Little NS Helper on the Horse Shoe Curve

Was it running? I'll bet it's going to/from Altoona for maintenance.

good catch

Yes it was pushing along with the other engine going up the grade, later I saw it again as it was coming down along with its big brother. It worked all day or at least the few hours I was there that day.

That has to be a ex-Reading unit. The rain gutters give it away.

Chris

LVHR

Renovo, Good eye to catch it in action. Maybe they are short on Motive Power and had to take what they had. Wonder what the HP for the helper is compared to the regular motive power they were using? Nice picture.

Right your are, Chris!  Ex-Reading SW1001

This little rascal gets around

http://www.railpictures.net/sh...oad_number=NS%202106

Wow you guys are good. The curve is a long way from the Philly area. I believe I took this photo around 2008.

I live in one of the hot spots for train watching. I can't tell you how many out of state people I met. I am lucky and will take my lunch break taking photos between Johnstown and Altoona. I have a job that i get to travel every day. One of my favorite places is the Cassandra overlook.

I think Jeff is on to something. I can't see any SW1001 in long-term helper service on Horse Shoe Curve. My guess is that she was being broken-in (or test run) after coming out of the shops.

Good catch, as John posted.

On the other hand, her Reading heritage probably made her the best choice to add some oomph to get the train over the hill.

There is an excellent Youtube video of NS10S with just such an arrangement in the lead collection of power.  Back in '09, IIRC.  

I can't remember whether it was train 10G, 10A, or 10N that was often used to ferry power back east to the various yards after servicing at Conway.  Those small geeps and switchers were rarely on-line.

That engine has 1,000 HP. The regular helpers have at least 3,000 HP (the SD40-2s) and go on up to 4,400 HP.

NS would not regularly use a little 1,000 HP switcher in heavy helper service. The SW1001 has only 57,000 pounds of starting tractive effort. This tapers off to only 36,000 lbs at its minimum continuous speed of 11.0 mph. Most trains have sufficient power to go up the hill and around the curve faster than 11 mph, which means this little switcher may have only been "helping" with less than 30,000 pounds of tractive effort.

To put the SW1001s TE numbers in context, and SD70 has 175,500 pounds of starting tractive effort and can maintain 137,000 pounds at 12-15 mph.

A more likely scenario is that it was simply being road tested after repairs in Altoona.

What is the blue necklace around the horn?

Rich,

Thank you for helping to shed light on the little helper. From the data you supplied that little guy probably had about all it could do to get the hill and around the curve it's self.

Thanks again for the help!

At least it was moving its own weight above 11 MPH. 

LOL!!

Yes, that's about all it was doing. In the bigger picture, that's not a lot of "help."