If so how? (padlock,latch,ect.)
The Wisconsin & Southern uses a hasp and, I imagine, a padlock on the top of the door. I’ve never seen one locked, but at least they’re ready if they need it! Cool detail, and I’ve taken pictures of specifically the hasp.
-Mark
www.fuzzyworld3.com
The door latch has an integral lock. Railroads generally have all locomotive door locks keyed alike, often worked by their standard switch key.
For extra security the reverser handle is removable when set in the “Neutral” position. The crew will generally set the reverser to Neutral and take the handle with them, rendering the engine unable to move under its own power.
CN and IC&E use padlocks.They’re the only railroads in my area that have tied the trains down for over 24 hours.
Most doors have internal locks.
Huh. Last I looked CN used the built-in lock keyed to the switch keys - at least, that’s what I thought they did.
I don’t suppose you noticed if CN were using switch locks to lock up engines?
Thanks for the responses guys. I’ve just never paid attention before, and I’ve been on many locomotives. I know I’ve never seen one locked.
At the railway museum I volunteer at, we remove the reversing lever and just hide it in some place where the operators know where to look. It’s a bit hard to do on a steamer [:)][:D].
Actually, on our operating steam locomotive, when we leave it steamed up overnight, we have a chainlink grate which we put at the back of the cab. Like all security, it’s just psychological–you could still come in from the front door (not hard at all) or if you were really dedicated, through the window or roof hatch.
We aren’t that worried about people steaming up and hijacking a cold steamer [:)]!
Sincerely,
Daniel Parks
Most locomotives have either a hasp welded on, or a sliding bolt with a padlock(UPs favorite)…some have a lock built in, but I have only seen one like that, a CN unit.
As for locking the locomotive up, most crews never do…its too easy to get in anywhay, and the odds of a relief crew having a key are slim.
When we relieve the BNSF, UP ot the KCS, and they left the train tied down in a siding, we dont have their switch keys, or keys to the door lock…if I had a key for all the railroads that run into the port, I would have a pretty big key ring to haul around…
I have never found a locomotive locked up…as pointed out, the crew leaving either takes the reverser, or hide it, (most engineers have a spare for this reason) so the train aint going anywhere, and even if someone managed to steal one, where are they going to go that you cant find them?
Imagine someone does steal one…If i were the dispatcher or the super, shoot, I line them up for a few miles and let her rip all he wanted to…after all, they will either run of of fuel, or screw up and derail.
Either way, the bad guy gets caught…and most of the bad guys know this already.
Its not like you can “evade” the cops in a locomotive!
Ed
I know that on the NS’s Harissburg Division the crews use a pad lock on the nose door. I don’t know about the side doors.
Ed I hear you in this situation. I 've often wondered what will happen if someone or me (lol) just decided to hop up on a locomotive and take it for a spin ( I personally wish I had the power to do that) ??/ I don’t think the railroad would be too worried about were it’s going to end up because (unless there’s some kind of crane and a transport vehicle) there is no way they are going to get it off the tracks. I would most likly be worried if the person operating knows the signals and territory, and does he know the line ups?? I wouldn’t want him causeing other trains to be late or worse yet creating a derailment or collision. So I (like Ed said) if I were a dispatcher I would set him up, then he’d run out of fuel, then I would call the railroad police and have him arrested or something like that. Then I guess the railroad would need to do an inspection to see if he screwed anything up.
If memory serves me,which is doubtful, I read a story where a imbalanced young man managed to convince a commuter lines engineer that he was the relief engineer, and took off with the evening scoot…managed to hit all the station stops on time, and brought it in to the house on the advertised…where he was promptly arrested.
Not a single complaint from the commuters, they had no idea a “fan” was running the train…
Ed
Soooo [}:)] …If I come over there and take a locomotive you would line me up with a few miles of track hu??? Man don’t tempt me like that !!!
Just kidding [8D]
We dont leave Harris county…and you would run out of track quite quickly…and when it runs out, all thats left is the ship channel and Galveston Bay…last time we tried, locomotives and rail cars dont float to well!
But I can get you a tour of one of our MK1500Ds, and a short ride.
Hey, ever done any flat switching, could use a third man for a few hours!
Ed
Careful, you’ll give the latest incarnation of kickmytrainfinder an idea.
Round these parts all cabs have integral locks, usually operated with a carriage key (no, not a key shaped like a carriage, but a 3/8" square key)
Shhhh, there is a reason I didnt tell him what kind of locks we have…[:D]
[:0]That would be way cool Ed[8D]. If I lived closer I would definately take you up on the offer. Unfortunately El Paso is the closest I’ve ever been to Houston and I don’t think that will change any time soon. Thanks for the offer though.
Oh well…
By the way, I was born in National City…
Ed
The Cable company I run serves National City as well as Chula Vista. Small world eh?
All the CP loco’s I have ever been on had integrated locks on the doors that required a “cab” key.
Rarely are the loco’s locked though, because there are actually very few emplyees that have or carry cab keys.