I see this all the time and would like to know the rationale behind the design. We live in Southern California and frequently see UP trains roll through our valley. They seem to head west with empty flat cars and return east with shipping containers from San Pedro or something like that. Anyway the engines are often six or more together in the front, with a few backwards or reversed. My son asked me why some went backwards yesterday and I don’t know. Do any of you?
Side Note: Yesterday’s train was an unusual sighting though. There was a Rio Grande engine and twenty or so box cars. This was totally out of place from what we normally see. I have never seen freight other than the ship to train type of flatcar.
The engines can be in any order, only the ‘lead’ engine needs to be pointed forward(for visability). The locomotives will run in either direction with no problem. This is not like your family vehicle trying to run 60 mph in reverse!
Jim Bernier
the multi locomotives are called locomotive “consists” and yes, they can be arranged to pull (or pu***he train) in forward or reverse…all are controlled by the lead engine via M/U (multiple unit) connections which are a set of electrical wires for locomotive control and air hoses for the braking system…some of the engines may run idle or not at all and are in tow and if needed can be fired up for that extra pull over a grade and the like… the Rio Grande locomotive you saw was actually owned by Southern Pacific which bought out the DRG&W in the mid 80’s…in 1996 the Southern Pacific was purchased by the UP and now they (UP) own all the old SP and DRG&W units…Chuck
Most railroads do not have even traffic or tonnage in both directions. No doubt those loaded cars heading east take more power than the empties headed west (although one has to wonder why the east coast isn’t sinking under all the empty containers that must be there somewhere!). Chances are you saw two sets of three engines being returned to take more containers east. The second set may have just been idling along as diesels are rarely shut off. The first answer is correct that diesels can be run in either direction with no adverse effects. With two they would probably be run with a cab at both ends so they don’t have to turn anything at the end of the trip. With three one of them will be the oddball since there are only two diretcions for an engine to face. I have seen trains with as many as 16 engines most of which were excess power at one end of the railroad being returned. If you see a switcher in a road train chances are it being taken to a shop either for maintenance or inspection required by the FRA and will be going along for the ride.
Fantastic. Thank you all for the answers.
I’ve noticed that VIA rail tends to run with multiple units all facing forward. Usually the only train I see with multiple units is the Canadian, and it isn’t going to be turned for 4 days. Sometimes this is done because it is easier if one breaks down, the others are facing the right way.
If CN has 3 units, the outer ones are facing away from each other.
CN has some local switching jobs that use 2 GP9s, and I’ve seen them in every possible arrangement – including back to back and face to face.
Sometimes a railroad puts engines facing different directions for switching so a engine turn isnt nessasary, just go into the engine thats forward facing.
JnM, Im curious. You have never seen containers headed west? Where do all the empties go?
Joe, I really haven’t, seen containers going west. Only flat cars. This certainly doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, I just haven’t seen it. These commonplace observations are from our vehicle when traveling near the freeway so it is highly likely they do head west just not at that time. It is interesting though, I have really only seen freight other than the piggy back flat car type twice. Once the other day when I asked the original question, and once about ten years ago when I was on the second engine in to a derailment. That was quite a sight, but a different story all together. Come to think of it, that happened at dawn so maybe they travel at night. The train was heading east as well. I think then it was the SP so maybe things were different. In all honesty I have no idea what I am talking about[:)] I am only speculating. I am a few months new to model railroading as you can probably tell. Your question is a good one though. Where do the empties go? Where is the next big yard east of Palm Springs?
I have an unsubstantiated suspicion that many of those empties go to eastern states shipping to Europe or are sent there empty for European goods to be shipped to the far east thus completing the cycle.
My son drives a semi and his primary traffic source is containers to and from the railroads here in Kansas City. He drives to western Kansas and picks up containers of hides from the beef packing plants out there. Those containers are passed off to the railroads here. They are taken to either coast (depending on the railroad) FULL of hides which are in turn shipped (literally–on a ship) to Asia where they become purses, shoes, leather jackets, etc. Then they come back to the US in a container (hopefully not the same one which hauled them as hides–hides are smelly!). So there are some loaded containers on flat cars going to the west coast from the heartland.
Cheers