[swg] Whats your favorite locomotive typically used in pusher service?
Mine’s the Santa Fe 3800 2-10-2. Sweetest looking pushers out there. I think the look of the 3800 class works best when shoving hard against the rear of a long mixed freight through Cajon. Better looking in the rear than on the point.
What do you think are the coolest pusher units?
Hey Aggro I’ve always liked the looks of CN’s 3800 series mikados. Big burley beasts.They used to work singlly or in pairs in the Ontario pusher districts.interesting that two different railways had steam locos in helper service with the same number series. guess great minds thought alike.
I’m a big fan of the Rio Grande 3500 series 2-8-8-2’s, both the USRA clones they bought from Alco and the later 3550 series that they bought second hand from the N&W. They looked VERY cool pushing those coal trains over Soldier Summit and freights up the Front Range on the Moffat Line. Of course out here in California, on the Donner Pass line, Espee used Cab-Forwards as motive power, mid-train helpers and pushers, so if you missed one AC, all you had to do was wait around, there’d be one or two more coming along any minute now.
Tom [:P][:P][:P]
UP AC44CTE’s
Y6b. If you’re gonna push, be serious about it.
Anything that says “SOUTHERN” on it! (not SP) The mid-train helpers with the radio control cars were my favorites.
The Southern Serves the South!
http://www.trainweb.org/mgr
I’m a Pennsy fan, so 2-10-0s on both ends of a load of hoppers, moving them from Altoona, around Horseshoe Curve and to the crest at Gallitzin is a sight. Yet another endearing thing about steam, when they were working, they were gasping, sweating and belching out black smoke. Darn near human.
Then the pushers would come back down the grade almost without effort.
Great Northern SD-9’s behind a cut of ore cars, going to the Docks!!!
Four Midland Terminal consolidations, cut individually into an ore train, ten cars apart, smoking their way up Ute Creek Pass: what a sight that must have been!
Alternatively, an NP Z-3 class 2-8-8-2, cut in just ahead of the caboose for the slog up Stampede Pass.
How about a 2-10-2 in front of the road engine, and another on the caboose or a 2-8-8-2 there instead, helping to shove a freight over Saluda.
I think (2) EM1’s on the back end would be pretty cool. Other candidates are Y6b or 2-10-0.
UP’s 2-8-8-0 Bull Mooses.
With all the talk about the 2-10-0’s and helper engines on this thread, I wanted to present you with a favorite:
http://www.modelengineers.com/movies.html
These are a few video clips taken on the HO layout:
A mixed freight steams through the wye (1.5mb).
A long coal drag climbs the “S” curve (4.5mb).
The coal drag approaches the summit (2.4mb).
The last two video clips are the ones with the LONG coal train with Helpers. They are worth watching.
I dont have a favorite helper. Ive always believed that with sufficient power you can pull any hill. (that belief was challenged a few times on greater than 18% grades about the nation)
Any combination of 1st-generation EMDs on the tail end of a B&O eastbound freight going thru Baltimore’s Howard Street Tunnel. I once spent an afternoon riding in a set of F7A units pushing trains thru the tunnel - a totally unforgettable experience![:P]
Are those Bowser units? Those are some sweet weather jobs on them. [^]
A 2-6-0 as road power with a AC class helper, SP was unique to say the least.
SP AC9s on the Modoc.
They appear to be bowser units. Did you see the fire box light under the boiler?
Getting these three units to successfully move that train without over straining anything must have taken some tuning. I bet you that these are non DCC engines. (I could be wrong)
Duluth,& Iron Range 2-8-2 class n2.
Paul
SD70MAC