Why are EOT’s on the front of some locomotives to the right of the coupler, is it because its for a red light when the locomotive is being used as a DPU and would be where the EOT is, or is it just to store it there when not in use although in the pictures it seems like it is conected to the air hose.
here are some pic’s
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=191187
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=191216
Thanks for any help
Joe
I’m not sure about Canadien rules, but in America a DP train does not need an ETD as the trailing slave unit is considered the ETD. An ETD on a DP train would be redundant, as putting the lead locomotive in emergency would also put the trailing units in emergency at the same time, unlike having to manually dump the ETD on the head end device. Plus each time you stop a DP train you do a train check which checks for continuity of the brake pipe, so you always have verification of a continiuos trainline. This would check for tampering with the trainline or a blockage that may occur while stopped.
Some railroads will go ahead and hang them and link with the lead unit so they have a back up system should the dpu unit loose com while trying to apply emergency brakes. Looks on the train they are using the EOT for a marker instead of the head lights.
that eot is not hooked up, thats a side mount eot and that is its normal position. I would have had this inside the cab of the locomotive myself for storage.
My DPU manual has a section of FAQ and touches upon using an EOT with the DPU. It says that if the DPU is out of communication, most likely the EOT is also out of communication.
They could very well be using it as a marker. There has been some discussion that it might be better to have some other way of marking the end of the train than using the headlight on dim. My manual says they are looking into some other way, possibly something that would plug into the MU receptacle. The books over two years old and still using the headlights, so I don’t think it’s a top priority.
Jeff
The EOT is connected to the Air hose.
The Headlights on the motor are not on. So the EOT was being used as a marked.
Is it possible that the engine is shut down and just “dead in tow” when not required for power? A tad far fetched, but that could be motivated by fuel conservation efforts even if the savings would be rather small. In that case the EOT is actually needed.
It appears to be an air-driven EOT, so they could have it connected to keep the EOT hot. Despite what the manufacturer claims, the back-up batteries don’t last very long.
Nick
I’d have to dig, but there are rules for where a locomotive can be in the consist when “dead in tow,” and I don’t think the end of the train is one of them.
Is there even a specific place in the train they can be. I know working for the TPW in Illinois we had to pick up the mapleton power and take it back to east peoria, so we put the motor and its cars in the middle.
That was my first thought, but then I realized it just wanted to be close to Wilma.
The Canadian rules in this situation don’t require an EOT. If the trailing locomotive is red and has its lights on dim, it can get by without an EOT due to the locotrol equiptment in there.
As the photographer, I think I can shed a little light on this particular sitation - This train was parked in a siding, crewless, dark at both ends. IIRC, the EOT unit was whining, so it was being powered by trainline air.It WAS operating, even though it’s not required - I’ve seen this many times, and I don’t know why! This train doesn’t have an EOT. http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=191179&nseq=4 but if you look through more CP photos on railpics, you can see that some others do, and some others don’t.
Weird, eh? I think it’s probably just for efficiency. Sometimes they cut the DPU on before going over a subdivision with steep grades and cut it off again after, and I suppose that they might leave the EOT on the end so they won’t have to haul it to and from the front end.
you dont need a eot hooked up to be a marker. and because the head lights are not on dont mean anything either . The hoses are laying flat to me. that is why i say its not hooked up
And just because - I haven’t seen any yellow thingies lately. Even on the older motors…
For the new and uninformed - I saw bright yellow EOT holders on sides of engines and nearly caused a melt down with people looking for what I could only describe as yellow thingies.
Maybe you just had to be there!
Mookie
The EOT is hooked up. Is you look on the second picture you would see the narrow EOT hose wraps around the larger trainline hose and you’ll see the long metal end of the EOT hose behind the gladhand on the trainline. The other hose looks like an AUX hose from the other side, even though it looks a bit bigger than the ones I’ve seen. It’s probably hung there just for transport, we do it quite a bit around here on NS. Especially running light engines from one place to another to pick up a train, keeps the air powered EOT’s linked up.
For the EOT to be a marker especially in the air turbine ones you have to have it hooked up. And the headlights do mean something. The locomtive has to have its headlights on dim for it to be a rear marker. The headlights are not controlled from the lead if this is a dpu. The air hoses on the EOT and the motor are connected. If you look at a BNSF coal train it has the DPU headlights on dim. This is to provide a warning that there is something there. Say if you are in TWC and your train stalls and you have a DPU on the rear. The crew on the helper power or other train has to know where your rear of the train is. Granted the dispatcher will give you a proceed at restricted speed between the limits of ? & ? occupied by train. If you have a DPU and no headlights then you have no marker, unless you have an EOT, or if you have a red marker like on passenger trains. If you dont have a red light, or a red flag, then you dont have a complete train.
that EOT is hooked up. that model of EOT is an air drive type unit…and the air has to be cut in to even get the thing to turn on from a cold start…
csx engineer
well let me get this straight. For a eot to be a marker it must be hooked up? well that is wrong for a eot to give you a reading it must be hooked up, to be a marker it just needs to be mounted. reason is if the darn thing fails you have that big red area called a reflector that lights up big time at night i can see them way before the thing starts flashing. and that falls right in line with a red flag . and yes i know about the headlight being the marker on light engines and rear of train in dpu trains. but in the siding its not required to have your rear lit. just on the main. ( prove me wrong look it up in the rules) . the only way i would get a track warrent to make all moves at restrected speed would be in dark territory, in abs i run on signal indication, the only thing i agree with is if you dont have a marker you are not a train its just a cut of cars.
I checked my rule book…
NORAC Rule 24: On a main track or controlled siding outside of yard limits, the rear of a train must be identified by a marker as prescribed below:
a: Passenger trains, light engines and engines operating at the rear of a train must:
b: Trains other than passenger trains must be equipped with an illuminated marking device under the following conditions:
The EOT is question is powered by an air turbine. Such EOTs will not function unless connected to an air supply.
Nick
yes you got me I forgot about the controlled siding , most sidings are not controlled and as such no marker is needed for your train, also the air powered units also have a aux power sorce, I may be wrong its not battery but probley a condenser that stores power then powers the eot when there is no air powering the unit. The whole key here was that the guys kept saying you cant have a marker if the air hoses was not connected and that is simply wrong. it has a reflector to mark the rear of train. so in case it fails ( and i have had air power units fail) you still have the reflector marking your train. day and night.