I haven't seen any movies or photos of this yet, but I'm wondering if someone can describe how coaling 765 from the gons work. Does the shovel cat get moved from car to car? I'm guessing the cat has enough reach to get the coal into the bunker from where it sits in the gon?
Finally, is there a reason the gons are behind the locomotives and not at the end of the train? Weight?
Thanks,
Bob
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The backhoe can move from car to car up on the side sills of the cars, using some special supports that it moves along the cars. The 765 has to be on an adjacent track to get coal. It works very well.
Whether the coal is on the head end or the rear of the train is determined by the setup in the yard we are going TO. Weight is not a factor. In some cases we have to set the coal over to the next track ourselves after we arrive. In that case it is an easy move if the coal is on the head end of the train.
In other yards, Harrisburg, for example, they will use a yard crew to set the coal over to the next track. It is a much easier move for the yard crew if the coal is on the rear of the train.
With the loaded coal hoppers placed on the front of the train, there is then no need to switch the whole passenger consist, just to get coal. Simply cut off from the passenger cars, and do your re-fueling and watering.
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