I've been noticing a large percetage of the coal trains coming out of the Powder River area headed west (over the MRL) are coming through with engines on both ends. In the past there were always engines on the front, and possibly MRL helpers on the back or mid train over the passes......now I'm seeing 2 BNSF engines on the front, and then 1 or 2 on the rear. Today on the pass I saw 2 on the front, 2 on the rear, and 4 MRL SD70ACe's mid-train. Is this something new for unit trains so they don't have to switch the engines at each end of the run......just move the crew to the other end?
Well not real sure about anybody's but ours. XCLX trains that are bound for Pawnee S.E.G.S. at Brush, CO. have the 2 in front 1 on the rear setup because they don't have any bad grades between the mine and power plant. XCLX trains that are bound for Commanche S.E.G.S. in Pueblo, CO. have 2 in front 2 on rear as they have a bad grade to pull south of Denver, CO. at Monument, CO. Also the Loco's run thru a reversing loop as we unload them and head back with the same Lead Engine as on arrival. The Horsepower assigned to each train is based on what grade they have to negotiate to get where thier going. Prior to the perfecting of DP units ie...dependant power, ours came with all 3 on front and a F.R.E.D. gaurding the rear. Which prior to the horseshoe curves at Crawford Hill in Nebraska that lowered the grade, pretty much required the helpers BN had stationed there to push loaded trains over the hill. As I understand it they no longer do as the DP units being on the rear are sufficient for the task.
This is called DPU for Distributed power....something. Which as we found out yesterday is the latest version of what SP had in the old days called Locotrol. So it's not really new, it's just in the last few years it's become more reliable, better and thus is becoming more popular.
BNSF has been running one DPU on Texas coal trains since around '99. Recently they've started running two since the aforementioned Monument, CO and Decatur, TX are in their path, both of which are among the steepest mainline grades on the current BNSF system. DPU's are also common on unit grain trains as well as heavy sulfur trains, coil trains, etc. BNSF has also recently began running DPU's on general manifest freights when possible. (meaning, if a DPU equipped unit is available) About the only thing I haven't seen a DPU unit on around here are intermodals, although I'm pretty sure they do that around Cajon and maybe other areas. UP seems to only run them with coal trains still, but I'll admit I don't usually see many UP trains. This is probably due to lack of DPU power....UP's SD70M's aren't even DPU equipped, although most of the rest of their newer power is.
Heck, Southern was running distributed power on the NONE (New Orleans North Eastern) in the late 60's. I dunno, but I guess they could have been using "Locotrol"....?
So the engine(s) on the rear have some special equipment to allow them to be run from the lead engine? Spreading the power throughout the train makes sense, I'd just never seen it before....and it still seems to just be the coal trains... the grain and intermodal seem to still run all the power on the front on this part of the BNSF. Thanks for the responses.
I believe Southern was the first user of Locotrol, around 1966. The term they used for the operations, "radio trains", seems incredibly quaint now.
Keep in mind I'm certainly not an expert on this, but I think the primary difference between the prior Locotrol implementations and the current system is that locomotives equipped with electronic braking systems can more easily be configured for "Locotrol", and easy = cheaper so it was more financially feasible to equip an entire order with DPU capabilities. Since AC power is usually earmarked for coal or grain unit service it was easier to keep the DPU units in captive service and thus DPU use started becoming more common, the technology was then proven, and now it's basically standard.
During my time on the Navajo rez in New Mexico, I was staying at a Days Inn across the street from the BNSF Transcon, and I could swear I saw some of the intermodals with power on the rear end. Don't hold me to it, though.......they definintely had DPU on unit trains such as coal, grain, etc.
Bob, That's quite possible. My experience on the Transcon is pretty limited. (and a little dated...'06) Plus, I can't say with certainty they don't do it around here when the opportunity is there. I probably get to see a half dozen to a dozen intermodal trains per week on average...hardly a statistically valid sample.
We get 4-5 trains a day of powder river coal to a couple of powerplants east of here, all with BNSF run through power. They are always 2 on the front one on the rear operations. These go through an unloading loop and end up coming back the other direction; and at least half the time the rear unit is "backwards" if you wanted to drive the other way anyway.
Bob During my yearly treks to the Flagstaff area, the DPU's started becoming more and more common on the even the intermodals. Campp, who makes frequent treks to the Flag area could give you a more definitive answer. CAMPP, Where are You???
Looking back at some of my New Mexico pics, I DID get a shot of rear end helpers on a very long intermodal train around Continental Divide, NM back in 2006. I was out that way from May until August 1, and trains were running thru Gallup at trolley-car frequency (3 to 4 an hour on average). It would seem to make sense on the longer stack trains to have DPU on the real, but I never saw that on the UPS trains I spotted and/or shot.
Hey! Adam Thats cool.... I had heard the helpers were gone but still there is much cooler...might havta get up there for some railfanning sometime soon...
