CN Dash 8-41CW on a local switch job?

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Saw one of the former C&NW Dash 8-41CW units on CN in Green Bay tonight, working the west side “Park Job” (former GB&W trackage in the west side industrial park). Seems like sort of overkill for the dozen or so cars that he was moving. Lots of switching in the industrial park. That big power must be heck on the light trackage and tight curves. Must be a pig on fuel also. CN must really be strapped for switch power to do something like that.

3

I heard the RTC talking to 2101 (C40-8) yesterday about needing an authority down the Fox River Sub. Was that him? The Power Desk will use whatevers there if that’s what they have.

4

4 axle locomotives which are used for most local freight type jobs (both yard and road) because they are easier on industrial type trackage, are becoming more rare as the years go by. Many local freight type jobs are using 6 axle engines because in many instances, they are the only ones available.

5

CSX out of Bostic Yard in NC use an AC4400 for the local freights. Have been for several years now. The only 4 axles I see are on MOW trains and the CSX yard in Charlotte has an MP15 or two.

6

While it may seem a little odd at a glance, this might actually be an efficient use of power as far as CN is concerned.

If there was no readily available “normal” switching power, probably a GP or SW unit, or the like, just sitting around Green Bay, they (CN) were faced with a few choices:

  1. wait for a 4-axle unit to become available which might not be for awhile

  2. use whatever power wasn’t already being used or assigned, usually road-power waiting around for their next road assignment.

Since it often has to sit for extended periods of time idling, using road-power on locals or switch jobs can be a good locomotive-utilization strategy.

For instance, in CN’s Stevens Point yard it is normal procedure for the locomotive consist of a road freight to “put together” their own train with several shorter cuts from numerous yard tracks before departing. This not only puts to use the road locomotives that would be just idling, but also allows the 2 yard switch jobs in the form of a GP9RM & slug, SW-1500s, or GP38-2s or GP40s to keep classifying and kicking cars. [2c]

7

To the Second Point by WC3000;

While living in the Memphis tn. area there was an L&N RR local that operated up the then existant former NC&St.L main line that ran out to Lenow,Tn. (probably about 10/11 miles) and then back in, and from the Leawood Yard out to Brownsville Tn. It was a 5 day a week s

8

I don`t see the big deal. Could have been an AC6000. For all we know the crew had a large move of cars to do afterwords.