Switching with loco both ends of train

[Engfanuk]

On my layout plans I'm thinking of ditching the runaround after settling on a New Jersey CSAO theme and seeing photos of trains running with locomotives both ends of train to handle trailing and facing switches. However I'm unclear how this is handled proto typically.

I can imagine a train switching a facing point would run past it, disconnect the forward locomotive, the rear locomotive would reverse past the switch and then shove the train into the spur. I'd like to check that with the forum.

Thanks,

Steve.

[Charlie B]

That is exactly how it is done and our local only had one engineer most of the time so there were times he had to change ends of the train by walking.
Easily modeled with DCC.
Charlie

[Engfanuk]

Thanks Charlie!

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

With a unit on both end of the train would they typically switch switch everything in one direction then switch the opposite direction on their way back to the yard?

[Charlie B]

With traffic on the main line most locals have to work everything in order as it comes. The dispatcher may not be able to give you the track time to go back. Most times our local would outlaw at the end of their route and have to tie down the train and wait for a taxi. They would make the return move the next day and then work as much of the local traffic as they could. Our local had a dedicated crew for a long time, then they finally put the job on the extra board and would send a second crew to work it if one was available.
You can also allow for a crew having trouble working a set off such as a switch not working, Stalled power, or a derailed car. Lots of interesting scenarios, even crews that dog it. also allow time to install a FRED in the rear coupler even if it is a locomotive. They traveled with the rear most headlight on dim as a marker.
While the local is on the move the tailing unit just acts like it was a caboose, sometimes a crew member will ride in the unit too. Some times the crew would place both units together when they were ready to return to the main yard. And the rear unit would have a FRED stuck in the rear coupler too.
Adding a local adds lots of possibilities, whether it has two locomotives or just the old fashioned job with a cabin and a 5 man crew.
I hope these ramblings make some sense to you.
Charlie

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

That made perfect sense Charlie. Thank you! I didn't take into consideration of the local tying up the main so that would add to the operation.

[Engfanuk]

Thanks too for extra info. I hadn't considered those scenarios either and could be fun.

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I don't have any pictures, but I've seen my local CSAO freight on the Pemberton Industrial track travel east from Pavonia yard with a locomotive on each end, and then return to Pavonia with both engines on the west end of the train. All switching was done as the train traveled back west to Pavonia Yard.

Presumably, the dual engines allowed the train to be "bi-directional".

[kamerad47]

I know 99% of the time NS use's 2 GP 38 front & back to switch a branchline near me. This is the way I'm using NS to deliver cars to the PRT interchnge on my layout !!!!! hock: :o

[Charlie B]

Here is a local that appears to be over powered for sure .    
Charlie

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

10,000 hp for one boxcar? Seems reasonable

[Brakie]

As far as runaround moves..

The majority of conductors I worked with would not make a time consuming runaround move but,would elect to switch the facing point setouts on our return trip out of the urban industrial lead.

Another thing these old heads would do is after making the last trailing point setout and if we had no work beyond that point we would simply reverse move back to the yard out of the industrial lead.

If there was a store by a street crossing we would some times tied down and get a bottle of pop.

[Rscott417]

In the town I grew up in there was a warehouse that received boxcars on a pretty regular basis. They would normally run 2 engines double ended but there were a few times they would run both engines in the front. When they ran both together in the front, it was a pretty insane operation. They would uncouple from the cars to be delivered, reverse into the siding and couple to the empty cars, gun it forward then uncouple from those cars, go through the switch, throw the switch and gun it in reverse again, once cleared from the switch they would throw it again and let the boxcars coast through it then couple to them. They would then couple to the cars to be delivered and spot them on the siding. I found some photos of this siding, it's the first 20 photos. Also they often used 6 axle power. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locThumbs.aspx?id=92176">http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locThu ... x?id=92176</a><!-- m -->

[Rscott417]

Here's a few photos of the described operation above...gone wrong.

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

Someone got to go for a pee test