Ed Pinkley- Don't you think those black and white engines with the horses on the front a little smelly in the summer? I've ran older NS equipment before and they seem to lack toilets and management seems to think that plastic bags are well liked by crews. Or because this is a relatively new unit, did NS finally decide that engineers disliked the ripe-smelling cabs and add a small pot at least?! Just checking, and does NS still have the uncomfortable "toad-stool" seats? See ya later! Dave ------------------ NS "We need more SD40s!!!" Brakeman
we are moving up in the world on the good ole ns(or just getting ready for a takover hopefully).we now are getting toilets like the other railroads that pump or use air to flush em.the women were getting mad having to use the old think chair and them putting it in a bucket until the end of a trip.and on the ns that is usually 14 to 15 hrs.we get lots of sitting time on those 100 degree days in the sidings.and yeah the new toilets have that same 10 year old tinkle or i had mexican last night and am now flushing out my system at work fragrance that for some reason the perfume and mirror scent for your car people just can't reproduce.writing this makes me remember that i need to check my two boys diapers for a surprise.gotta go........man that stinks....... ------------------ ed pinkley home of the pinkley taurus
yeah we stil got the toadstool seats on em. they are getting newer seats as the old ones get thrown out the windows and the gonrail guys tear em up. as for the bag or the toilet i kinda prefer the bag due to the ns not having the facilities to clean the "super poopers" at many locations. just a hint, on the vacusucs open the valve outside the cab and then hit the flush button on the inside and it cleans em out, but they still smell the same. the sd70's are nice but the wheelslip is enough to drive you nuts. i cant wait see our new 70m's but still no air conditioning.pinkley you never climb on an engine let alone ever work anymore, just kidding. ------------------ fly with route of the eagles.rock n roll all night and railroad everyday!
At least we had a roaring fire to throw ours into! We also had the choice of mooning the countryside. It didn't take long for the newbies to learn to face the rear at speed either! ------------------ Watash
I'd be interested to hear from anyone who works for the CP or CN up in Canada. But for anyone in the states, how do you like the CP/CN locomotives with hot-plates and air-ride seats with all the other goodies? I've heard some guy talking about them, and I've never got the chance to run one so I was just looking for some opinions. I think the engines that have these are in the MAC and I series. Thanks a lot for the information! Dave ------------------ NS "We need more SD40s!!!" Brakeman [This message has been edited by NSBrakeman (edited 09 October 2000).]
Best and worst? Depends on what you're up to. Anything that doesn't look like a sewage treatment plant or landfill explosion in the cab and gets through it's daily inspection without getting crippled is a plus. A couple of GP38s or an SD40-2 is fun to switch with, nice quick power and good kickers as long as you don't have hold of 60 or 70 cars. I can even stand the high hoods for that. Road power is tougher choice. Dash 9s will pull like demons if everything is working but computer glitches are way too common and like all GEs, they don't load smoothly. Also, the NS cab layout is awful. Screens are hard to read and control lights are too bright at night and cause lots of distracting reflections, and if you're not overly tall (like me) nothing seems to be in the right place. SD's of almost any kind are usually nicer riders, with lots of predictable power and a better cab layout, but they tend to be a little slippery when they're really working.(not including AC units) Why none of the above have a smooth, flat spot for your vast assortment of paperwork is still beyond me. The worst for me would be a GE "B anynumber-7". Cramped, smokey, smelly, cold, slow loading, hard riding, crew smashers is putting it nicely. I've bounced 200 miles in some of those monsters and thought I'd never get my eyes to focus again. On jointed rail, you feel like you're going to get weeds on your mirrors they rock so far over but at least after the first 50 miles or so your head gets numb to banging off the window. In reality, most everything has it's good and bad points so it all comes down to personal preference, the work you're doing and trying to wring the best out of the tools of the trade.
CP units all have hot plates and refrigerators, even the GP9s and smaller road power. I've heard that CN units have microwaves, that would be even nicer. I've only had one air ride seat on the D&H so far, not much better than some seats, better than others. Most comfortable units are NS wide cab GE's with standard control stand, plenty of legroom for 6'3" me. Still typical GE unreliable loading. The NS runthru trains usually get decent power, but the previously mentioned toilet fragrance is noticeable. Most impressive unit has to be the SD90s that Vermont Railway leased. Totally awesome engines, I took them to Montreal when VRS returned them. Of course they are new and a far cry from the CP tired SD40/40-2 fleet I usually run.
Rule 281, you have very closely described an old 2-6-0 out in the woods on short line track! Rides same way, like a day on a roller-coaster. Ha. Our toilet routine was, get a little coal in the shovel, do the job, then throw it in the firebox! Some threw it out along the right of way! Either way, don't do it in town! Ha. ------------------ Watash
Hey Watash, just caught that shot of your blind date. BTW how were those brutes fired? People live in trailers that are smaller than the firebox. How many sets of injectors were there? Did they have mechanical reverse or powered? How many tons of coal per mile did they use? Enough questions for now. ------------------ When in doubt, empty your magazine. Member #33
Well Chris, Most of these engines were outshopped several times, so things changed. I have heard these engines refered to as "Mastodons", but the 4-8-0 12 wheeler was first named a Mastodon by the Centeral Pacific RR in 1882. This engine was one of several designed and built by Baldwin about 1910 with 26" x 40" cylinders for hand fed firing. It was sleeved to 26 x 32 about 1912 and fitted with one of the first mechanical stokers. Some of these engines were fitted with Elesco feedwater heaters, like the 600 class Texas & Pacific 2-10-4's. Some had twin air punps on the left side, some were mounted up on the smoke box front as shown. This engine probably started out with an order for the B&O, or DM&IR class M, or Western Pacific class 20, or Norfolk & Western. Then it found its way to the Chesapeake & Ohio, and from there to the F,R&P. The engines had 57" dia. drivers and weighed 494,450 pounds. There was 444,650 pounds weight on the driving wheels, 17,000 pounds on the front truck, and 32,360 on the rear truck. It was fitted with a superheater in 1916 with 2480 sq.ft.area. The boiler operated at 200 psi and had 5,535 sq.ft. evaporative surface, and the grate area was only 84 sq.ft. The engine could generate 110,000 tractive force. The tender could hold 9,000 gallons water, and 21 tons of coal. Early engines were equipped with a single injector, later with two. The coal usage per mile depended upon the grade, load, and how the engine was performing. You may remember engineers who would work you to death and others who would set the Johnson Bar into "the old Company Notch" and be good to you! My guess would be somewhere between a little over a half to a ton of coal per mile, based on the 30 to 35 mile spacing of coal tipples. Also, it was common to top off the coal when stopping for water. These were heavy haulers, not race horses, so I have to estimate because I don't have any company figures to go by on these older engines. The earlyest test engine was designed hand reversed, but all production was run with powered reverse gear. The engine brakes would not apply and stop a coasting engine at slow "walking speed" quickly enough to 'spot it' under a coal tipple or water spout, so most engineers would shove the throttle closed, running on expansion, then shove the Johnson Bar to center the valves and give a tad of steam to stop on the 'dime'. The tad of steam would allow correction if required. then the brakes would have applied full on to hold the engine still, so the throttle would be closed, and the pet cocks opened to relieve cylinder pressure, and blow out condensed water. Huge anchor chains were thrown around a driver as a wheel chock for safety. If the fires are dropped, or the engine is left alone for awhile, hot brakes can cool off, steam pressure can bleed off, and then you could have a 500,000 pound engine slowly rolling down a track with no one aboard! HOO BOY! That has happened. One rolled off into the turntable pit! You had a choice of colors of these engines, Factory Black, or Road Grime! [ 27 February 2001: Message edited by: watash ]
Well I guess no one else has a favorite or hated engine, so I'll ask a question and see who is out there. AND I WANT YOUR FINAL ANSWER!! Any one remember "Old Maud"? or why she was named that? ------------------ Watash
BAD: Norfolk Southern's GP60's Beautiful, High noses, But you can't see much, all you can see is 2 feet out of the window. Also, NS's I dea of riunning enines bacward, you can't see if your running on rails or on cow patties. What have they done?? If noefolk southern want's crew saftey, why didn't they git the wide cab version of the GP60s?? M's I believe,,... Best: CSX's SD70MAC's, smooth, comfortable, pickup great, pull an easy 80 loaded coal hoppers with about 10 or so "skippers" like a 300-hp dragster pulling 15 popcans . ------------------ Appalachian & Atlantic Model Railroad "QUALITY at WORK with SAFTEY in MIND"
ns gp60's? whats wrong with them, i love em. you could pull anything with them except on wet rail, slip like crazy then. i hate running any ge long hood lead. man talk about carbon monoxide poisoning. ------------------ fly with route of the eagles.rock n roll all night and railroad everyday!
what railroad do you work for wt&c?i have to strongly agree with mopac on the gp60's,one of the strongest geeps made in my book.and as for the rest it is still the sd70 series.they always are there to give more than enough power when needed. ------------------ ed pinkley home of the pinkley taurus
Favorite CN Power: 1.They all have hotplates and microwaves . 2.SD 70/75's CN 5600 - 5700 , alot of horsepower , whisper cabs , makes train handling ALOT easier . 3.Any CN Power without desktop controls . Least Favorite CN power are the desktops , 2400's low 2500's 5400's 5500's . No leg room , place to put my size 13 boots UP power is junk IMO , smelly tiolets ect... CP power I like somewhat .
Just a small question. Do you "notch up" on a GE loco ? Or is it only on the EMD's. ------------------ Hunter CSX and HO Scale The Newark Branch RR Ship it the good 'ole way, BY RAIL Member #21 of NARA The Newark Branch Railroad trainboy2001@hotmail.com
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by nbrr2000: Just a small question. Do you "notch up" on a GE loco ? Or is it only on the EMD's. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>When in doubt , throttle out
Hey guys Just found a great Pic. For all of you F-unit Lubbers out there, get ready to wince! However, I always thought of these as too lacking...the ultimate box. http://gelwood.railfan.net/other/atsf/atsf-wrk-a.jpg http://gelwood.railfan.net/other/atsf/atsf-wrk-b.jpg Don't know how this will work.
