maybe someone can explain, exactly what is a road slug/yard slug? i found some pictures on harolds site, and all i can see is a slightly different paint scheme than a normal CSX geep. thanks! -Rob
This is probably an oversimplification: The "slug" has no prime mover, but draws its electric power from the "parent" loco. (The slug still maintains its traction motors). Thus, a road slug set has its tractive effort applied over all eight axles (of both locos) vs. 4 on a standard loco. They are a highly effective (and cheap) method for low speed pulling. They retain their cabs and controls, however many other features (such as radiators, access doors) are removed and/or plated over. Harold
I found a photo (I still need to scan it...) There is a spaghetti bowl of connections between the units... I am still looking for a printed documentation about the fuel transfer... Harold
Road slugs or road mates same therory, just different uses! They were ment to extend the tractive effort one loco, by adding 4 extra powered axles, to the "mother" unit. ALL slugs have had extra ballast added to it, a slab of concrete in most cases! The fuel tanks on these units wasn't always used, altho in most cases when they had a fuel tank, it was used as a fuel tender for the mother unit. ALTHO, theres a exception here too, the early slugs, that HAD fuel tanks had the fuel tanks filled with sand for evem more ballast, till it was realized that they could use the tank for a fuel tender for the mother unit. As for ConRail, an CSX tho, CSX inherited some MT-6's that are slugs, BUT have have SD type trucks. 6 axles instead of 4. Which, I believe all axles powered BUT its very possible that they only had traction motors on the first an last axles of each truck like a "A1A" type truck from the early E units did, BUT I believe that this is just a thought, an all axles were powered like todays SD units. HTH
and some people say their model layout is a spaghetti bowl..... wow, just wow.... lol maybe i should choose a major in school just on "connecting slugs" and then a minor in disconnection....
Those were all taken in the Queensgate Yard in Cincy. The last photo has the slug hiding behind one of the remote controled locomotives.
Very interesting thread guys! We don't have such things over here, our trains are mostly light enough for one locomotive to pull them
Hey Johnny, Good shot of the "yard slugs".... I think they were originally intended for road use too, but did not fare as well, especially since they were much less flexible than the road slugs, due to the lack of a cab (kinda' like the GP60B's ) Harold
Nice shots JT! I'll have to get me a RailImages, account so that I can post my pictures like this, OR look into making a website to do so! Then I can share what I have!
Hello fellas, new member here...hey 7600EM-1, check out my signature...I was born and still live near the first home on the B&O of the 7600's and the grades that they were built for..the West End. That would be Piedmont WVA, at the foot of 17 mile grade..I'm a geezer, and saw all of them in action, at one time or another. One of the most beautiful articulated locomotives ever built, and loved by the railroads and her crews. Ed
To steer back to the subject at hand, you will see some of the road slugs marked on the cab "road slug" under the cab side window these units are just that . You will see other road slugs marked "roadmate". These units differ in the fact they can transfer fuel to momma. Buy the way, I do have a digital camera, and a file of CSX photos in the computer. When I get squared away I hope to post some here. Ed [ 13. March 2004, 13:04: Message edited by: WM734 ]
Greeting Gentlemen, I just found this page using Google, as I was looking for an answer at just what a 'Road Slug' is. I just saw one today, and was wondering what they are. This particular one (sorry I didn't get it's number), was in Shandon Ohio just this afternoon. My workplace is almost 'next door' the the Fernald Nucular Facility that is in the final stages of a cleanup. Part of the cleanup involves sending train loads of radioactive dirt from Fernald, (in Shandon Oh), to some place out west. My office trailer sits about 50-60 feet from the tracks, and when they pull a 'dirt train' out of Fernauld and onto the main line, they stop with the engines sitting right next to the trailer while they check the train for proper connections, etc. I'm not a real 'rail fan', but these trains do interest me, as they usually have bigger engines than the local GP-38 that I see three times a week. I've seen a number of different combinations of engines, but this is the first time that I've seen a 'Road Slug'. Today there was a CW-40-?, the Road slug, and 2 SD70MACs. I think that the Number on one of the SD70's was 706 or possibly 709. I didn't write them down. Now, I didn't look THAT close, so I didn't notice any extra connection between the engines, so in this case, what would the 'Slug' have most likely been connected to? THis combination was in front of about 60 cars full of dirt, and I did notice that the SD70's were VERY quiet as compared to the CW-40's and CW-44's tha I usually see when a dirt train goes out.
Ed, You lucky man! I just moved from B&O's famous Sand Patch grade location, in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, I now reside in Weare, New Hampshire! BUT THATS not going to stop me from modeling the B&O! I love the famous EM-1, particularly the "7600" My Grandfather was an engineer an done so in the actual "7600". BUT thats not why the 7600 is my favorite loco, its also a articulated, which is the first thing that got me to like the 7600, BUT living by the B&O mainline in PA, got me to like the B&O an then the studies of the railroad an getting to like (love?) the articulated loco's well the EM-1's were thee biggest on the B&O so.... an I've also been one for "firsts" so the 7600 was just that, a first out of 30 of the loco's an then finding out my grandfather enginnered in the actal 7600 for quite some time, kind of signed that in stone. But I didn't get to see them in action so.... Lucky you!!!!!
Yep...I was born and raised in Piedmont, WVa, and loved to go down to the tracks and watch the B&O operate. When I first learned to look for numbers and wheel arrrangements, I went down to the passenger station in Piedmont, where there was a spout for watering tenders. As I was waiting, brand new 7613 stopped, and took on some water. I know that was the engine, I can still recall reading 7-6-1-3, and under that, EM-1...and wondering what that EM-1 meant. The crew told me she was brand new, and had just made her first run up the mountain as a helper, to check her out. They were all over that engine, touching every rod end, looking, etc. I'll never forget it. I was about 9 or 10 years old. Later, in high school which was located just yards from the main line, I had study hall almost every year on the side of the building which allowed me to "study" the B&O! None of my family worked for the railroad, but a few houses down from mine, a B&O engineer lived. I never got to talk with him, but knew one of his sons. However, I met his grandson who lives in Ohio, on another forum. His grandfather loved the EM-1's, and his favortie was 7614, he claimed it was the best steaming and runner of the group. By the way, Piedmont is right at the begining of the famous West End's 17 mile grade. Ed
Hi "Old Buzzard" , (and I mean that in the nicest way ) Welcome to Trainboard. We accept railfans with all levels of interest Most of the road slugs I have seen are paired to a GP40-2 "parent"; they all have extra connections for the fuel and electrical connections... If you saw one inbetween SD70's and a GE unit, maybe it was dead in tow (?). You were right about the SD70's: they were numbered in the 700 series (originally from CR) and the newest ones are in the 4700 series. Harold
