Welcome to the Trainboard Joe. I don't happen to be a CSX Fan however if you could be a little more specific on the help or info your looking for maybe I could help or might give others looking in a little more to work with. Thanks and look forward to you finding out what you need. Hope you enjoy Glen
Thanks Glen. If you go out to RailPicures.net look up CSX SD60 #8786. Take a look at the long hood, engineer side right above the "CSX" and tell me what that is sticking out from the body. They have them on both sides so I'm wondering if it is a antenna or strobes or something else? Joe
Welcome aboard, ATSF JOE, another of us from the Pacific NW. Can't help with the CSX question. Looks like a microphone?
Hi Joe, welcome aboard. I enjoyed having the CSX (ex-L&N, Mobile & New Orleans Division) as my back door neighbor for 15 years, but I don't know anything about the company's details. However, there are some TB members who also are CSX employees. So I hope you'll get some answers.
I asked this question a while back and got no response. You might try posting this in our CSX Forum, where it might be seen better by someone who'd not normally read a New Member Intro.
Thanks Joe, on 8758 it looks like Winterization hatches if your talking about around the windows, of which you can get from Shapeways, a member named wutterman makes some. Below you will find the link. http://www.trainboard.com/highball/...ducts-from-wutter-vehicles-and-details.87209/ If that isn't the item let me know I'll take another look. Glen
Glen- I believe he means back behind the cab, on the hood side. It looks like a strobe light. On the left hand engine, below that looks like a speaker.
All, thank you for the help on this, but why would they have a mic on a beast such as a SD60? Is it a eastern thing? lol
On our home page: http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php Scroll down to "Todays' RailRoads", and click into The Ready Track.
Is it possible that it is used in yard service and set up for remote control? The strobe could therefore be a warning for those on the ground? And welcome aboard!
All, after doing a little more digging it looks like it a small flasher. I'm not sure what it's used for but I hope to find out soon.
All, I figured it out last night when I had a discussion with my retired ATSF conductor and retired BNSF dispatcher buddies. They both confirmed that this a warning beacon for the train crew, mainly the engineer letting him know that the locomotive has either shut down or is starting up. This is a common practice that the railroads do to conserve fuel while sitting in a siding. What happens is that the train will pull to a stop and after a period of time all the units except for the lead unit will shutdown (going into conservation mode). Then when the dispatcher gives the train crew the switch the engineer notches the throttle on the lead unit to 1 and the trailing units restart thus triggering the startup alarm and small strobe. Most railroads use an electronic bell/alarm to indicate start up, but CSX went a step further and added the strobe for a visual as well thus the reason the strobe is only on the engineer side. ATSFJoe
Joe, glad you found your answer. Also happy that CSX, probably others, installed this to notify the lead engineer that everything is working as it should.
