Why did SP put there full light package on there slugs as seen here? What good would a mars light do if the unit was not at the front of te train. What good, for that matter would a headlight do. I mean the slugs never lead a train, so they wouldn't have to worry about being seen, and no one is on board to see anything. please answer. Confused!!
The Beaverton, Fanno Creek & Bull Mountain Railroad
"Ruby Line Service"
KBCpresident wrote:Why did SP put there full light package on there slugs as seen here? What good would a mars light do if the unit was not at the front of te train. What good, for that matter would a headlight do. I mean the slugs never lead a train, so they wouldn't have to worry about being seen, and no one is on board to see anything. please answer. Confused!!
The slugs were primarily used on Oregon branchlines and were capable of being used with a locomotive on just one end. Because of this there would be times where the slug could be leading. Without the headlights on the slug this would have been a FRA violation. The signal lights would be overkill for the rare times the slug would lead, but standard is standard.
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
sorry,
say, beaulieu --> what do you mean standard,
I know SP liked to load up on options for their locomotives, such as the headlight package displayed on the photo of the slug. If the slug was mated to the front end of a GP40, and moving forward, the headlights on the slug would light up the right-of-way better than using the lights on the geep. Plus, there's that FRA mandate as mentioned earlier.
KBCpresident wrote:sorry, say, beaulieu -->what do you mean standard,
I think he is refering to SP's standard light package for locomotives used on the road. Of course SP dropped that by 1986. Also, locomotives intended for yard use only did not have all of the extra lights.
ericsp wrote:SP intended for its SW1500 to leave the yard and switch industries. Indeed they were used for such purposes. Have a look at SP's SD38-2s.
I have seen the 1500s working industries in San Antonio a few times. This was many years ago, and I am not even sure if there are any SW1500s down there anymore or not. I always thought they were cool little units.
KBCpresident wrote:. Also, how did they decide how to arrange the lights? The arrangement on SW 1500s, GP38-2s, and U 28Bs are very different.
Take the three lights and make 'em fit. Standard is nice, but if that doesn't work....
As with many other things railroad, it depends on who orders them, too...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
KBCpresident wrote:SP's GP 38-2 look like any other SP loco. A horizontal headllight with Red gyrolight above that and Vertical mars light. What about them. That brings up a few questions. Some SP diesels had The light package on both ends. Some only ad it on one. How did they decide which ones to put the full house light package on the rear on. Also, howw did they decide how to arange the lights. The arangement on SW 1500s, GP38-2s, and U 28Bs are very different.
SD38-2
KBCpresident wrote:What do you want me to notice? I cannot find any pictures of an SD38-2 with full light package intact. just a patch above the windshield. Or are you talking about the design?
I was pointing out that SP's SD38-2s, which were intended for yard use only, did not have the five lights. They only had the two lights (they never had lights between the numberboards).
It is quite common for railroads to use six axle locomotives for switching larger yards, espicially hump yards. Yard switchers do not move fast, so the tractive effort is what is important and six axle locomotvies weigh more than their four axle counterparts. Therefore, six axle locomotives would be better.
Here are my guesses as to why they use four axle locomotives in smaller yards. One may be that smaller yards may generally have tighter curves. Also, smaller yards may not have a locomotive facility and may need more flexability with locomotives. Since some industries may require four axle locomotives, they use four axle locomotives for the yard switchers. Also, the switchers at smaller yards probably do not handle as large cuts of cars as switchers at larger yards. Perhaps if Carl or Ed are reading this, they could tell why.
If I remember correctly, UP converted a bunch of SD40-2s into SD38-2s for use in yard service.
CSSHEGEWISCH wrote:Six-motor power, sometimes an SD38/slug set, is fairly routine as a hump pusher. Six-motor in the bowl might be a different matter. I've observed BRC at Clearing using SD38/slug sets as hump pushers, often in both directions at the same time, and either GP38-2's or SW1500's on pulldown jobs.
The bowl is the yard at the end of the hump. It is called that because it is lower in the middle than at the ends.
BRC is Belt Railway of Chicago. Clearing is the name of a train yard.
Pulldown jobs are the switchers that move the strings of cars out of the bowl and into the departure yard. I think they may do some more switching when necessary.
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