adkrr64Is there anything about 6 axle units that make them inherently unsuited to yard work?
The wheelbase of the truck in a 6 axle is longer than on 4 axles. Six axles require a larger curve radius than do 4 axles.
With carriers doing their 'best' to eliminate loose car railroading and the servicing of one and two car per day customers the 'need' for 4 axle locomotives is diminishing. Customer sidings to serve their loading dock in many cases were constructed with very tight curves and light rail and they are for the most part poorly maintined with bad tie conditions.
Switching in the carriers yards benefits from 6 axle engines being able to handle heavier tonnage switching cuts than 4 axle engines. Switching in the carrier's yards is not all that it takes to run a railroad.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Most large yards and terminals have spurs and/or areas ("industrial zones" is the term used on CN out here) with tight curves and 'light' track that 6 axle units cannot negotiate. As Balt said, while most of the Class I's seem to be doing their best to discourage this type of carload traffic, the fact is that 4 axle units are still required to work them, and probably will be for many years to come.
6 axle units cannot operate on some branchlines for the same reasons, as well as being too heavy for some bridges. Even though their axle loading is the same or less than a comparable 4 axle unit, in total a 6 axle unit weighs about 60 tons more (GP40 vs SD40 comparison).
The 6 axle yard service units on CN are assigned to hump and heavy switching service, where their extra traction and braking effort is best utilized, and all the tracks are accessible to 6 axle power anyway (road units use the same leads and tracks to get to their trains).
However, a 1800-2000 HP GP9RM or GP38-2 mother-slug pair will out-pull and out-brake any individual 6 axle unit at low speeds, as it weighs more and has two more traction motors. And the mother-slug pair can go anywhere a regular 4 axle unit can.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
A matching mother unit has been spotted as well. This photo is copied and pasted from a private Facebook group, so the photo won't last here forever.
The project continues, look what else just rolled out of the paint shop:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/58344402@N04/50444700963/
I can't lie CN's old olive green is a handsome paint scheme. If only cost scrutiny of paint didn't exist. I would like to see this paint scheme revived with a modern touch.
When I started this post, CN doing heritage units was hypothetical, but so far there is an unofficial portrait of at least 5.
https://railpictures.net/photo/754510
Noticeably missing from this lineup is the DM&IR and B&LE. Others as well, (I recently read about a Slave Lake line that apparently had a Yellow/Orange scheme that I would like to see on a big diesel. but these are the two I would expect them to do that they haven't. They are being incredibly mysterious about it: any idea why? Pictures of the heritage units they have so far are surprisingly rare...
The Beaverton, Fanno Creek & Bull Mountain Railroad
"Ruby Line Service"
KBCpresident They are being incredibly mysterious about it: any idea why? Pictures of the heritage units they have so far are surprisingly rare...
They are being incredibly mysterious about it: any idea why? Pictures of the heritage units they have so far are surprisingly rare...
Because they only officially unveiled them publicly on the 17th?
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
KBCpresident When I started this post, CN doing heritage units was hypothetical, but so far there is an unofficial portrait of at least 5. https://railpictures.net/photo/754510 Noticeably missing from this lineup is the DM&IR and B&LE. Others as well, (I recently read about a Slave Lake line that apparently had a Yellow/Orange scheme that I would like to see on a big diesel. but these are the two I would expect them to do that they haven't. They are being incredibly mysterious about it: any idea why? Pictures of the heritage units they have so far are surprisingly rare...
Word is it's only these 5 they're doing. Those two yard sets are out there somewhere as well.
10000 feet and no dynamics? Today is going to be a good day ...
UP ended up doing 6, if I remember correctly - SP, CNW, M-K-T, Mopac, Western Pacific and Rio Grande.
I thought I read on Loconotes when the news first surfaced that the plan involved a bigger total of heritage units for CN. Something like 12 units, as I recall.
Edit: 18 units in total was what was floating around recently.
https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/10/13-cn-heritage-locomotives-sighted-but-company-wont-comment
Leo_Ames I thought I read on Loconotes when the news first surfaced that the plan involved a bigger total of heritage units for CN. Something like 12 units, as I recall. Edit: 18 units in total was what was floating around recently. https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/10/13-cn-heritage-locomotives-sighted-but-company-wont-comment
Which was NEVER reliably sourced, and the "list" of the 18 that was circulated around was suspiciously identical to some artwork of fantasy heritage units done by a railfan several years ago so I always took that with a grain of salt...
On the other hand, who knows how many of these GP40-3 + slug sets they're doing...?
SD70Dude The project continues, look what else just rolled out of the paint shop: https://www.flickr.com/photos/58344402@N04/50444700963/
Looks very sharp.
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