Locomotive Cab Rides

[Anonymous]

Who, of you railfans out there has had an opportunity to ride in a locomotive cab? By what means did you manage to do so?

Those of you who have jobs with the RRs don't count, unless it was before you worked for the RR.

I have done so, but had to become a member of a RR museum to do it.

Rich Witt

[Anonymous]

Who, of you railfans out there has had an opportunity to ride in a locomotive cab? By what means did you manage to do so?

Those of you who have jobs with the RRs don't count, unless it was before you worked for the RR.

I have done so, but had to become a member of a RR museum to do it.

Rich Witt

[Anonymous]

This won't count as dramatic, but it still was memorable.

I live waaay up north in Green Bay, WI.... former home of the "ALL ALCO" Green Bay and Western. I used to make a point of heading down to the roundhouse on Sunday mornings. The road power from the inbound (#2) train from Saturnday night would be parked by the sand tower / fuel rack. It was right near a cul de sac and the light was usually just right in the morning. The morning roundhouse crew would feed and water these girls and get power set up for the outbound Sunday evening train (#1). Since no managers were on duty at 8 AM Sunday morning, on a few occaisions the round house crewman would wave me over and let me ride with him around the yard and then across the turntable and into the roundhouse to tie down the power. We'd run 2 or 3 units into the barn. I have some nice photos of the shops from in the cab. About that same time, C&NW sold their Green Bay to Milwaukee line to Itel Rail (owner of GB&W). The shop crew at North Green Bay was occaisionally similarly friendly. I got a bit of a ride on ex C&NW GP-30 #820, around the yard. Finally, a few years ago, for Father's day, we signed my Father up to run a steamer at the Illinois Ry Museum (Union, ILL.) While he ran their Frisco decapod, I rode the fireman's seat with video camera in hand. All three were pretty cool.

[Anonymous]

This won't count as dramatic, but it still was memorable.

I live waaay up north in Green Bay, WI.... former home of the "ALL ALCO" Green Bay and Western. I used to make a point of heading down to the roundhouse on Sunday mornings. The road power from the inbound (#2) train from Saturnday night would be parked by the sand tower / fuel rack. It was right near a cul de sac and the light was usually just right in the morning. The morning roundhouse crew would feed and water these girls and get power set up for the outbound Sunday evening train (#1). Since no managers were on duty at 8 AM Sunday morning, on a few occaisions the round house crewman would wave me over and let me ride with him around the yard and then across the turntable and into the roundhouse to tie down the power. We'd run 2 or 3 units into the barn. I have some nice photos of the shops from in the cab. About that same time, C&NW sold their Green Bay to Milwaukee line to Itel Rail (owner of GB&W). The shop crew at North Green Bay was occaisionally similarly friendly. I got a bit of a ride on ex C&NW GP-30 #820, around the yard. Finally, a few years ago, for Father's day, we signed my Father up to run a steamer at the Illinois Ry Museum (Union, ILL.) While he ran their Frisco decapod, I rode the fireman's seat with video camera in hand. All three were pretty cool.

[Anonymous]

I have had one experience in the cab:
My Dad and I, about 6 years ago, were watching trains roll through the NS yard here in Decatur. We were not that close to the tracks, but some guy came out and told us to be careful around the tracks. We told him that we were big railfans, and that we would not get in the way. As he started to leave, he rolled down his window and told us to meet him at the Garfield Underpass. My dad and I rushed over to the underpass, and as we arrived, a NS SD-18, I think, came rolling around the tracks. The guy we had talked to was waiting on the front of the locomotive. He told us to get on and we did. As we were getting in the cab, he told us that we were going to drop off some cars at the former IC yard, now CN. They let me sit in the engineer's seat and I got to blow the horn and pretty much do everything that an engineer would do. We arrived in the yard, and sat for a while. While waiting, the crew got out and went to buy soda's and candy bars. They came back, we switched a few cars here and there, and then we slowly rolled back to where we were parked. All together, we spent about 2 1/2 hours with them. To answer your question, we were just in the right place at the right time with the right people. The guy that let us do it was one of the nicest people I have ever met. I learned so much from that experience and am hoping to maybe do it again...but I am not counting on it!
UPRR-MDC

[Anonymous]

I have had one experience in the cab:
My Dad and I, about 6 years ago, were watching trains roll through the NS yard here in Decatur. We were not that close to the tracks, but some guy came out and told us to be careful around the tracks. We told him that we were big railfans, and that we would not get in the way. As he started to leave, he rolled down his window and told us to meet him at the Garfield Underpass. My dad and I rushed over to the underpass, and as we arrived, a NS SD-18, I think, came rolling around the tracks. The guy we had talked to was waiting on the front of the locomotive. He told us to get on and we did. As we were getting in the cab, he told us that we were going to drop off some cars at the former IC yard, now CN. They let me sit in the engineer's seat and I got to blow the horn and pretty much do everything that an engineer would do. We arrived in the yard, and sat for a while. While waiting, the crew got out and went to buy soda's and candy bars. They came back, we switched a few cars here and there, and then we slowly rolled back to where we were parked. All together, we spent about 2 1/2 hours with them. To answer your question, we were just in the right place at the right time with the right people. The guy that let us do it was one of the nicest people I have ever met. I learned so much from that experience and am hoping to maybe do it again...but I am not counting on it!
UPRR-MDC

[Anonymous]

I have had several cab rides on TVRM 610 in Chattanooga Tn.For a small extra fee you can ride both ways in the cab.Very nice folks that run the Tennesee Valley Railroad.

[Anonymous]

I have had several cab rides on TVRM 610 in Chattanooga Tn.For a small extra fee you can ride both ways in the cab.Very nice folks that run the Tennesee Valley Railroad.

[JoeKoh]

I rode in a cheesie gp 38 when I was nine.switched a scrap yard.Sat in a ge dash-9(CSX) when I got the guys breakfast at MCD"s.
stay safe
joe

[JoeKoh]

I rode in a cheesie gp 38 when I was nine.switched a scrap yard.Sat in a ge dash-9(CSX) when I got the guys breakfast at MCD"s.
stay safe
joe

[eolafan]

Had an experience in San Antonio TX a while back when I was near Amtrak station and a UP train was sitting at the station waiting to go into the yard, and the crew invited me up into the GE Dash 9 cab for about ten minutes for a tour while waiting to proceed into yard. Had to get off when they got their signal, but memorable just the same.

[eolafan]

Had an experience in San Antonio TX a while back when I was near Amtrak station and a UP train was sitting at the station waiting to go into the yard, and the crew invited me up into the GE Dash 9 cab for about ten minutes for a tour while waiting to proceed into yard. Had to get off when they got their signal, but memorable just the same.

[dknelson]

A friend and I were railfanning the BN (ex CB&Q) line from Galesburg to Peoria. The engineer on the freight had seen us at nearly every crossing from Galesburg to Yates City. At Yates City he had some switching to do so he yelled out the window "Do you want a ride? Jump on next time I come past." So we did jump on, meaning my first actual cab ride (I don;t count steam and electric cab rides at museums) was also the first time I hopped aboard a moving train -- and he did not slow down for us! Anyway we were in the cab chatting for about 30 minutes while he switched gondolas loaded with stone, auto racks and some other cars.
Railroaders are almost all good story tellers by the way.
Apart from the noise and the heat (it was 108 degrees that day!) what I remember was the sense of the cars pushing the locomotive since we were probably using engine brakes only not train brakes.
He offered to take us to the end of his run but warned that he was "going dead" at the end of the run and there was no guarantee the relief crew would bring us back! So we hopped off -- again my only experience getting off a moving train and it was scarier than getting on. There is a trick to this that railroaders learn.
Dave Nelson

[dknelson]

A friend and I were railfanning the BN (ex CB&Q) line from Galesburg to Peoria. The engineer on the freight had seen us at nearly every crossing from Galesburg to Yates City. At Yates City he had some switching to do so he yelled out the window "Do you want a ride? Jump on next time I come past." So we did jump on, meaning my first actual cab ride (I don;t count steam and electric cab rides at museums) was also the first time I hopped aboard a moving train -- and he did not slow down for us! Anyway we were in the cab chatting for about 30 minutes while he switched gondolas loaded with stone, auto racks and some other cars.
Railroaders are almost all good story tellers by the way.
Apart from the noise and the heat (it was 108 degrees that day!) what I remember was the sense of the cars pushing the locomotive since we were probably using engine brakes only not train brakes.
He offered to take us to the end of his run but warned that he was "going dead" at the end of the run and there was no guarantee the relief crew would bring us back! So we hopped off -- again my only experience getting off a moving train and it was scarier than getting on. There is a trick to this that railroaders learn.
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

When I was five years old (I'm 17 now) I managed to get a cab ride. Our town's grocery store is right beside the tracks and occaisonaly if there's just a few units or a very short train that won't block any crossings the crew will stop for groceries. A crew with a couple of CP units (not sure what kind now, I was only 5, remember) stopped to buy potatoes and my Dad and I went and asked if I could go in the cab. They let us in and gave me a very short ride up the tracks. I was thrilled!

[Anonymous]

When I was five years old (I'm 17 now) I managed to get a cab ride. Our town's grocery store is right beside the tracks and occaisonaly if there's just a few units or a very short train that won't block any crossings the crew will stop for groceries. A crew with a couple of CP units (not sure what kind now, I was only 5, remember) stopped to buy potatoes and my Dad and I went and asked if I could go in the cab. They let us in and gave me a very short ride up the tracks. I was thrilled!

[Anonymous]

Well as a retired railroader 43years switchman, brakeman, conductor, yardmaster I can say one thing. The BNSF engineer who let you on and off a moving locomotive should be fired on the spot. The majority of the railroads do not allow their own operating dept. employees to get on or off moving equipment except in emergency.

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR.



GOD BLESS THE GREAT NORTHERN

[Anonymous]

Well as a retired railroader 43years switchman, brakeman, conductor, yardmaster I can say one thing. The BNSF engineer who let you on and off a moving locomotive should be fired on the spot. The majority of the railroads do not allow their own operating dept. employees to get on or off moving equipment except in emergency.

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR.



GOD BLESS THE GREAT NORTHERN

[CShaveRR]

I was one of the lucky ones...from the time I was 12 until I moved away, I was in locomotive cabs hundreds of times. There were even a couple of times I operated the locomotive. I was able to ride cabs of switchers, RS-1s, and GP9s/18s over many miles of trackage, a lot of which is no longer there. I "paid" in a way...throwing switches, passing signals across the cab to the engineer, flagging crossings, stuff like that.

That was one railroad in town. On the other line, I didn't get into the cab very often. One time a retiring engineer let me ride while they switched all of the local industries, then again that night let me accompany him on his final run, a passenger run through town (for which my parents had to drive to drop me off and pick me up). Another time, I saved a wreck by getting word (through the station agent/operator) to a train about cars that had blown out to foul the main line. My reward was a ride home (with a stop at the crossing nearest me home) on a through freight headed by a GP30! Big stuff back then! (All of my other rides were on GP7s or 9s on this line.)

I have been intentionally vague, even though all of the people who may have risked their jobs by giving me these childhood thrills (and probably leading to my getting a job with another railroad a few years later) have retired and passed on. The reason I was vague: see if you can figure out the railroads...and maybe, with luck, the locale (some people may know enough about me to do this).

[CShaveRR]

I was one of the lucky ones...from the time I was 12 until I moved away, I was in locomotive cabs hundreds of times. There were even a couple of times I operated the locomotive. I was able to ride cabs of switchers, RS-1s, and GP9s/18s over many miles of trackage, a lot of which is no longer there. I "paid" in a way...throwing switches, passing signals across the cab to the engineer, flagging crossings, stuff like that.

That was one railroad in town. On the other line, I didn't get into the cab very often. One time a retiring engineer let me ride while they switched all of the local industries, then again that night let me accompany him on his final run, a passenger run through town (for which my parents had to drive to drop me off and pick me up). Another time, I saved a wreck by getting word (through the station agent/operator) to a train about cars that had blown out to foul the main line. My reward was a ride home (with a stop at the crossing nearest me home) on a through freight headed by a GP30! Big stuff back then! (All of my other rides were on GP7s or 9s on this line.)

I have been intentionally vague, even though all of the people who may have risked their jobs by giving me these childhood thrills (and probably leading to my getting a job with another railroad a few years later) have retired and passed on. The reason I was vague: see if you can figure out the railroads...and maybe, with luck, the locale (some people may know enough about me to do this).

[Kathi Kube]

On a recent trip to DC, I was fortunate enough to ride along in an Acela Express cab up the Northeast Corridor to New York. Seriously cool! I spent only four hours in New York with a good friend and returned to DC riding in business class.

Another time I was in a freight locomotive cab (can't recall the type--sorry!) in Montreal with CN. I don't think that counts as a cab ride, though, because it didn't move beyond the few feet the engineer and I moved it with the remote control transmitter. It still was a lot of fun, though. (But cold--why on earth did I go to Canada in March????)

In both cases, I was visiting a railroad for a story and was able to gain access through media relations contacts.

I would LOVE to get a ride in a freight locomotive someday, and I'm working on it. Anyone out there operate trains in southeast Wisconsin??[:D]

[Kathi Kube]

On a recent trip to DC, I was fortunate enough to ride along in an Acela Express cab up the Northeast Corridor to New York. Seriously cool! I spent only four hours in New York with a good friend and returned to DC riding in business class.

Another time I was in a freight locomotive cab (can't recall the type--sorry!) in Montreal with CN. I don't think that counts as a cab ride, though, because it didn't move beyond the few feet the engineer and I moved it with the remote control transmitter. It still was a lot of fun, though. (But cold--why on earth did I go to Canada in March????)

In both cases, I was visiting a railroad for a story and was able to gain access through media relations contacts.

I would LOVE to get a ride in a freight locomotive someday, and I'm working on it. Anyone out there operate trains in southeast Wisconsin??[:D]

[Modelcar]

Kathi: Could you expand a bit on the Acela cab ride....How fast did you observe on your run...Did your train need to cross over to another track to "pass" another and how smooth did the engine ride. How quiet was the environment in the cab...? Thanks.

[Modelcar]

Kathi: Could you expand a bit on the Acela cab ride....How fast did you observe on your run...Did your train need to cross over to another track to "pass" another and how smooth did the engine ride. How quiet was the environment in the cab...? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Hey Ringer....as in Bull Ringer? I'm with you. What the hell was that hog thinkin? DKNel, that ride was cool, but, that hogger put you at risk! My little girl and my girlfriend would love to go for a ride, but, I don't even want to risk it. I think that the Santa Flush used to have family days in some terminals where you could do this sort of thing. Not any more! We can thank some sue happy idiot for ruining that too!
Ken

[Anonymous]

Hey Ringer....as in Bull Ringer? I'm with you. What the hell was that hog thinkin? DKNel, that ride was cool, but, that hogger put you at risk! My little girl and my girlfriend would love to go for a ride, but, I don't even want to risk it. I think that the Santa Flush used to have family days in some terminals where you could do this sort of thing. Not any more! We can thank some sue happy idiot for ruining that too!
Ken

[Anonymous]

Kathi, forget the yard! Use your media relations to hop a Z train on the Big Steel. 70 MPH. Now that's a ride! I just cought one two days ago. Every trip, I grit my teeth for the first couple of miles.
Ken

[Anonymous]

Kathi, forget the yard! Use your media relations to hop a Z train on the Big Steel. 70 MPH. Now that's a ride! I just cought one two days ago. Every trip, I grit my teeth for the first couple of miles.
Ken

[Kathi Kube]

Where to begin? The cab was smaller than I expected—the windows especially seemed small to me. The highest speed I actually saw on the display was 135 mph; it seemed most of the trip went by at 125 mph. At one point, however, cab signal communication was lost and when the engineer reported this, he stated that we dropped from 150 mph to 100 mph, I think. (Made me wish I had been looking at the display before we dropped our speed!)

As for the ride, the only train rides I've taken that I can compare it to are several trips on Amtrak's Hiawatha service to Chicago and a long-distance trip to Colorado in 1996. Compared with both of these, the electrical propulsion was incredibly smooth and rapid. There also were lengthy stretches where wood ties recently had been replaced with concrete, so I'm sure that contributed to the ride quality. And it was very, very quiet unless someone opened the cab door.

Although I've read a great deal about the Northeast Corridor and talked with so many people about it, I still was impressed by it all. I loved riding on a three-track-wide right-of-way devoid of grade crossings, and watching the scenery change so much. I especially loved seeing the boarded-up towers along the way. Yeah, it's sad evidence of change and all, but I don't know of any towers in my area any more so I thought it was cool they were standing at all.

I also loved seeing other trains along the way, including NJ Transit, SEPTA, MARC, and other Amtrak trains, in stations along the way as well as on adjacent tracks. It was great, also, seeing facilities I'm familiar with but had never seen, such as Secaucus Transfer. In some cases we changed tracks; in others, we didn't need to.

In all, it was a fabulous trip and I loved having the opportunity to visit the Corridor and see it from Acela. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Kathi

[Kathi Kube]

Where to begin? The cab was smaller than I expected—the windows especially seemed small to me. The highest speed I actually saw on the display was 135 mph; it seemed most of the trip went by at 125 mph. At one point, however, cab signal communication was lost and when the engineer reported this, he stated that we dropped from 150 mph to 100 mph, I think. (Made me wish I had been looking at the display before we dropped our speed!)

As for the ride, the only train rides I've taken that I can compare it to are several trips on Amtrak's Hiawatha service to Chicago and a long-distance trip to Colorado in 1996. Compared with both of these, the electrical propulsion was incredibly smooth and rapid. There also were lengthy stretches where wood ties recently had been replaced with concrete, so I'm sure that contributed to the ride quality. And it was very, very quiet unless someone opened the cab door.

Although I've read a great deal about the Northeast Corridor and talked with so many people about it, I still was impressed by it all. I loved riding on a three-track-wide right-of-way devoid of grade crossings, and watching the scenery change so much. I especially loved seeing the boarded-up towers along the way. Yeah, it's sad evidence of change and all, but I don't know of any towers in my area any more so I thought it was cool they were standing at all.

I also loved seeing other trains along the way, including NJ Transit, SEPTA, MARC, and other Amtrak trains, in stations along the way as well as on adjacent tracks. It was great, also, seeing facilities I'm familiar with but had never seen, such as Secaucus Transfer. In some cases we changed tracks; in others, we didn't need to.

In all, it was a fabulous trip and I loved having the opportunity to visit the Corridor and see it from Acela. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Kathi