02-23-2018, 08:34 PM
Thanks, Charlie. Now that you mention it, it makes sense that the switchers would have a setting where the brakes would function the same as if they were one of those hoppers. I knew that the ALCo wasn't equipped with mu.
Our switchers, mostly SW 9s, at the steel plant where I worked, had no mu capabilities, either, but they did have air hoses. However, none of the in-plant (non-interchange) cars had air brakes, so when a locomotive was hustling a bunch of heats from the stripper building to our mill, perhaps 42 loaded ingot buggies and maybe 10 or 12 empty ones (I don't know the weight of an empty ingot buggy but most still had the mould stools on them, perhaps 15-20 tons/buggy plus the weight of 3 stools and those "empty ones" sometimes also had empty moulds on them. An ingot mould generally weighs about the same as the ingot in it, so the "empty" buggies might weigh an average of 40 tons apiece. The loaded buggies would be the same weight (because the mould stools would still be on them), plus the weight of the three ingots on each - for this theoretical example, let's say 10 tons apiece.
The 42 loaded buggies, plus 10 empty ones, all at 40 tons, plus the 126 ten-ton ingots works out to 3340 tons. While there was supposedly a speed limit on in-plant trains, when the mill needed steel, that rule sorta got overlooked - a minute delay on the roller line cost in the thousands of dollars. Most of the hustle took place between the stripper and the mill, but a locomotive with the only brakes on such a train doesn't stop all that quickly. As the locomotive pushed that drag into the mill, and the engineer got the signal from the switchman to stop for the first spot, when the brakes were applied, the slack in the buggies ran out very quickly (and audibly) and dragged the locomotive along with it...maybe 50' or 60'. A good engineer with a good switchman could gauge that run-out, and the necessary buggies would stop right where they were needed.
However, inexperienced help, either in the cab or on the ground, usually meant things sailed right past their intended destination, and that required taking slack to get the whole drag moving again, hopefully not so fast that they'd miss again.
Very impressive to see...and hear.
EDIT: Oh, yeah, almost forgot....Soo Line boxcar...
![[Image: Photos%20from%20the%20Illinois%20Railway...%20024.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Proto%20foe-toes%20II/Photos%20from%20the%20Illinois%20Railway%20Museum%20etc.%20-%20%20July%202009%20024.jpg)
Wayne
Our switchers, mostly SW 9s, at the steel plant where I worked, had no mu capabilities, either, but they did have air hoses. However, none of the in-plant (non-interchange) cars had air brakes, so when a locomotive was hustling a bunch of heats from the stripper building to our mill, perhaps 42 loaded ingot buggies and maybe 10 or 12 empty ones (I don't know the weight of an empty ingot buggy but most still had the mould stools on them, perhaps 15-20 tons/buggy plus the weight of 3 stools and those "empty ones" sometimes also had empty moulds on them. An ingot mould generally weighs about the same as the ingot in it, so the "empty" buggies might weigh an average of 40 tons apiece. The loaded buggies would be the same weight (because the mould stools would still be on them), plus the weight of the three ingots on each - for this theoretical example, let's say 10 tons apiece.
The 42 loaded buggies, plus 10 empty ones, all at 40 tons, plus the 126 ten-ton ingots works out to 3340 tons. While there was supposedly a speed limit on in-plant trains, when the mill needed steel, that rule sorta got overlooked - a minute delay on the roller line cost in the thousands of dollars. Most of the hustle took place between the stripper and the mill, but a locomotive with the only brakes on such a train doesn't stop all that quickly. As the locomotive pushed that drag into the mill, and the engineer got the signal from the switchman to stop for the first spot, when the brakes were applied, the slack in the buggies ran out very quickly (and audibly) and dragged the locomotive along with it...maybe 50' or 60'. A good engineer with a good switchman could gauge that run-out, and the necessary buggies would stop right where they were needed.
However, inexperienced help, either in the cab or on the ground, usually meant things sailed right past their intended destination, and that required taking slack to get the whole drag moving again, hopefully not so fast that they'd miss again.
Very impressive to see...and hear.
EDIT: Oh, yeah, almost forgot....Soo Line boxcar...
Wayne