A prototype question for train people

"image not found" Yours normally do come through.

Roo,

Your images are not appearing on my computer. Says "Image Not Found."

MELGAR

Here are the images again. Thanks Roo.

Binoculars, maybe? Or possibly a radio?

Looks like a portable radio to me, especially since he is in a position where the engineer can’t see him. 

Here is the wonderful photo in full taken by the late Dave McKay to maybe explain it better. It wouldn't be some kind of remote control for the braking or the loco control back in 1972 or is it to early for that.  Roo

The caption says he is smoking a cigarette, and watching for a signal.  As far as what he is holding, I don't know , but a radio would be a good guess.

As mentioned above: binoculars (there is what appears to be a strap visible in the image.

Simon

Part of it is the glove off his left hand.  Maybe he is a rail fan and that is a camera.

My vote is for a radio in a harness.

A radio.

One of the old pac-set radios. They weighed about 50 pounds by the end of a shift.

Having a radio in a harness frees up both hands for other things, like making couplings, or smoking, as we see here.

What's the date on this? Handheld/chest packs didn't start coming into general use until the mid-late 1970s.

I can't give you a qualified "this is what they're doing" answer, but I can share a few observations based on my experiences in railroading, and then I can make some assumptions:

* They're going fast enough that the guy on the point may be holding his billed hat in place. (Speed increases stopping distance.)

* IF they are descending a grade, and the Engineer already has them in "Full Service", they're in a precarious situation. ("Full Service" is about a 27 lb reduction.) IF they are slowing w/dynamics engaged, then he can work his dynamics (back then dynamics weren't as effective as today's dynamics, too) to a controlled stop at the signal the caption states the head end guy is watching for. Otherwise, if with Full Service and full dynamics they're only holding speed, then the next step for having a hope of stopping is "Emergency". A tidbit: IF one is in "Full Service" and it turns out to be too much air (and the train is going to eventually slow to a stop)... you'd best let it stop, secure the train, THEN release to recharge the air line sufficiently before kicking off a 27 lb reduction and proceeding. A 27 lb reduction is a BIG reduction and the recovery time for the air line would be such that you could get yourself in a real pickle real quick by kicking off that much air on the roll while on a steep descent (with more descent ahead of you). SO, I highly doubt the train is in "Full Service". Brake shoes can smoke, even at lower reductions, no biggie.

* Running long hood forward on a main w/tight curves SUCKS. I have had times that I'm clicking along on main lines at the maximum allowable track speed (35 - 45 MPH depending), and when entering a right hand curve, there have been many times that I could not see the rail in front of me. IF one is approaching a signal, OR if you're running under "Restricted Speed", then the above vision issue is NOT satisfactory, period. In such a situation, the head end guy(s) will have to be my "eyes" to the right, calling out to me the signal indication. (OR track situation in enough time for me to finish stopping the train within half the distance of sight if needed when running under Restricted Speed.)

* I don't know if the lead engine is set up with dual controls, or whether it's one of those sure 'nuf "long hood forward" engines and the long hood end IS "Forward".

The above so, then I would only be safe to suspect the following:

* The train is NOT in Full Service, but that it IS within full control and the Hoghead knows what he's doing.

* The head end man is riding the point so he can get a visual on the signal in the place of the poor Engineer that is having to deal with that long hood. (He's positioned to see the signal coming into view long before the Engr.) The above only applies IF the engine is a short hood "Forward" engine AND there's a right hand curve leading to the signal.

FWIW: IF this engine IS equipped with single controls AND the long hood is "Forward", then the chap on the pilot would be best served to position himself on the opposite side so that arm/hand signals can be conveyed in addition to the radio instructions (IF that is a radio). IF the engine is a designated short hood "Forward" engine, then he's already positioned nicely to do that, for the Engineer is seated on the same side as he's standing.

Andre

Roo posted:

Here is the wonderful photo in full taken by the late Dave McKay to maybe explain it better. It wouldn't be some kind of remote control for the braking or the loco control back in 1972 or is it to early for that.  Roo

 

Too Early for Remote Control- especially on a class 1 railroad. The BLEU wouldn't stand for that gadget on a class one Railroad!

   The silver looks like either two knobs and an antenna, or a twin antenna on top of an "emergency" radio sitting in a saddle leather protective case's "basket". The tops had snaps to take the top off/flip back off of the case. Our fire dept used cases like that late 60s early 70s.  It's too long and narrow to be binoculars, maybe an early night scope?..Nah, daylight.

 It's kinda recent to be a Brownie type camera. (Brownies also had a very similar leather case. Too long and lean to be one though.)

This has been very interesting and I thank all of you very much. I have read every reply.

All I can say is I have admiration for those guys (and any of you blokes) standing at the front of a locomotive like that giving signals to the Engineer That's Railroading!

Andre a great reply to my question I learn something everyday about American Railroads and I have been modelling them for 50 years.

I hope in the future I can ask more questions here on the OGR Forum it's the only forum I take part in.

Modelling. One of the reasons for this question apart from trying to learn something is I want to dress up one of my figures and put him on the front of the train with a radio set strapped to him. I have plenty of sharp curves!

Neville. (Roo)

Gee whiz people, he is holding his other glove!

What I find silly is what some people write into blogs! Whoever wrote that has no idea how much of a brake application the engineer has applied. It only takes less than a ten pound reduction to cause brakes to smoke like that if it is applied for a good length of time. And it is probably not the brake shoes smoking. Rather it is the oily dirt mess collected on wheels from journals and flange oilers smoking from the hot wheels. Many a time I have observed this happen when passing over flang oilers (read Rail Greasers).