Trains.com

Dynamic Braking and EMD 'E' Units.

15279 views
35 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    June 2007
  • 6 posts
Posted by NickP on Thursday, February 15, 2018 2:27 AM

JustWonderin'

 

 
jeffhergert

The Rock Island didn't (officially) use dynamic brakes.  Their train handling rules forbid engineers from using them when foriegn power happened to be on RI trains.  The dynamics on engines they bought used were disconnected and on some that were eventually rebuilt, removed entirely.  

Jeff

 

 

 

 

Why would using dynamic brakes be banned?  Lack of training on proper usage or something else?

 Some railroads, like the New Haven and Rock Island considered dynamic brakes a maintenance headache. They ordered new power without dynamics and disconnected the systems on used locos so equipped.

  • Member since
    March 2012
  • 23 posts
Posted by JustWonderin' on Wednesday, February 14, 2018 9:49 PM

jeffhergert

The Rock Island didn't (officially) use dynamic brakes.  Their train handling rules forbid engineers from using them when foriegn power happened to be on RI trains.  The dynamics on engines they bought used were disconnected and on some that were eventually rebuilt, removed entirely.  

Jeff

 

 

Why would using dynamic brakes be banned?  Lack of training on proper usage or something else?

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Central Iowa
  • 6,899 posts
Posted by jeffhergert on Wednesday, February 14, 2018 5:55 PM

Overmod

Only four railroads apparently had E8s with DB (a fifth, Rock Island, bought a demonstrator but may never have used its installed dynamic).  Early ones had a 36" fan, later ones a 48" as on E9s.

I am not a SP expert but I think they used that field loop setup on the E8 dynamic and this was only changed going through the GRIP rebuild program later...

 

The Rock Island didn't (officially) use dynamic brakes.  Their train handling rules forbid engineers from using them when foriegn power happened to be on RI trains.  The dynamics on engines they bought used were disconnected and on some that were eventually rebuilt, removed entirely.  

Jeff

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 11:47 PM

Only four railroads apparently had E8s with DB (a fifth, Rock Island, bought a demonstrator but may never have used its installed dynamic).  Early ones had a 36" fan, later ones a 48" as on E9s.

I am not a SP expert but I think they used that field loop setup on the E8 dynamic and this was only changed going through the GRIP rebuild program later...

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • 4,612 posts
Posted by M636C on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 11:13 PM

NorthWest

Dynamic braking was first introduced as an option on the E8.

 
If I recall correctly SP had only one E8 but they had a number of E9s which indeed had dynamic brakes, indicated by a 48" fan in the centre of the units between the radiators.
 
Peter
  • Member since
    May 2013
  • 3,231 posts
Posted by NorthWest on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 10:59 PM

Dynamic braking was first introduced as an option on the E8.

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,288 posts
Dynamic Braking and EMD 'E' Units.
Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 10:17 PM

I was reading a book on SP passenger service.  Within the book there was a segment on the Shasta Daylight and the power that hauled it.  It stated that it was originally intended that the power for the train would be EMD E-7's however shortly after the train started operating the power was switched to Alco PA's because the PA's had dynamic braking and the E units didn't.

Did EMD offer dynamic braking as a option on any of their E units?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy