Would anyone be interested in the "Photography Game" here?

[Charlie B]

Nickle Plate box car     Charlie

[bdw9535]

ATSF box car at Millville, NJ April 1993

Bruce

[Charlie B]

BAR 6134 Leetsdale, Pa Feb. 1981     Charlie

[doctorwayne]

East Broad Top boxcar...



Wayne

[Charlie B]

SOO line Box Car     Charlie

[cn nutbar]

SOO SD60 6014

[Charlie B]

Conrail SD35 6014     Charlie

[bdw9535]

CR box cars at Phila., PA

Bruce

[X 3829]

Conrail SD35 6014 [ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]Charlie

interesting train with all those locomotives. Whats the reason for this?

[Charlie B]

Those were on the way to the Collingwood Shops for rebuild if possible and scrapping if not.

[doctorwayne]

Charlie, are the hoppers interspersed among the locomotives for braking purposes? I'm guessing that since it's unlikely that the switchers would have mu connections, the independent brake won't activate (even if they were coupled directly to the lead units) and the switcher's train-braking function won't work if the switcher isn't under its own power. In that case, I assume that the switchers' air hoses are simply to complete the brakepipe between the hoppers, which, with the lead locomotives, provide all of the braking for the train. The switchers are along only for the ride, or am I misunderstanding how things function?

Wayne

[Charlie B]

Charlie, are the hoppers interspersed among the locomotives for braking purposes? I'm guessing that since it's unlikely that the switchers would have mu connections, the independent brake won't activate (even if they were coupled directly to the lead units) and the switcher's train-braking function won't work if the switcher isn't under its own power. In that case, I assume that the switchers' air hoses are simply to complete the brakepipe between the hoppers, which, with the lead locomotives, provide all of the braking for the train. The switchers are along only for the ride, or am I misunderstanding how things function?

Wayne

Wayne, the locomotive brakes have a setting that allows them to operate with the train brake. I believe the main reservoirs function like the reservoirs on the cars. The hoppers were added to supply extra brakes though I have seen them move locomotives without the extra cars. Without the extra cars they could be set to function with the independent but I think that requires that they do have MU hoses for the brake. I never had nor could I MU. The ALCo wasn't equiped.
They could not leave the yard without all of the brakes functioning. I know the locals now use a locomotive at either end and the engineer walks from one end to the other. With the new 26 brake all you do is turn one knob to set the brake for an in tow position which makes the brake function with the train line, Sorry I can't remember what that position is called.
Charlie

[doctorwayne]

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...



Wayne

[Charlie B]

here is a link to a manual on the 14EL brake similar to the one on the ALCo. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.hawaiianrailway.org/maintenance/14-ELBrakeEquipment.pdf">http://www.hawaiianrailway.org/maintena ... ipment.pdf</a><!-- m --> page 34 describes changing ends so probably is referring to units that had a cab on either end, but setting the brake to the proper position is detailed, and you did the same thing to set it up to run with the train line. It is more complicated than the 26 brake.
Middletown and New Jersey Box Car     Charlie

[doctorwayne]

here is a link to a manual on the 14EL brake ......

After going through that link, I know that railroad CEOs, managers, operations employees, and particularly switchmen will be thankful that they won't see me on the righthand seat of a locomotive. The technology is certainly interesting, though.

...and I'll see your boxcar with an upsidedown boxcar...



Wayne