I've noticed that Norfolk Southern has started putting yellow plate-like things on the sides of their truck frames. Usually not all the trucks, but just one on each locomotive, and I was just wondering if anyone here knew what these were. Thanks, Thomas.
Hi Thomas, welcome to the Train Board, happy to have you aboard. I don't have an answer, but I'm sure somebody here will know.
Without seeing a picture, I believe those are spare EOT/ETD hangers, so they aren't just tossed on the walkways or in the cab on the floor.
Alright, thanks guys, I appreciate the fast responses! And thanks for the welcome, Im glad to be here! Its nice to have someplace to turn for answers to little questions like this!
Now we have yet another detail to add to our model locomotives. I wonder how long before the mfgs add this detail part to their line (or will they)? Is this EOT hanger only used on NS?
yeah, thats the do hicky brakie , thanks for the great modeling photo of it too!! Yeah I have only seen these on NS, and they seem to have just started adding them themselves.
OK ... so what bit of Magic "HOLDS" the lil yellow Do-Hicky on the side of the truck? And if the EOT Hanger is up front ridin on the Engine ... Where-oh-Where is the EOT DEVICE?? mg:
The hanger is used to transport extra EOT's to other terminals or when grain power is sent out light to pick up a train. It is just a easy place to get to and you don't have to lift the EOT onto the platform and into the cab. They aren't light and suck to get up there. The hanger is bolted to the trucks I think. I will check when I go to work tonight.
My friend contends they made them just heavy enough to keep them from being stolen, but not light enough to require two workers to lift it, thereby cutting manpower costs. He still calls them FRED's. F-ing Really Evil Devices I can't belive NS would actually do something to make the employees lot a little easier. They must have conducted a thorough CBA and determined they could save 7.3 minutes of labor cost by putting the mount in such a handy (well, it still is the opposite end of were the EOT goes) location. I'm surprised they didn't put it on the roof...with the required SAFETY stickers reminding you NOT TO DROP EXPENSIVE COMPANY EQUIPMENT while you were trying to defy the laws of physics getting it up there. Hmmmm...maybe I'm just to cynical. -Mark
they are held on by just like they are on the coupler. a groove shaped like this ">" fits over a pin on the holder above the > is a L shaped finger that you screw to tighten. I have seen the holders on many units but never seen one used, nor used one. I just attach the eot to the units coupler or put it in the nose. I have seen others that just put them up behind the plow, actually it fits there pretty good too so I've heard ;-)
