Ed, The rail burn explaination sounds about right, I've run RCO and while the system is intented to not allow wheel slip, I have seen (and caused) the fireworks to prove otherwise. Just never to anywere near that degree. As far as car loads are you talking 130 tons gross or net? Adam Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
So, can a loco slip it's wheels under normal conditions? (dry rail) I bet a SD38-2 pry couldn't because it doesn't have much power but a SD70 pry has enought power to slip. What do y'all think? Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
the rco's at my yard seem to control slip well as long as all of them are not slipping [there has been some trouble recently on the hump with one of the remotes burning rail spinning all 4 axles]. they all have probes in the motors for pinion slip and #2&3 wheels have probes on them for speed and direction detection i've had some slippage on dry rail with a NS dash 9 on dry shop tracks. it was being MU'd as a set of 3, and it wouldn't load when being controled from lead unit. it would load fine on it's own [only dropped load when wheel slip was detected, and i was standing on the ground and saw #2 slip about 8" before it stopped - loading was at a dead stop] Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Nick, Are you guys running GE or CANAC RCO's in your yard? We are running (we were running) GE in the Alliance, NE yard (all flat switching). The SD40-2s didn't slip to much, but we had a GP something or another (I think it was a 38) that you could make a light show with. Of course that may had something to do with grabing 70+ coal cars and pulling them out. Adam Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Hey I was in Alliance,NE yesterday.....was that you I saw walking though the yard. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Naw, I got out of the yards ASAP. Right now I am working Brakemen extraboard in Crawford, working the helpers on the hill. Way more fun than yard work in my mind. Adam Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
I saw a few helpers although they were headed south of town. 2 sets of 3 Didn't see where they were needed though. everyone was getting along just fine without them. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
We have helpers at Northport (about 20-30 miles south of Alliance) to shove loads up Angora hill. At Crawford we run sets of 4 locos. Mostly SD60's and SD60M's. Adam Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
I always see a least 1 UP train sitting along the sidings south of town when I come up there. Do they have Trackage rights along there? I've never seen any maps to indicate otherwise. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
We interchange trains with the UP at Northport Jct. most (if not all) of these trains are from Jeffers Energy Center, and they load at Eagle Butte Mine near Gillette, WY. Adam [ April 15, 2006, 12:25 PM: Message edited by: Adam Woods ] Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Angora Hill to the north, and Dalton Hill to the south of Northport, are mainly away from the highway. The helpers were put in place to speed the operations on the Angora Sub. Most trains would only do 9 or 10 mph up these hills(quite a few stalled out or broke in two). They are both approximately 13 miles in length. The helpers push trains mainly over Angora Hill, but do also work on Dalton Hill. With the addition of the fourth unit on trains moving south to and out of of Denver, trains traveling over Dalton Hill make pretty good time on their own. This freed up the helpers to push trains up Angora Hill towards Alliance. There are two sets of helpers in service at Bridgeport, just south of Northport. These helpers are currently one man crew. A second mainline is in the planning stages for Angora Hill to help exepdite the movement of trains to and from the PRB. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
In what context is it used? Traction Invertor Capacitors? Traction Invertor Coolers? Traction Invertor Computer? Just guessing here. Without further info on how the term is used in your manual it is impossible to say. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
I'll have to dig the manual out to check it out. Thanks for what it MIGHT stand for!LOL! I just bet its capacitors. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Question for jerry! I was wanted to ask you if there are any first generation diesel units on any class one rail roads still in use... obviously besides UP's heritage fleet (love those E-9's, Best looking loco next to the Alco PA). You know like GP-9's, SD-9's or actually for any rail road for that fact. I remember seeing a kalmbach video on First Generation Diesels: A search for the survivors where they searched for first gens still working. Another Question: Why does Southern and Norfolk Southern have High Hoods... just when ever other road went to low hooded engines, they still have the High short hoods? Can any one shed some light on this Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
I know we still use either SD7 or SD9 units as switchers on the NS.As far as the High hoods the main reason they aren't converted to short hoods are that they house the bathroom in them.I really like walking into a highhood bathroom instead of ducking and crawling into a shorthood bathroom.Some of the units have a few stairs into the shorthood bathroom like the SD70 and SD60 and those are fine.The SD40 and -2's you almost have to crawl into and it aint fun trying to get in there on bad rail going 60mph. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Who decides what locomotives/consist arraignment are used to move a train load with? Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
In addition to the high head room in the "John" they usually ran their locomotives with long hood forward so it did not really make much difference if the hood in back was high or low. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
I am not sure of all the Class 1's, but BNSF and NS both do have SD9's still in service. I have seen both railroads using them around Birmingham in the last couple months. I think I may even have a photo of the BNSF unit, I'll have to dig. NS ordered high hoods as a safety measure. This was also the reason for running Long Hood forward. With the new and safer 'crew-cabs', high hoods will more then likely be phased out to shortlines, etc. You can still find First Generation diesels on many regional and shortlines all over America.
