I am a modelrailroader and have always wondered about this. I do it on my layout at home just because they do it in real life, but don’t know why.
…In multiple unit lashup’s don’t they always try to have one on each end facing “out”…so at their destination they don’t have to turn the consist.
and units at the originating are grabbed off the ready track in any order…as long as the lead unit is facing forward
Ideally, you want to have one unit facing each way, so you don’t have to turn the consist for the return trip. In reality, as long as the leader faces the right way, coming off the pit, they don’t really care how the others are facing.
It’s a royal pain in the rear to run backwards, especially in a widebody.
Nick
Oh no … he said the lashup word !!!
…Is there a possible benefit by running engines in both directions such as wearing gearing on both sides in tractions motor makeups…Hence, dividing up the wear patterns for longer usage.
I was told a few years ago that in a multiple unit lashup you have better breaking ability if you have at least one or two engines facing in the other direction. I really don’t know if that is true or not. I was told this by someone who worked for BNSF…so maybe it is true.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816
You know, I’ve never heard that idea advanced before, but it does make a certain amount of sense. Randy?
Aside from that, I’ve always heard that locomotives are direction agnostic, so it doesn’t make any difference which way they run, or brake.
Rail fan
In my 20+ years of running, I certainly never noticed any difference in braking ability related to locomotive orientation. Additionally, I cannot imagine any situation where the direction of the locomotive would contribute to a difference in any aspect of locomotive operations (other than the previously mentioned situation of having to operate from a locomotive that is long-hood forward).
The locomotives will run equally well in either direction. Remember that the traction motors are not all facing the same way anyhow, some motors spin forward and some backward. As for braking abillity , multiple units naturally are better as there are more brake shoes.
On some railroads they likes to run the immediate trailing unit facing the same way as the leader just in case the leader became disabled . The engineman can then opereate the train from the trailing unit, I think the ATSF liked that plan .
With 20+ years of experience in running diesel locomotives, I would think that Zardoz knows what he is talking about. Zardoz, thanks for setting me straight on this.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816
Randy/Zardoz - I was reading this and a question came to mind…
When they are hostling engines and have say three engines and they come to a crossing - if they are in the first engine, they will use that engines whistle. They then stop on the other side of the crossing, and will back up through that same crossing (going down a different track).
This got too convoluted, so let me just ask - (1) is each whistle on each engine independent and can only be sounded when someone is in that cab operating it?
(2) if you have remote and need to use the whistle and you are alone on the ground, can you control any one of the 3 engine horns you have with your remote?
(did you follow all that?)
each horn is independant of the other if you are on the 3rd unit that is the only horn that will blow. now as far as a remote goes the unit being controlled by the box is the one that will blow. all units will operate like the first one with the exception of the horn that is independant/ a side note just because you are on the lead unit on a shove move dont mean you cant blow the horn i do it and its leagle to do. you just wont have the ditch lights on the other unit working. remeber you can operate the headlights from the lead unit .
Thanx Wabash! Glad to see you are still out there.
It is hard to tell from our watch site which motor is whistling. This helps clarify!
Mook
Boy … nobody here has ever seen a roadswitcher or a peddler freight work some lightweight or poorly maintained industry tracks - have they? (esp. when using hand signals)
Randy:
I understand one set of traction motors would run in one direction and the other set…{at the other end of the engine}, as you say would run the opposite direction and each running as well as the other…My thought as stated in an above post is: Gear patterns {gear teeth profiles}, would be used mostly on “one side” under load…{theoreticly}, if the engine was typically run in a same direction all the time during service hence not dividing up the usage of stress to both sides of the gear teeth profile. {I understand we have to put in some time for dynamics for other side even if engine ran in the one direction}.
correct me if i am wrong…but…not having actually taken apart a traction motor or seen any blue lines of one, i wouldn’t know that there are actually any gears in the motors…i could be wrong however…also, what effect would “equalizing wear” have to do with gear wear anyway? it would seem to me (again i could be wrong) that the gears would fail at the same time.
Yes , eventually you would wear out pinions. I’m thinking of the older bigger cab units like an ALco DL109 that usually ran in only one direction , that would definatly have an effect on the pinion teeth. But I don’t think any railroad would run the locomotive backwards just to equalize pinion wear.
There is a gauge … a go … no go gauge that fits the pinion teeth for the correct gear ratio, if the pinion is sharp it must be changed. If a worn pinion is continued in service it could break off a piece and lock the axle… I just had to deal with a locked axle on the main line late last night because of a failed armature bearing.
generally, yes. however, i see the switchers out of anaheim running in whatever arrangement. also when there is a switcher train with just one engine, such as a gp 35, they will run out forward and run back to the yard “backwards.” also, keep in mind, a switcher is actually designed long hood forward, and a few railroads (i think southern?) have their cockpits reversed so they run long hood forward.
stephie