make sure the control stand switches are corectly positioned ( something you should have done before you went to prime the engine that you forget to do every time) then go back out to prime the engine ( a good prime is fine) then you turn the switch to start ( if it is a GE engine this may take 10 sec before it even starts to crank they are like a woman you got to get them stimulated before they decide to start a EMD will crank right away) if it is a computorized engine you wont have a lay shaft if it has a lay shaft push it in while cranking. after engine starts go back inside and wait for the air to come up. when everything is ready with the engine help the conductor find his way to the cab. ( not all conductors need this some engines come with conductors. from previos trip) thats all there is to it.

Wabash - I think you are very nice - especially to Ladies in Learning, small kids and lost dogs/cats!

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR


As to the GCOR, I think you can get a copy on the Web...right, Mook? This rulebook, however, is not used by the railroads in your area, though most of the rules will probably be pretty much the same.

I got mine from a very dear friend who now lives in Ks.....

Mookie

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR


As to the GCOR, I think you can get a copy on the Web...right, Mook? This rulebook, however, is not used by the railroads in your area, though most of the rules will probably be pretty much the same.

I got mine from a very dear friend who now lives in Ks.....

Mookie