unusual engine consists

This post is part question part poll:

(1) What is the most unusual engine consist you have ever seen?

Mine is pretty dull. I once saw 2 BN SD-40-2s, with a BN switcher, I think an SW-9, but I am not good with my switcher identifications (especially at 17 when I saw it). The thing that made it unusual, is the manifest train was coming out of St. Louis on UP’s old C&EI line and climbing the curve to cross over to BN’s Southern Illinois old CB&Q line and—to my surprise—the switcher was clearly pulling as well, judging by the smoke. The train was probably doing 50 mph shortly before the switch to the cross over. I didn’t know switchers could even go that fast?

(2) I am sure the BN yard goat was just attached for transit to another yard.

When Class 1s make switcher transits like this (this is the only time in my life I have seen a switcher transfer), do they usually run the switcher or just pull it with the road units along with the rest of the train?

(3) Back in the old days, you would see all kinds of unusual consists of engines, F-units with Switchers, Geeps, Alcos and SD units. Judging by pictures, this was especially true on the Illinois Terminal (I have a picture of B-type F-unit, Geep, SW-?, SD-39.

I know for double-headed steam locomotives, railroads always wanted to put the more powerful locomotive in the rear of the engine consist. Why don’t they do this with diesels? I am sure Notch 5 in a SW-9 is not the same as Notch 5 in an SD-45?

Thanks,

Gabe

Well, about the switcher, I have seen a video my friends dad shot of 5 BN SD40’s and one SW7 pulling a coal train.

I see switchers in consists from time to time on the transcons and they all seem to be MUed and running with the road power, and at speeds up to 70mph.

Heck 10 years ago on the NS you was likely to see anything with everything.Still do at time’s.Here about two months ago I got the 148 out of Portsmouth Ohio,and we had a Dash 8 (NS 8800 series),a Sd40 (NS 6100 sreies),and a Sw 1500( I think a NS 2200 series).All was under power and online.We had around 9,000 tons,and it actually ran quiet well.Then we unloaded some tonnage at Kenova WVa,and it ran track speed to Williamson WVa.

One of the more interesting lash-ups I’ve seen was on the ATSF near McCook IL with a GP60M/GP60B/B40-8W lash-up in warbonnet colors, a modern-day A-B-A set!

I’ve seen a few interesting consists around Grafton, WV. Usually, they always contain various 6-axle EMDs and GEs, but sometimes CSX throws in the GP38-2 that’s usually stationed there as well.

This would probabely be the most unusual consist I’ve seen lately, But all I see lately is red trollys.

IIRC, once on the CN (former IC) I saw a interesting consist: Two SD70’s leading a SD40, a WC SD45, A IC GP40R and one of the IC’s rebuilt SW14’s on a southbound once… at least that was what it was… my mind slips.[8D]

The most unusual consist i’ve ever seen… well there was Conrail TV8 led by of all units a Santa Fe U28CG (7908) in the yellow bonnet scheme! Oh, it was on October 12,1979. The trailing units were PC black (no logos,just CRs neither of which matched) GP35s 2398 (Ex NYC) and 2331(PRR) I gotta get some of these old slides scanned[;)]!

Long ago I saw Nickel Plate Berkshire doubleheaded with Hudson #175 on a westbound freight through Erie, Pa. It was awaiting a meet with an e/b which arrived just moments after I did. The e/b was also led by a Berk, but without help. After passage of the opposing freight, the doubleheader strode past accelerating at a good clip. I happened to be standing under the Franklin Ave. bridge, so I clearly remember the sound of the two exhausts reverberating off the bridge as they passed by. That was one of my last glimpses of active steam on the NKP.

with csx going by its not unusual to get a mish mash of everyones power.saw a train with CSX sd 40-2 and bnsf b unit and a united states steel switcher.
stay safe
Joe

How about this, on the eastbound San Fransisco Zephyr in 1979 (before it was renamed the California Zehpyr) one day it had (2) SDP40F, (1) E9A, (1) E9B and (1) P30CH. I don’t think I will ever forget that train of five units from three generations and two builders hauling over twenty passenger and baggage cars (no rear end freight traffic back then, they were “real” passenger trains).

Okay, this one was weird.

At the Seashore Trolley Museum, we had a subway work car that had a dragging axle. It didn’t want to budge at all, and we needed to move it a ways. We were switching with our critter, a little 2-axle deisel with side rods. It couldn’t get the thing moving, and we had this connected with a drawbar. When this wasn’t enough power, we went and got our electric snowplow (a very large and heavy trolley, almost 30 tons, with 200hp for plowing snow and towing) and hooked this to the back of the critter, because the drawbar on the plow was too low for the car we were trying to tow. So we had a snowplow connected to a critter by drawbar, pulling this yellow subway work car with another drawbar, with both the critter and the snowplow pulling, and no MU. Needless to say, we didn’t repeat that move again.

It was hard keeping the slack under control with the two drawbars, and with the deisel being so loud, we didn’t really have radio communication, and once or twice we had one locomotive pulling while the other was sitting with the brakes on, thinking we were stopped to line a switch. (the snowplow was run from the end facing the deisel-not watching where the train was going, because watching the drawbar was more important. Watching where we were going was my job.)

Probably the most interesting and regular consist were on the New Haven.

DL-109’s , PA-1’s, and CPA24-5 (Cliners) were all MU-able together - and were for passenger and later on freight trains depending on what was available at the terminal.

For other duties (freight) RS-11’s, GP-9’s, H16-44 (“TM style”), rebuilt FA and FB units, and rebuilt RS-3’s could be MUed together - and were for freights.

Picture a RS3, RS11, GP9, H1644, and a FA/FB set on one train - there are pictures of consists close to this in some NH books - they all are from the mid to late 1960’s.

I’d have to go with the old classic CSX MOW combo: GP40, gondola, GP40.

Matt

Most unusual…

WC SD45
CN/WC SD40-2 in Grey paint
CN/IC Dash-8 in ex-Conrail paint
And to top it off,

ex-GB&W Alco RS-20(?) #303 in NYC paint, in tow.

I thought I was dreaming when I saw a Alco in the consist, but I wasn’t.

Phil

A most interesting consist would be found on an ex-CofG branch somewhere in Georgia. Due to some severe weight restrictions on some bridges on this branch, CofG/SR/NS has fitted some m/w boxcars with m.u. cables so when traffic requires two units (usually GP38-2’s now), they are lashed up in multiple with the boxcar between them to avoid overloading the bridges.

  1. 1 GP35 ATSF, 1 GP9 ATSF, 1 GP38-2 BN, 1 GP39 BNSF, 1 GP28M BN
  2. 1 SD40-2, 1 GP9B, 1 SW1 All BN
  3. 1 SD40-2 BNSF Powerbar, 1 C40-9W, 1 SD40-2 HLCX, 1 Crash 9, 2 SD40-2 (1 CSX, 1 BN)
  4. UP SD70M, CN SD40-2, 2 GP9R GTW
  5. Oakway SD60, CPRail SD40-2, 1 CSX C44-9W, 1 NS SD70M and 1 NS C40-9W

Well, switchers CAN"T go that fast. (The SW-1500 is an execption but does have it;s limits ) When we would MU a switch engine in a consist we would run the SW isolated . We MU’d them for the sake of a back up headlight. Now days you also have to contend with restrictions on coupers and drawbars without self alignment, especially with high capacity dynamics !!
Randy

Randy,

I certainly believe you, as you have more knowledge on this subject than I could ever hope to have. However, I am certain I saw smoke coming from the stacks of that switcher and the train had to be doing between 40 and 50 mph. Could the engine just be idling and that been responsible for the smoke?

Thanks for answering, you were one of the people I had hoped would respond to this thread.

Gabe