When multi locos are selected for a run, how & who chooses the lead?
I can’t help but think when I see multi units going by, with the oldest and smallest (say an SD40) leading a Dash 9 or an SD 75I, something with a wide cab, that the crew must be cursing someone because they are in the unit they are in vs. the bigger / better riding cabs that they could be in.
So who ,makes up the combination and is there no effort or concern to give the crew the best ride possible?
I welcome comments from those who are crew. What goes through your mind on this matter and have you tried to address this?
There can be alot of reasons and you might get alot of answers on this one. Many guidelines are not always followed. One thing I’ll mention is that when I see trains returning on a turn the lead unit just happens to be what had earlier been the trailing unit by chance. I’ve even rarely but recently seen long hood forward because of this.
Some units cannot lead, ie; B units, ditch lighting, pilots and cab signaling where required.
Some crews will live with a crappy lead unit because they would have to wye or switch the units around themselves as long as it’s not against the rules.
One of the things I noticed one day was a westbound CP freight that was identified on the radio as being CP 8563 (an AC440CW), but when the train approached, SOO 774 (SD40-2) was leading and the 8563 was second unit behind it, elephant-style. Can someone explain this one?
Technicaly the engine number is supposed to be the number board that is lit up. In rare surcomstances this might not be the lead unit. Crews don’t follow this rule to the book anymore because it is not usualy as critical as it once was.
It could be a variety of reasons like the lead unit of your train was picked up after leaving the terminal. Or that it was a helper unit. Or it could have been a work extra with the 8563.
But I have. PRR and PC out of Morrisville yard would sometimes send out a local with a GP9 and a GP9B. The B unit was either in the lead on the outbound trip or on the return. I’m sure that this happened elsewhere on the system.