I have a question about the balance of power in a consist. If there are three engines, one has 4000 hp, another 6000 hp and another 4300 hp; how is the speed or power of the engines regulated together so one is not pushing more or less then the others? Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
They will all load up and apply as much power as they can. Think of a game of tug-a-war. On one team you may have a great big guy as anchor, a bunch of meadium size guys and a little whimp (like me). They are all pulling on the same rope, adding their individual strenght to a combined total. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
So that's how it works. Doesn't sound very efficient though, do the new locomotives have a little more "smarts" when in a consist? Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Russell is right on. And really, just like model locomotives, sometimes one nudges a little harder, making for a very long day! A freight train is NEVER like a passenger train. The multiple units jerk and bump, the train rolls out and in, accelerates slower, brakes slower. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
You know, that is one thing that is lost when just watching trains go by. I guess you really need to be on the train to feel that. Thanks Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
that Headlight answer that was given about if the headlight switch is in DIM then the horn is hit you state that the ditch lights will automatically come on that is incorrect. There is a three position switch (on the SD70) and a four positon switch on the AC 4400's coal power and the headlights will stay on that power no matter if the horn is hit or not. If the switch is on DIM and you hit the horn it stays DIM w/o ditch, it has to be in the BRIGHT w/ditch lights to have the ditch lights come on. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
as far as the engines facing opposite ways they just throw them together with whatever they have and whatever direction. The exception to that is "most" coal trains with two engines have them facing opposite ways so when they get to where they are going they can just switch the power to the other end and not have to spin it or use a Y with that power Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Heres a question, brought on by the SD-45 class...what is the LOUDEST locomotive to stand next to while it is pulling a nice, heavy load? I guess the turbines count; too. I recall hearing KCS SD-60s in Kansas City, pulling coal, that sounded like a jet taking off...all while moving about 8mph...if that! Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Dead Man Switch; I was told by a UP engineer that a Dead Man Switch has not been used for 20 years. However I saw a show that had a Gevo and it has an alarm that needs to be acknowledge now and then or the engine will apply brakes and stop. What's the real deal? Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
there is no DEAD MANS PEDAL but it is FRA that an alertor goes off about every 45-70 seconds and has to be acknowelged only if you do not touch any controls such as the horn or throttle or something like that. If not acknowelged within 25 seconds then EMERGENCY brake application will apply. The alertor is just a little push of a button like the horn. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
It is actually a 'Penalty' application. It will drop brake pipe pressure to 60lbs, bringing the train to a slower, safer stop.
the rest of the world calls that "Task Linked Vigilance Control" we introduced it here on all CityRail stock last yr. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
This is mostly true. You forgot about the SP AC4400''s and the M-K SD40-3 rebuilds. Just hit the horn and the ditch lights flash(wig-wag) and remain flashing for approx. 15 seconds. From what I remember, the M-K rebuilds had a separate button to activate the wigwags if you didn' want to blow the horn. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Hey, We have dead man pedels on our Comet 1's,1b's,2's cab cars & sw-1500's. Also our Arrow 3's(MU's). Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
I love to rehash old topics, lol. At the begin of this of this topic HemiAdda2d wanted to know about coal train tonnage. Out of the Powder River Basin (PRB) in Wyoming the mines can load each coal car to 143(x) tons (gross car weight). The (x) allows for a one ton overage or 144 tons per car, but most of the time call it 143 tons per car. (This is a track weight restriction). Lightweight cars (aluminum cars) have any empty weight of around 20 - 23 tons, steel cars have any empty weight of 40 - 43 tons. So you are talking around 120 tons of coal per car for aluminum cars and 100 tons of coal per steel car (more or less). Okay a real life example, this morning I pulled a BNSF train out of Rawhide mine. 135 loads 3 locos, total weight about 19200 tons., was over 7300 feet long, with 12800 Hp. The sad thing is that this only gives you 0.7 Hp/Ton. Coal train out of the PRB vary from about 85 cars up to 135 cars. Most trains are in the 110 to 135 car range. Adam [ February 13, 2006, 03:52 PM: Message edited by: Adam Woods ] Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
I was talking a while back with an engineer (not the train type) who works with one of the big utilities here in OK. A key factor on their train size is the length of the sidings between the mine and the power plant. Some of their plants get 120 car loads, while another gets only 105 b/c of the wye where they change from UP tracks to bnsf has a siding that will only let them do 105 cars. Don't know it for gospel, but that is what he was telling me. beast Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Beast, you are 100% correct, the factors you mentioned are very important. There are a lot of other factors as well. The railroads have people who do nothing but plan coal train makeup and movement. Adam Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
OK my 2 cents, The CSX engine which had the rail burn was caused by a remote control error this is what I read.I wasn't there so I might be wrong.If you look the #2 traction motor was not burning the rail at all.On 4 axle units it is the #2 traction motor that tells the other traction motors what to do.So if #2 is not moving and the others are spinning they will keep spinning while #2 looks for more puwer to start moving.I read that the engine wasn't pulling so the remote operator kept adding throttle from the beltpack and couldn't see what was going on.It doesn't take very long to burn rail down especially once it is hot.I just wanted to see them get the engine out of those holes. As far as the alerter switch it just depends on what unit you are on.Different RR's use different types.You can have springs or buttons. Most train cars are only equipped to carry 130 tons maximum.There are acceptions to the rule like the BN troughtrain coal cars and also cars with more than 2 axles under each end. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
