( I really don’t know what color they are.)
Does every locomotive have an alerter? How often do they go off? If I’m running a locomotive, can I repeatedly hit the alerter in my sleep- like I can do with the snooze button on my alarm clock? What color is the alerter button? Is it a button?
Most are yellow. I’ve seen green used also. There were was one locomotive model that had a large gold colored button.
Some Eastern railroads used a spring “whisker” style alerter.
I read a study once that said some were able to acknowledge the alerter while dozing, or in some trance like state, just has faster if not faster than if they were wide awake. Also without becoming more awake.
Jeff
On this engine the alerter button is located above the dynamic brake handle on the side panel. However, I’m curious about the button above that. Does it have some function. or is it a joke?
Ours are yellow, and illuminated. The indicator box is to the right of the windshield, the alerter button is on the stand, to the left of the throttle, etc. I haven’t gotten the muscle memory down yet to find the thing without looking first.
While I don’t know it for sure, ours seem to be speed based - the slower you go, the earlier it alerts. That can be a pain if you’re making a short move or coupling - just something to take your attention off the task at hand.
Several of our locomotives have attendant call buttons. So far, I haven’t been able to get anyone to respond. [:P] A cool drink or a hot cup of tea would be nice sometimes… Now if I could just get mechanical to mount a cup holder…
It is quite obvious from reading NTSB reports that you CAN run a train and pacify the alerter without opeing your eyes, or witout any situational awareness.
The new alerter, According to the LION, is a idea whose time is long past.
LION would have the alerter display a random four digit number which the engineer must enter on a keypad. This requires a higher level of brain function, which of course is desired while flying a locomotive.
Certainly the alerter must alert much more frequently as the train approaches a signal other than clear.
ROAR
Lion-
I sometimes get dislexic. I could see me reversing two numbers and putting the train into emergency. [D)]
Before I’d make it a four digit code, I’d make the whole engineer’s desk a Whack-A-Mole game. Every time the alerter goes off, a mole pops his head up and the engineer has to whack the mole before he pops back down. I don’t think this would be any more distracting than entering a four digit number would be. [:-,]
Does the interval between alerts vary based on speed of distance to a signal? Is it a beep, a buzz, a horn, the sound of a nagging wife? [:O]
When the UPRR brought its 'Heritage Diesels"[ #1988 and #1982] to display at “Katy Days” in Parsons, Kansas. I noticed this button “Attendant Call” button at the Engineer’s Station in the cab I asked the Engineer who was conducting the tour about the button. His response was that you pushed it, and an attendant would bring the “Catering” to the Engineer and Conductor… [dinner]
Then he said that the railroad had had to disconnect that button…Too many76 'New Hire" crews had starved to death waiting for their ‘Catering’ . [xx(]
No, it is not a joke. It rings a bell throughout the consist in order to get the attention of other crew members on trailing locomotives for whatever reason.
It’s painfully obvious that you have no idea what goes on in the cab of a locomotive. Try punching in numbers while trying to make a coupling or making a close spot. What an idiotic third person idea!
On a lot of units, it is a beep likened to the sound of a nagging wife! Beeee…Baaaa…Beeee…Baaaa
On some units, it is an ever increasing volume, beep…beep…beep…beep, likened to the sound of a nagging wife.
Most will give you about 50 - 60 secs before it trips the PC. The real pain in the tush kind will only give you 20 sec. Not enough time to even think about taking a leak!
Our RS18u’s start with just a flashing light on the alerter box (next to the windshield), followed by short beeps, then faster beeps. If it gets to the point of a solid, continous tone, you’re too late.
The biggest “problem” we have with them is that when running long hood forward (which we often do), the box is behind you, so you end up relying on the audible alarm a lot.
I like the whisker springs. You don’t have to be precise to reset them. just wave your hand around and you’ll most likely hit it. Unless it is almost unscrewed from the control stand - then you smack it and send it flying halfway across the cab. No biggie, just have to find it and screw it back in.
Our big yellow button on the control stand is for cab signal acknowledgement (that is a big word). Or the “ACK SWITCH” as the new EMDs call it.
Lucky. Our cab signal buttons are black. Not so bad on the desk top but hard to find in the dark on the “retro” style control stands. They put them towards the bottom of the panel. All the other buttons: alerter, sand, and sometimes bell are all usually yellow.
One nice thing about where they did put the cab signal button, I can hit it with my knee at times when my hands are otherwise full with the horn and brake valves.
Cab signal acknowledging used to be done by a small lever. Haven’t seen one of those types in a long time.
Jeff
Do alerters operate when trains are running that slowly? LION thinks there is no need for them there. Save them for sppeds over 15 mph or something.
LIONS create ideas, him is as flexible as a cat, him not know what will work and what will not work. Him thinks this will work better than running into the train ahead of you.
ROAR
The alerters will be active when you are stopped without any brakes set and the reverser forward. (That’s how you test them, too. You let them count down and take your air.) Some older styles will be active even when stopped with brakes set, but the reverser forward.
I had a CP engine one night when I was firing (training). One very cold night. It started it’s countdown every 15 seconds after being acknowledged, even when stopped unless you centered the reverser. Centering the reverser caused the auto stop/start to want to shut down the engine after about a minute. Most AESS features allow a 30 min to 2 hr override, this one didn’t. (I don’t like the AESS shutting down any engines, least of all the lead engine. Too many bad experiences with them not wanting to start up again, either automatically or manually.) Of course we got held for a couple hours at some point.
If you’re tired, going 15 mph for a long time can be worse than 50 mph. Even if you’re not tired, going 15 mph for a long time can wear on you.
Jeff
Yes. In fact, ours need attention more often at slow speeds…
’ Couple of questions:
Firing?
AESS?
30 min to 2 hr override?
did the alerter sound every 15 seconds?
I did that all the time; it was the only way I could stay somewhat functional after a bunch of ‘getting out on your rest’ trips.
Eight hours might seem like sufficient time, but once you factor in drive time, showering, eating, and sufficient time to ‘wind down’ before bed, those eight hours get used up very quickly. If you’re lucky you might get four hours asleep. After a few weeks of that schedule, and it soon all becomes a blur: you barely know what day it is and who you really are.
The alerter was good for getting a few “micro-sleep” episodes when needed. Just wait until you’re on straight track with no crossings and no signals and no meets, and those micro-sleeps can be a real brain-saver.
Of course, if the conductor was awake, you could always count on him to help you.
NOT!
[quote user=“Murphy Siding”]
jeffhergert
The alerters will be active when you are stopped without any brakes set and the reverser forward. (That’s how you test them, too. You let them count down and take your air.) Some older styles will be active even when stopped with brakes set, but the reverser forward.
I had a CP engine one night when I was firing (training). One very cold night. It started it’s countdown every 15 seconds after being acknowledged, even when stopped unless you centered the reverser. Centering the reverser caused the auto stop/start to want to shut down the engine after about a minute. Most AESS features allow a 30 min to 2 hr override, this one didn’t. (I don’t like the AESS shutting down any engines, least of all the lead engine. Too many bad experiences with them not wanting to start up again, either automatically or manually.) Of course we got held for a couple hours at some point.
If you’re tired, going 15 mph for a long time can be worse than 50 mph. Even if you’re not tired, going 15 mph for a long time can wear on you.
Jeff
’ Couple of questions:
Firing? When training to be an engineer, in our area it’s still called “firing” as in fireman. Official title is Fireman In Training.
AESS? Automatic Engine Stop/Start. Automatically shuts down the engine to save fuel. Will Automatically restart said engine when certain parameters occur, such as main reservoir pressure reaches a certain level or water/oil temps reach a
I think you have that backwards.