Obviously they’re not allowed to speed, but what if an engineer wants to go 5 to 10 mph slower than the recommended speed limit? Also, what about train handling in general… acceleration through curves, braking etc… is it still mostly up to the engineer or are there hard and fast rules that must be followed?
Become familiar with the following rules
https://www.scribd.com/document/81871136/CSX-ABTH-Rules-7-1-2004
There have been further updates since these were published.
I believe the engineer’s chief responsibility is running the locomotive safely and not causing any damage.
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-Kevin
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Thanks BaltACD… my reading material for the Christmas break…
Because of examples like that, more than ever I am so glad that I retired.
I do miss running trains, and think that being an Engineer is one of the coolest jobs. However, I absolutely do not miss the incredible amounts of BS that current employees must deal with.
Yeah, what you said.
Desktops and anything with a cowl/full width carbody are awful to run in reverse, and our C40-8M’s have both. Nevertheless, I have gotten to run them backwards for some pretty long stretches, and it is NOT fun. Hopefully they will follow the SD50F’s and SD60F’s to the scrap heap, the sooner the better.
There are some locations where guys run certain trains at less than track speed to better the chance of coming through in one piece (prevent broken knuckles and drawbars that is). In some areas certain trains are restricted to a lower speed for the same reason.
In general intermodals are pretty easy to run. Less slack and less weight per car length, but their air brakes may not work as well as one would think, as 5-packs and 3-packs have 3 and 2 brake valves respectively. Weighs 5 cars but only has the brakes of 3.
Loaded or empty unit trains aren’t too bad either, and anything longer than 110 cars or heavy enough to require more than 2 units will be in DP (out here anyway, CN loads everything down to 0.4 or 0.5 HPT). DP really helps, your air brakes react far more quickly and having mid-train or tail end power really helps manage slack.
The worst trains to run are long, conventional (all units on the head end) manifests. Lots of slack and mixed up loads and empties. The worst configuration is autoracks ahead of heavily loaded cars (think of a slinky with a dumbell on the end, and your hand is the locomotive).
Sometimes there is little you can do to keep a crappy train in one piece, even if you follow all the train handling rules. You’ll be cruising along at less than the speed limit in moderate to heavy throttle and all o
Had the opportunity at one time to operate one of CSX’s ‘Train Simulator’ computer set ups - A over the road highway trailer set up with 4 rooms that were outfitted with operating control stand with operating air gauges etc. + a video screen of the territory being operated over - off to the side was a video screen that displayed a video representation of the train and how the slack was moving through the train as the train moved over the terrain.
The simulation had the ability to operate ‘any train’ that had ever oprated on the CSX main frame computer over any territory on CSX.
The equipment was being used across the system by Road Foremen of Engines to assist their engineers in their operating practices over their territories.
I found it illuminating to watch how the operation of throttle, air brakes and dynamic brakes affected the slack of the train and how it all interacted with the terrain over which the train was operating. With the size trains being operated then it seemed very easy to induce free running slack within the train sufficient to br
[quote user=“BaltACD”]
SD70Dude
The worst trains to run are long, conventional (all units on the head end) manifests. Lots of slack and mixed up loads and empties. The worst configuration is autoracks ahead of heavily loaded cars (think of a slinky with a dumbell on the end, and your hand is the locomotive).Sometimes there is little you can do to keep a crappy train in one piece, even if you follow all the train handling rules. You’ll be cruising along at less than the speed limit in moderate to heavy throttle and all of a sudden the air goes, with no discernable run in or run out (slack) at the head end. But the middle of the train was doing something very different.
Had the opportunity at one time to operate one of CSX’s ‘Train Simulator’ computer set ups - A over the road highway trailer set up with 4 rooms that were outfitted with operating control stand with operating air gauges etc. + a video screen of the territory being operated over - off to the side was a video screen that displayed a video representation of the train and how the slack was moving through the train as the train moved over the terrain.
The simulation had the ability to operate ‘any train’ that had ever oprated on the CSX main frame computer over any territory on CSX.
The equipment was being used across the system by Road Foremen of Engines to assist their engineers in their operating practices over their territories.
I found it illuminating to watch how the operation of throttle, air brakes and dynamic brakes affected the slack of the train and how it all interacted with the t
OK, so I don’t operate 100 car trains, but the difference between our usual “local” 3-4 car trains and our 13 car holiday trains is very noticable. Plus, the “cargo” will definitely notice some bad train handling…
A friend has assembled a full AAR stand that will run MSTS. I’d love to put together a min-version of what Balt described to take to train shows, etc, mounted in a small trailer with two sets of processors so the changeover between “customers” would be relatively seamless. I’m sure the railfans at the shows would lay out some cash for the opportunity to run it…
[quote user=“Shadow the Cats owner”]
BaltACD
SD70Dude
The worst trains to run are long, conventional (all units on the head end) manifests. Lots of slack and mixed up loads and empties. The worst configuration is autoracks ahead of heavily loaded cars (think of a slinky with a dumbell on the end, and your hand is the locomotive).Sometimes there is little you can do to keep a crappy train in one piece, even if you follow all the train handling rules. You’ll be cruising along at less than the speed limit in moderate to heavy throttle and all of a sudden the air goes, with no discernable run in or run out (slack) at the head end. But the middle of the train was doing something very different.
Had the opportunity at one time to operate one of CSX’s ‘Train Simulator’ computer set ups - A over the road highway trailer set up with 4 rooms that were outfitted with operating control stand with operating air gauges etc. + a video screen of the territory being operated over - off to the side was a video screen that displayed a video representation of the train and how the slack was moving through the train as the train moved over the terrain.
The simulation had the ability to operate ‘any train’ that had ever oprated on the CSX main frame computer over any territory on CSX.
The equipment was being used across the system by Road Foremen of Engines to assist their engineers in their operating practices over their territories.
I found it illuminating to watch how the operation of throttle, air brak
[quote user=“SD70Dude”]
zardoz
I do miss running trains, and think that being an Engineer is one of the coolest jobs. However, I absolutely do not miss the incredible amounts of BS that current employees must deal with.
Yeah, what you said.
Desktops and anything with a cowl/full width carbody are awful to run in reverse, and our C40-8M’s have both. Nevertheless, I have gotten to run them backwards for some pretty long stretches, and it is NOT fun. Hopefully they will follow the SD50F’s and SD60F’s to the scrap heap, the sooner the better.
There are some locations where guys run certain trains at less than track speed to better the chance of coming through in one piece (prevent broken knuckles and drawbars that is). In some areas certain trains are restricted to a lower speed for the same reason.
In general intermodals are pretty easy to run. Less slack and less weight per car length, but their air brakes may not work as well as one would think, as 5-packs and 3-packs have 3 and 2 brake valves respectively. Weighs 5 cars but only has the brakes of 3.
Loaded or empty unit trains aren’t too bad either, and anything longer than 110 cars or heavy enough to require more than 2 units will be in DP (out here anyway, CN loads everything down to 0.4 or 0.5 HPT). DP really helps, your air brakes react far more quickly and having mid-train or tail end power really helps manage slack.
The worst trains to run are long, conventional (all units on the head end) manifests. Lots of slack and mixed up loads and empties. The worst configuration is autoracks ahead of heavily loaded cars (think of a slinky with a dumbell on the end, and your hand is the locomotive).
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Whatever he needs to ensure a safe operation within the rules.
Great commentary… thanks…