Was making up a roster for MILW locos that the SOO line absorbed and noticed a number of units noted as Locotrol master units and equipped for coal service and it raised a few questions.
Where the units used together? The info I got didn’t note any Locotrol units beside the master sets.
How did MILW equip it’s locos for coal service? Speaking of which, what coal service did MILW even offer?
The Milwaukee initially installed the Locotrol gear on their 10 SD45’s(4000-4009). These engines were renumbered to the 6-15(IIRC). Late some GP40’s and SD40-2’s got Locotrol gear and were numbered on top of them. I think the units could be set up as either Master or Slave units. What what I heard, this was used on mainline trains on the Pacific Extension.
Unit coal train came to the Milwaukee Road in a couple of flavors. A dedicated unit train for the Big Stone power plant(with special ‘covers’ on the coal cars). ran across South Dakota for many years. In the mid 70’s, the Milwaukee Road secured contracts to provide unit trains to the Columbia, WI power plant. Unit trains initially came off of the BN and were interchanged with the Milwaukee in St Paul, MN. For this service, 4 U30C locomotives and 2 wide vision cabooses were purchased(built to BN specs). Later these trains were interchanged out as Miles City, MT. SD40-2’s were also in the pool. I don’t not believe that Locotrol was used on any portion of these runs.
BN had ex-NP U-Boats with Locotrol Master gear, and converted ‘B-units’ with the Slave gear. They later purchased a lot of Locotrol equipped units(6800/6900 series SD40-2’s). Testing on the ‘Hi-Line’ resulting in a test car being damaged when they lost the radio link inside of Cascade Tunnel. This resulted in repeaters being installed in many tunnels before they could start any main line operation. Most of the Locotrol operations were done on unit coal trains originating out of the PRB.
If someone has more complete information about the Milwaukee’s Locotrol tests or operation, I would love to hear about it.
Jim