How do you control the slack action on a train? I’ve seen trains start a number of times by creeping along until the slack is taken up, but what happens in rolling terrain or going downhill with a sharp curve at the bottom? It must take considerable skill with the brakes and throttle to keep things under control.
It takes time to get used to “running” slack.And all train’s are different as to how they “run”.This is inpart to how they are put together at the yard(were the empties and loads are),and also as to how long the train is.I’ve been running on the same district since 1993 and I’ve gotten more accustomed to the terrain,say than somebody who has been an enginner longer,but not on the same route.Now I’ve heard some conductors tell me “some guys never get better”,but I’m not to judge.Hey,hey,there’s one engineer that some conductors have refered to as “The iotola of slackola”[(-D].But in some areas that I’m qualified to run on ,it takes alot of patience to get use to using the dyn.brk and sometimes the air to control movement,say like coming down the Elkhorn Mt.on NS’s Poca.Div.The key there is to not get to much speed built up while in dyn.brk. before you put the air on.Cause then you will have to knock the air back off so you don’t drag it down to a stop.You can in theory and in most case only use your air twice,before the brakes “**** away”,or can’t build back pressure.Then theres problems.But on most level routes,“slack” can be kept under control just by taking away or giving the train another notch on the throttle.The engine brake,or "independent"brake is to only be used when you are at a near stop in the movement,like 2mph or less.Or if your switching in the yard.Sometimes when starting off a big grade from a stop,before the dyn.brk. takes effect you have to use a little train brake.[:)]
Very interesting, and what a challenge to run things properly. Must be even more difficult in darkness and lousy weather.
Well, I certainly don’t have the challenges of Elkhorn Mountain on my territory but it takes planning and it takes knowledge of the territory you’re operating on. All of those little dips and nooks have their own surprises to the unaware and unknowing. One must be gentle with the slack because the slack is unforgiving, one can’t just throw the dynamic brake on full which leads to abrupt slack bunching, it requires steady application and patience and planning ahead. Same way if you’re going to use the air and keep them stretched, a practice frowned upon and possibly in danger of becoming a lost art of being done well.
Darkness isn’t usually so intimidating, if you run the same territory over and over, you know it better (and may be more familiar with, unfortunately) than your backyard. Fog holds lots of challenges, bad weather and slick rail can make things even more interesting.
practace and skill… once you get to know your territory…you will learn how and what you can do with the train to controll the slack… it all just takes time to learn it…and even if you think you learned it…and you will always get “that 1 train” that will show you that you dont know it as well as you think you do…and beat you up from one end of the road to another…
csx engineer
I’m not an engineer, but I knew one pretty well. He had a good “hand” and feel for what to do and when to do it.
I have seen engineers bring a loaded/ empty coal trains to a full stop and never even disturb the couplers. Others would set off car alarms 3 blocks away.
Kudos to the good ones!
Mookie
Amen to that CSX, I have been set up now for 7 months and still learning, I thought I knew the territory as a conductor by watching the engineers that I worked with come to find out I did not know sh** from shineola.
Rodney
I have been an NS engineer for 10 years now. And the one thing I can tell you is that you do not run a train like an accordian. There are 2 ways to run a train stretched or bunched.
Anyway to keep slack in requires “trottle modulation” this means proper cresting of hills. knowing when drop a notch or gain a notch. As well as knowing where your rear end is, knowing when the rear end is going to crest the hill is very important as this is when the rear end comes in.
Another option is the use of the dynamic brake. under normal conditions about 200 amps will gather them up so to speak with out slowing the train down,while 300 anps will start the slow down.
I usually apply dynamic brake in 200 amp increments.After I knock the trottle down to idle and wait my 10 seconds(for power dissapation). Then go to 200 amps to gather them up (if there not already) then go to 300 or 400 to start the slow down.
I also run in flat land territory where its not much of a problem[:D]
Rodney, I hope that 25 years from now, you’re still learning stuff because I know that I do. When you stop learning, you’ll be in trouble. Oh, and I remember thinking that I KNEW the territory, too. What an eye-opener that was.[:0]
Thank you ValleyX I will always learn every trip until the day I retire and get out of the seat.
Rodney
the main thing that these engineers have forgot to mention is the fact that when they screw up. they remeber that spot why it happened and most generally it wont ever happen there again. Knowing your territory is 95% of the fight once that is done the rest is easier.
Aint it the truth. Being an Engineer is WAAAYY more complicated than the left seat. You not only need to be absolutely alert, but you have to anticipate everything and know how handling different types of trains works on your territory and add any number of other variables, like power issues, crew issues, brake issues, it is endless. You have to be flexible, no doubt about it…
I learn everyday…
LC
I spent a little time as a “guest” at the throttle. Up a grade - no slack involved, but it was a lot prettier the second time around up the same stretch, dealing with changes in grade and a brief slowdown for a soft spot (we won’t discuss the other slowdown that occured because the guy (me) on the throttle didn’t apply enough of it soon enough when we hit the 2% grade). We also only had 4 cars on the drawbar. A hundred is another issue entirely…
Thanks for all the great replies, and congratulations on doing a difficult job so well. Not only must you handle the train, you have to watch out for the motorists who don’t want to stop at the grade crossings.
watching out for motorists that dont stop is just an occupational hazard…you just put it out of your mind in the respect that unless you acutly hit one…you just run the train like they arent thier…only major diffrnce is you go alot heveier on the horn when you think your about to have a one or a close call…
csx engineer
No, actually they’ve got to watch out for me. Watching out for them doesn’t change anything, all I get is the front row seat to potential disaster. Like CSX said, you might go heavier on the horn but that’s pretty much all your options.
My hat is off to you all sitting in the right side seat. In my 56 years of watching you and several thousand others do your job, the show has been great. Thanks
CSX and ValleyX I stand corrected, I was just thinking like a car driver where you can swerve or stop quickly. Those diesel air horns are almost loud enough to blow a car out of the way!