I was wondering, what are the dimensions of the cab? Where does the conductor and engineer sit when the train is operating? Is there a heater or air conditioner inside? What about going to the bathroom or drinking coffee?
These are questions that my 10 year old asked me and I was wondering too.
Thank you
jp2153 wrote: I was wondering, what are the dimensions of the cab? Where does the conductor and engineer sit when the train is operating? Is there a heater or air conditioner inside? What about going to the bathroom or drinking coffee?These are questions that my 10 year old asked me and I was wondering too.Thank you
The engineer sits on the right side of the engine cab, while the conductor/brakeman/person sits on the left side.
Cabs have always been heated, but old heads dispute the effectiveness of cab heaters on Alco FAs and PAs, because the cooling air for the lead trucks ran through the cab. (brilliant!) Air Conditioning started to appear in the '70's, with Santa Fe and Union Pacific being the industry leaders, and Canadian Pacific at the "other" end, adopting AC only recently on their SD9043s (I call them SD75MACs, since they are both 4300 HP, and have the same general characteristics) and AC4400s!
Toilet facilities have been in road units since the earliest E units in the '30s. Now, most units have a "dumper" in the nose of the unit. This is both a good place for it and a poor one, if the toilet gets backed up, it's a poor one! That will have the "flying squad" out in no time during a crew change! As for drinking coffee, or whatever, you're on your own, there since no two enginemen can agree on how they will deal with their coffee, water, or soda. Leaving it on the "desktop" is the only thing crews like about the desktop control stands. The complaint about them is that you can't move around to look to the rear or just squirm around during an 8 to12 hour trip over the road.
Conditions are better now than they were in the days of the GP30, always the "skull creaser" thanks to the odd contour of their cabs! Large engineers etc. are glad there are no more E or F units out there for them to squeeze into!
Depends on the locomotive, and railroad.
New locomotives (mostly) have heated and air conditioned cabs, a cooler (usually still ice cooled), and a toilet in the nose. Some locomotives, (usually Canadian ones) have a hot plate and tea kettle.
Older engines have heat only (the side wall heaters are a handy place to heat your dinner), and can be noisy and drafty - Duct tape is your friend in the winter. Most have a cooler (again ice cooled) and a toilet in the nose, although the early GEs had the toilet behind the cab.
Up until the 1970s (i think) some locomotives actually had office style water coolers, with a 1 or 2 gallon bottle on water, and a stack of cups. After someone analysed the stuff floating in the water, they dissappeared and were replaced by the 8oz plastic bottles.
Now (thanks to the BLE Clean Cab agreement) most coolers are mounted in the nose. Some roads (Conrail was one) had them mounted to the front wall of the cab. Some mounted them in the middle of the cab floor (CSX).
The engineer sits on the right. The conductor on the left. Usually, there is also a third seat for a brakeman. Usually, it is on the left, in line with the conductor's seat. Sometimes, the brakeman's seat is in the middle (Conrail prefered this set up). Most NS locomotives also have a fourth seat that folds down from the wall behind the engineer.
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
Kinda like being in a motorhome in the middle of the Mojave desert during summer. That sweet aroma!
Thank you for the reply. My daughter got a good laugh as well as I.
Nick, what happened to the Cabose? Is there a reason why we don't see them anymore? What is the normal complement of crew and their duties on a class 1 railroad.
Thanks Jim
PBenham wrote:Air Conditioning started to appear in the '70's, with Santa Fe and Union Pacific being the industry leaders, and Canadian Pacific at the "other" end, adopting AC only recently on their SD9043s (I call them SD75MACs, since they are both 4300 HP, and have the same general characteristics) and AC4400s!
Most of the UP SD40-2s I see have no air conditioner. However, many SP locomotives did have AC. Do you mean Santa Fe and Southern Pacific?
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
Cabooses were a victim of cost cutting and technological advances. They could also be dangerous to ride. Slack action at the end of a 100 car train has to be experianced to be believed.
Cabooses provided office space for the conductor, and a place to monitor the train and brake system from the rear. They also carried tools and materials to make minor repairs line of road, and in some cases re-railing equipment.
Most of the conductor's paperwork is now handled by computer and individual waybills have been replaced by a consolidated computer printout. The brake system readings at the rear are now transmitted to the head end via the EOT's (End of Train Device) radio link. Some of the tools are now carried on the locomotive.
Prior to the introduction of "pool" cabooses, conductors would often have cabooses assigned to them. These cabooses could be used as bunk houses, at away terminals. The caboose would go to the end of the caboose track, and as the crews were needed the head out caboose and crew would be assigned to the train.
The classic "full crew" consisted of five men:
Current crew consist:
Through freight trains will ahve a conductor and engineer only.
While some locals, Traveling switch engines (TSE's), and yard jobs will have a engineer (unless it is a remote job), a conductor, and either a brakeman, switchman,or a helper (again, it depends on the job and local agreements).
Also, back to your (and/or your daughters) previous question, when the SD70M was introduced, on the UP, we got a new seat design. The new seat will actually recline fully flat!
The older units had bare metal skin in the interior. Where the new units are covered, which makes for a cooler and quieter ride. The the cabs are also alot tighter. This has alot to do with keeping the computers free from dirt and moisture.
On the units without the wide nose the toilets are down in the narrow nose. When it is 105F outside the inside of the toilet area is about 120f. When it is -35F outside it is about -35F inside the toilet area. Those toilet areas are rarely cleaned, the crews are lucky if the toilet gets serviced once in a while. The newer units with the wide noses and AC have a better situation since the toilet is in a walk in closet in the widened area of the nose. There is easier access for cleaning and service and the spaces are more moderate in temperature though the fluid inside the toilet is treated with antifreeze or a heater plug to keep them from freezing in the winter.
The centralized forced air heaters are better than the small localized heaters or the past. Sidewall heaters are a great help at a variety of temps and the A/C just makes the job easier even if it adds some noise to the job.
Units that lead in Canada must have the toilet area vented to the out side of the compartment. Yes, that means other than into the cab. On the CP's Canadian SD40's and GP38's you can see the "Muffin" fan mounted somewhere near the handbrake wheel.
They (CP) are also supposed to have stationary mounted trash containers with lids, in actual practice it's a plastic bag hung on something easily within reach. All CP units have a fridge that works about 98% of the time. All roads I know of furnish bottled water, some really good, some of questionable origins.
All told, todays cabs are an immense improvemant over the first generation units. To put this in perspective, when I started in engine service, the engineers at that time thought that the worst diesel cab conditions were still 100 times better than the best steam cab they ever remembered.
Wonderful, Great information. Thank you.
With the introduction of the remote control system, how does the operator know that the back of the train is clear of any hazards?
Does the conductor still use lanterns at night to signal the engineer? or does he use arm and hand signals?
I read the post about the tragic accident in New York. God bless the families.
PBenham wrote: Well, Cabs are roughly 9 feet wide by 8 to 10 feet long. Conditions vary widely, since there are lots of older locomotive running around out there.
Well, Cabs are roughly 9 feet wide by 8 to 10 feet long. Conditions vary widely, since there are lots of older locomotive running around out there.
9 feet wide? I'll admit to not really knowing much about this, but that seems a little much. I thought that cars (and therefore locomotives) could only be 8 feet wide.
nbrodar wrote: Some mounted them in the middle of the cab floor (CSX).The engineer sits on the right. The conductor on the left. Usually, there is also a third seat for a brakeman. Usually, it is on the left, in line with the conductor's seat. Sometimes, the brakeman's seat is in the middle (Conrail prefered this set up). Most NS locomotives also have a fourth seat that folds down from the wall behind the engineer.Nick
Some mounted them in the middle of the cab floor (CSX).
Datafever wrote: PBenham wrote: Well, Cabs are roughly 9 feet wide by 8 to 10 feet long. Conditions vary widely, since there are lots of older locomotive running around out there. 9 feet wide? I'll admit to not really knowing much about this, but that seems a little much. I thought that cars (and therefore locomotives) could only be 8 feet wide.
greyhounds wrote: Datafever wrote: PBenham wrote: Well, Cabs are roughly 9 feet wide by 8 to 10 feet long. Conditions vary widely, since there are lots of older locomotive running around out there. 9 feet wide? I'll admit to not really knowing much about this, but that seems a little much. I thought that cars (and therefore locomotives) could only be 8 feet wide. FYI, in the USA, those pig trailers riding on the flatcars can be 8 1/2 feet wide. The flatcars are wider than the trailers. The 8 1/2 feet is a highway width limitation. Railcars are some feet wider than that.
Ah, thank you for that clarification. I have no idea why I had the concept of an eight foot width limit.
CN road locomotives in Canada all have trash cans; crew packs with hand cleaner, sanitary wipes, napkins and a toilet seat cover; fridges stocked with water (The cup water is terrible, the bottled stuff from the states is great); hot plates with a tea kettle; microwaves; the toilet.
The newer units have reclining seats, some of the dash 9's even have high backs for a head rest and the seats all have foot rests. Most wide cabs are very spacious. The SD40-2's, SD40-3's and SD40u's you see leading are cramped especially with three people and their gear.
A crew took a GP38-2 on a train leading the other day up the branch line and they complained it didn't have a microwave. First, thats not classified as a road unit anymore ... and second ... CN only has the microwaves for extended run purposes. Since this wasn't an extended run ... it didnt need it. It still had a fridge and hot plate tho.
Aslo CN, here in Canada, just got AC on their GEVO's and M-2's. The first.
10000 feet and no dynamics? Today is going to be a good day ...
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Good morning Carl, and here I thought I had the place to myself.
I had to make a run up to Modoc last weekend. On the way up I stopped at Laws, the C&C station / museum town. They have a narrow guage steam train next to the station on static display (#9 if memory serves). I climbed into the hoggers seat on that thing and wow!!! For a guy my size running that thing would be torture. Not to mention what it would be like next to that oven dureing mid-summer run at a walking pace up Montgomery pass.
In comparison todays locos are light years away from then.
It depends. Older ones are pretty loud, especially the CN cowls. Newer ones, with the exception of the M-2's are moderate.
Some might use ear plugs on older ones but most newer ones are good for noise with the windows closed. Open is different depending on type of locomotive.
The newer unit are pressurized which, not only keeps dust and moisture out of the unit, but keeps noise levels way down. There are some units where you have crack the window to hear the horn as your going down the road.
UP's SD90's had a an annoying problem between the back of interior cab wall and the computer/ circuit breakers inside the wall. It would have a high pitch whistling sound. Alot of units will have duct tape all along the wall to "seal" it up. That is a good idea for you "new guys". Carry duct tape in your "big hole bag" along with alot of other "tools".
So, lets say, hypothetically speaking...a crew member needs a "comfort break". Lets say the train is rolling along at 60mph with no plans to enter a siding within an hour. Is the crew member allowed to visit the toilet?
I would assume he/she can. But, what about when it is the engineer? Now what?
ed
What noise? Most of us older/retired engineers can't hear that much any more.
IMHO the noise factor is proably the biggest improvement of all. The newer AC4400's and GEVO's allow for normal conversation levels between engr and condr and the furnace blower now isn't much louder than at home. Pn some units you can barely hear the horn.
EMD still has a ways to go on cab noise, UP's SD70's for example, have more noise in the cab than the older SD50 and 60's.
Ehh? What did you say? Sorry, I'm a little deef.
Locomotive cabs, especially the older ones can very noisy. Windows open...horn blowing...brake pipe exhaust.
The new cabs are much improved. The air brake vent has been relocated out side the cab - it used to be in the control stand. The air horns have also been relocated from over the cab to the center of the long hood.
zapp wrote:CSX and NS cabs usually stink! They use fresh water sewer tanks, not chemical tanks.
They don't stink any more than chemical toilets! I've had some chemical toilets that would literally take your breath away. I have had a vacuum toilet that smelled, and I almost couldn't believe this, like a floral shop! Just depends on how well they are maintained.
.
I agree, if a chemical toilet isn't maintained they too, get pretty damn ripe. But even after a good cleaning, those eastern roads units still have that ligering toilet perfume smell.
I won't leave the yard, if the crapper is a mess, and yes me and a few managers have had some words over this issue. They want their train depart on time, and I want a clean working enviroment.
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