Are the road numbers of the Locomotives also supposed to be inside of the cabin?
Crews are constantly assigned to new locomotives.
If an Engineer or Conductor is talking to the dispatcher do they always have to reference the number of the lead unit?
How would the railroads make a visual notation to the road numbers inside the crew cabins?
Andrew Falconer
Its written there. And I believe the ID unit is the controlling unit…I remember soemthing aobut it from GCOR…ill try to get it tomorow.
Andrew
Most railroads do put the locomotive’s number inside the cab. It can be found in several different places, one of them being above the steps (wide cab loco or conventional cab going down into the toliet) and in large print. Some locos will have small lighted panels with the loco number printed on them. Some people will take White Out and write the numbers on the dials in front of them so they do not have to look up to see the number.
The controlling unit is supposed to be the “order engine” or the unit by which the train is identified and it is also supposed to be the lead unit. But it does not have to be.
What does have to be is that the unit is in the locomotive consist and only that unit may have its train indicator lit.
(The train indicator is where the numbers are located along with lights so that they can be read at night and bright enough to see that they are or are not lit during daylight - also called the number board. No doubt, it has other names as well.)
The are two reasons for the exceptions:
FIRST in the event a unit goes down the train may still operate to a repair point or other place where the locomotive consist can be adjusted and also not need to change the “order engine”. The making of this change can be daunting depending upon how many others have “orders” or “lineups” against this train. Before the train could move, all of these others MUST be notified.
SECOND is where the locomotive is operating in “reverse”. An example is a local (or patrol) that has two or more units. It can use the same engine number going both ways.
If the engineer is not in the lead unit, certain restrictions apply to insure safety, such as very restrictive speed limits as well as other restrictions.
Maybe I am wrong but it seems like when I was little all of the engines in a consist had their numberboards lighted. I am speaking of Frisco tho and Frisco was merged in BN in 1980, and I have slept once or twice since then. [;)]
I have noticed that, mainly on CSX, the numberboards on all of the locomotives in the consist were lit.
Not living within 1500 miles of a CSX line, I can’t really comment on their practices.
However, when last I took the Conductors Exam and the Controll Operators Exam, it was required that only the “order engine” number boards be lit – all others must be dark.
This was so that any person trying to ID the train for “train order” reasons can easily ID the train. If you make the wrong ID, it can be a fatal error – and has been altogether too many times.
I remember it seemed like all units used to have them on when I was a little kid. Now it’s like, “Oh wow, a lit numberboard on the third unit!”
Numberboards are to be dark on all but the leading end of the lead unit. I believe that is a FRA regulation but it is not uncommon to see them all lit up.
I recall seeing many units with the locomotive number written or stenciled just above the sun visors above the windshield on both sides of the inside of the cab. Also, I have seen some with the unit number written or stenciled on the control stand so the crew can easily recall it.
I remember sitting by the cab in the GO train, and the engineer would always quote the unit number with the train number when calling the dispatcher.
What about a sheet of plastic in a slot with self adhesive letters and numbers for the reporting marks and road number for the numerous roaming road units? It would be a good reminder for the crews.
Andrew Falconer
Stuff is written all over the place by engineers and conductors. Ive been in a cab with the number written on windows,control stands,speedometer, and just along the inside of the cab.
Alec
Most railroads put plastic sticker letters and numbers over the front windows of their locos,as seen in this picture of the NS 2699.And the leased locos will have their initials and numbers done in the same way.It’s always nice when this area is kept clean to see the numbers.As many locomotives that you get on,in time all the numbers run together. 
Here is an exapmle. http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=3&TOPIC_ID=62848 Look on the second post down at CSX locos. You can see that the number boards are lit.
If a locomotive is on it’s home road, it’s referred to as simply “1234.” But if a leaser/loaner/run-through engine is on the point, where the owning RR is the XYZ RR, it’ll be referred to as “xyz 1234.” The number on the locomotive never changes, and any locomotive I’ve been in has its number plainly posted in the cab.