Hello First post here I would like to know how the engines are connected together so it is possible for the Frontend to control them also if an engine is placed in the middle or tailend although the later probably will be cut away same with one in the middle. Just a curiosity question. Have a great weekend Jim
Contiguous locomotives (ie, hooked directly together) are controlled via a “MU” (multiple unit) cable. This multi-wire cable handles most functions. In addition, three extra air hoses are connected (besides the brake line) to connect the main air reservoirs of the locomotives together, and control the independent (locomotive) brakes.
If you look at connected locomotives, the MU cable is the highest, with the three air hoses located below the walkway on the ends of the locomotives.
Before the advent of radio control, each locomotive (or set - Diesel helpers might have several locomotives MU’d together) had a crew on board. Using whistle signals, and eventually two-way radio, the lead engineer coordinated their actions.
Today, radio links and sophisticated electronics allow one engineer to control all of the locomotives from his seat at the head end of the train. Such configurations are generally referred to as “distributed power.”
Thank you, learn something new every day, after I posted I found a link that explained radio control.
While tree68’s comments are correct as far as they go, some trains have a complete set of control wires running from one end of the train to the other, in place of the radio links mentioned.
Normally these would be passenger trains, and this arrangement is often used to allow the engineer in a ‘cab car’ to control the locomotive(s) at the other end of the train. This may be most often employed on commuter railroads to avoid turning the trainset or swapping the locomotives to the other end of the train when its time to run the reverse route
As I understand it, the control cable running through the passenger equipment is just an extended version of the similar cable used to connect multiple unit locomotives together. Details here:
Yep - I wasn’t thinking in terms of commuter equipment (push-pull), only freight operations.
While there might be some freight operations that use a hard connection as such, I would opine they are rare and very specialized.
There are still carriers using manned helpers as opposed to distributed power. The manned helper power coordinates it’s operation with the head end power by radio these days - in days gone by the two crews coordinated their operation by whistle (horn) signals and knowledge of their operation territory.