Back in 2006, you could see a Dash 9, an SD70ACe (Or was it an M-2) and a high nosed SD40-2 on a mainline freight
From July 1980, CR SD-45 helpers ("Snappers" in PRR parlance) drop downgrade past Benny Interlocking just east of the tunnels at Gallitzin, PA.
Snappers? Did it have something to do with the enormously long 20-cyl crankshaft? Amtrak #8, the eastbound Empire Builder, is an hour late (which is practically on-time, by today's performance standards) as it crosses 33rd St SW and enters western Minot, ND. The structure atop the hill in the background is called The View, and it certainly has a great view of the Souris River valley to the west:
I should have been more clear. The PRR called all helpers "Snappers" regardless of unit type. Sideline trivia. Sometime during the latter PC/early CR era, it became known through the secretive railfan grapevine that certain helper crews would surreptitiously sell rides up and down the mountain. This was of course strictly forbidden, but with profit at hand, some men risked their jobs for the extra money. It lasted for a while until management got word and it ended with heavy rules enforcement from all sides, including the railroad police who came down hard on innocent fans waiting trackside for photos. They assumed that any fan waiting in the vicinity of Alto Tower was up to no good and their overresponse to the situation brought interrogation and threats of arrest to a number of fans who were simply there to enjoy some train watching. Unrelated to this, our weekend campsite on a ridge at Benny near where I took the photo was closed off by CR Police several years later and a renown spot came to an end.
BNSF 7017 and 4963 lead a southbound grain train with BNSF 4605 working DPU through Krum, Tx on 7/4/18. Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
That slug is interesting. Looks like some sort of Alco heritage for the carbody, but the feul tank and 3 cylinder flexcoil trucs say EMD.
Man, nice shot! I always have likes the slugs for some reason. wish I could make one that was powered in N-Scale.
I suspect there was a fair amount of kitbashing involved, likely Alco from the frame up and EMD down below. The tank would be useless on a slug, so it might also double as a fuel tender.
I feel like I should know this, but when a slug or fuel tender is attached to a locomotive, how does the fuel go between the two?
The mother unit would need to have special plumbing added, and probably be restricted to a dedicated service, to keep it near to or constantly paired with that slug.
When we built slugs for CSX at the M-K Mountaintop, PA shop, the fuel pump and it's plumbing was kept, but in a slightly different location. This was plumbed to a MU-able connection on the ends of the slug. We had a mother unit provided for testing the slugs and these had some other additional cabling and wiring to allow power to get to the slug switchgear and motors.
I just found that slug's pedigree. I started life as a Pennsy RSD-12, #8666. After surviving PC and Conrail, it was rebuilt into a slug by GE in 1978, and finally sold to CSX in 1999. Alco heritage, EMD trucks, and GE labor. What a family tree!
Very interesting! So, what happened to it between 1978 and 1999? After the rebuild, did it go back to Conrail? Or?
It likely worked for Conrail, then was part of the assets divvied up between NS and CSX after Conrail corked off.
I found it in Conrail's roster as of 1992, so it stayed on until it was sold to CSX. That slug series seems to have kept the same Conrail numbers after going to CSX.