How hard is it to drive a train?

[Randy Stahl]

Funny .. this is the dream I usually have right before I get married again ...

[BaltACD]

Virtually any idiot can handle a throttle....an Engineer knows how to handle the brakes.

[favuprailroadfan]

 

Justin, I am a locomotive engineer and I will be the first one to tell you that running a 110 car grain train weighing 14,000 tons is alot easier to run than a 3 car local. I hate running the short trains that we sometimes have. Give me 3 units and 110 mty's or loads and I'll have an easy day. One of the most important things to remember is KNOW YOUR TERRITORY and the all important TRAIN HANDLING. Another thing you will have to learn is learning your air. That is why you lost control in your dream. You used all your air up. If you had 3 SD70M's, you should've had plently of dynamics, but that is only part of controlling your train. The rest is your air. But where I work at, we don't have dynamics so we have no choice but to use our air brakes. Its pretty simple. Oh and another thing, we don't drive trains, we operate. Always remember that.   Any more questions, hit me up, Dru ,Engineer Cimarron Valley Railroad

[bubbajustin]

This may seem like a real childish question, but how hard is it to drive a train? I'm sure it is harder for some things than others. Ex., Running a 19,000 ton coal train out of the powder river coal bastin when one of youre motors fails, would be eiser than runnig a 3 car locol across Kansas. I sometimes worry that when I grow up and work my way through the ranks I will like loose cotroll at speed. I had this bad dream last week that I was running 3 SD70M's wih a mixed freight down a steep grde and I lost controll. Then we came to this really tight bend and just as we rolled off the rail I woke up breathing hard. I really wouldn't want that to happen. So I was just wondering if some of you engineers (which I put on a high pedastal) could give me any pointers. Thanks a lot, Justin S.