How do locomotives travel from the manufacture to the owner?

howmus · October 26, 2005, 2:55pm

Yep, that’s what I meant. Couldn’t think of what they were called… Oldtimer’s disease?

steveblackledge · October 26, 2005, 3:00pm

EMD ship’s new loco’s to the UK in, well ships, they are then unloaded by crane onto the track and towed to there respective depot for inspection

RDG1519 · October 26, 2005, 6:08pm

EMD deliverered early EMD road locomotives from La Grange to Reading, PA via a B&O routing. They pulled trains and were not dead in tow. This according to the Dale Woodland books on Reading Power. I am sure they had an economic arrangement worked out for the miles used. I have seen pictures of new EMD switchers but don’t know if they were “pulling” or being “pulled”. Hope this helps.

timthechef · October 26, 2005, 6:50pm

I’ve seen pictures of English steam locos being loaded onto ships to be transported to India and Africa.

Anonymous · October 26, 2005, 8:22pm

I have seen pictures of new NS locos, unpainted leading a train. It had no markings except for the black road number under the cab. Can’t remember if it was in NS territory or not. Anyone remember?

Ira

electron · October 27, 2005, 5:22am

If you go to this web page:
http://www.railways.pilbara.net.au/sd40.html

Scroll to the photos at the bottom of the page, and you can see a SD40 being transported on public roads in Australia, on a huge, 168-wheel trailer.

Anonymous · October 27, 2005, 6:03am

Ray, it could be dementia, I think I got it too, can’t remember how to spell that!
Dragonriversteel, I’ve seen that pic too, real cool, make the train look like G scale!!!
I have seen a diseal on the back of a low loader truck! It had a few extra wheels under it! and it took 2 weeks to make the trip at bout 15mph!!! that was up in northern Western Australia, for BHP or someone, maybe Hamsly Iron. Danny

Anonymous · October 27, 2005, 5:52pm

Here’s how they used to do it:

trainfreek92 · October 27, 2005, 6:04pm

I would think that railroad would send a ennginer to pick it up at the factory. Just my[2c] Tim

oleirish · October 27, 2005, 6:12pm

During WWII Locomotives were shipped to Europe by ship.[2c]
JIM

Anonymous · October 27, 2005, 11:38pm

I have seen this too. I have seen pics of new power, just a day or two after “delivery” being used as the sole power on another roads train, with none of the “home road’s” units even in the consist.

Here is an example pic. http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=79175

I have also seen a brand new ( less than a week “old” )UP AC4400 leading a NS train that goes by my work place. I don’t think a railroad would ever put a “dead in tow” unit as the lead power of a train.

loathar · October 28, 2005, 3:17am

QUOTE: Originally posted by rdganthracite

QUOTE: [There would be clearance problems with the added height. Plus the loading and unloading problems. Easier to just run it dead-in-tow. Remember, most of them are coming from Erie PA or London Ont, eastern areas with the associated clearance issues.

There would be no more clearance problems than with double stack intermodals.

It is more a question of why would you bother to disconnect the traction motors, hand and air brakes, and sanders, remove the locomotive from its trucks. Have one crane hold the locomotive mid air. Then set each truck in place on the flat car, being very careful to get the spacing right. Then carefully setting the locomotive back down on the trucks and finally securing everything with blocking and tiedowns. Then when you get to the customer everything must be repeated in reverse.

Why go through all of that expense, and expose the locomotive to possible damage when it can be easily transported on its own wheels?

Yea… I was thinking why pay the riggers to lift it 5ft. up in the air when it doesn’t have any “flat tires” that it can’t roll on.Why not lease it for a one way trip and have it start making money from the time it leaves the assembly plant?