http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_unit has several links to pictures of trains with B units leading: an SD45-2B on BNSF, a GP30B on UP, and a GP9B on PC. I've heard a rumor that a B30-7A(B) led a train on BN at least once. Does anyone know if this is true? While I'm at it, did any of BN's other B-units ever lead?
I think Martin Burwash has a couple of pics of one going over Stevens Pass that had to rescue a stalled train! I saw it either in one of his books, or a railfan publication?
I dunno about specific photo evidence, but BN had relatively few B-units, not counting the B30-7A's and covered wagons. They had 4 GP9B's, one each GP38B/GP38-2B/U30CB, one SD40B, and 3 SD40-2B's. I would assume that B-units couldn't lead, but I dunno what reference I would use.
The pics only show just a small portion of what is going on. In all of those pics, the engineer is running from a "lead qualified" unit. It just so happens that the "B" unit is in the lead position, or at least appears to be in the lead position. A shoving or switching move is more than likely being executed when all of these pics were taken.
Having actually walked through the GP60B I can tell you that they are set up for a hostler to move them. I doubt anyone would take a train out of a terminal with one as a leader. There are units with cabs labeled as "B" units due to the fact of not having mirrors, seats and toilets. The hostler controls are set up that any extended running would be uncomfortable as heck. They may have lead on a back up move with a brakeman on the point but the engineer was running from a different unit. Not to say an emergency happened at some point in time and that took place, just highly unlikely IMO. Greg
Dunno about on BN, but on the SP at least, its one-and-only B-unit in the modern era, Cotton Belt B36-7B 7771, led a train on at least one occasion. Not by design, but due to the fact it was 2nd-out in the consist, and the lead unit had to be set out on account of a mechanical problem. Even though the B-unit was "leading", the consist was being operated from one of the units trailing it. A friend caught all this on film, and had one of the shots published in one of the SP Motive Power Annuals.
Ok, here is the quick story which does apear in "The Great Adventure" a Martin Burwash book. A train was heading up Steavens Pass when a trailing B30-7A quit and the remaining power could not handle it. A light engine movement was tacked on the front but it was going the oposit direction and when it was all put together a B30-7A #4081 was on the point but the crew ran from the second unit. Oh yea it was the student enginer's first trip over Steavens and he decided to give the controls up. Kevin
Is that normally allowed? For visibility reasons? Would be like going back to steam days, with the massive boiler in your field of view...
The picture by Martin Burwash is also in the Joseph Shine book "Burlington Northern ...into the 90's" by Four Ways West, page 145. Also, the B30-7A did not have hostler controls or so states the B30-7A Operating Manual page 4.
I just checked the BN into the '90s book referenced in an earlier post, it is on page 145. So it happended atleast once.
Southern had all of their diesels set up for long-hood-forward operations, and Norfolk & Western did the same until the last few years of its existence, when it acquired lo-nose units. SOU stayed with hi-nose pretty much up too the NS merger. There are plenty of pics of both N&W and SOU diesels (esp. SD45s) running long-hood-forward.
Work train I do know on the way to Ravenna from Alliance back in the 80s that the Dispr. called a train and had them set out one of those GE B units at Hazard NE. one evening. The laugh was the Dispr. never said why and the next morning when the extraboard work train crew showed up they had a B unit. No work got done.
Running long hood forward is totally different than running with a B-unit on the point. I am not sure but as I recall they don't have ditch lights on them. I know they don't have horn controls so you would have to stop and flag every crossing you came to. I am sure it has happened before just by the statements made here but it definately was a last choice that could have been made decision. The one thing that should never be said is " This never happened" because more than likely it has happened at least once somewhere on the railroad.
It depends on when it occured. The rules were not the same in the 80s and early 90s as they are today.
You mean like this taken at Woodford? This was taken during feb 1998 when my Dad and I had a railfan trip to the US. Well ok so it was on the rear of a train, but it might look like the head end.
Yes, they were pushers on a very long mixed freight. They had to stop in Woodford to allow an intermodal to cross. Luckily the pushers stopped right opposite us. With the B unit on the rear, it made for good photographs, and gave us plenty of time to have a good look at it.
Kevin, You got it, I just looked up that story, however it says nothing about him giving up engineering, he just did not want to operate with the B in the lead. Page 95-100 (Michael D Sawyer)
