Saw My First CSX with DPU / Distributed Power Unit

Cool video, thanks for posting it.

Richard Cuozzo posted:

Cool video, thanks for posting it.

Thank you Rich.

Neat video, too bad you couldn't  get to the other side of the tracks so that street light was working for you rather than against. Glad you went to the trouble first time I have seen DPU though I have read about the practice.  If this is to become the norm bet the railroads will have fewer coupler failures.  Thanks, Tom.          j

DPU’s are not a guaranteed prevention against broken knuckles.  My youngest is an NS conductor and had a loaded coal train a couple months ago with two motors on the front and two on the rear.  They were passing over a hog back between Atlanta and Macon when the Trip Optimizer malfunctioned and placed the two DPU’s into dynamic braking while the train was still stretched over the top of the hill.  Yanked the train right apart and he got to enjoy replacing a knuckle about two thirds of the way back in the middle of the night.

Not a normal occurrence, I agree but; proof that DPU’s aren’t always the solution.

Curt

juniata guy posted:

DPU’s are not a guaranteed prevention against broken knuckles.  My youngest is an NS conductor and had a loaded coal train a couple months ago with two motors on the front and two on the rear.  They were passing over a hog back between Atlanta and Macon when the Trip Optimizer malfunctioned and placed the two DPU’s into dynamic braking while the train was still stretched over the top of the hill.  Yanked the train right apart and he got to enjoy replacing a knuckle about two thirds of the way back in the middle of the night.

Not a normal occurrence, I agree but; proof that DPU’s aren’t always the solution.

Curt

Guess there never will be a cure-all for every possibility. Still I bet the number of knuckles busted is down on trains running DPU.    j

That, and the fact of you save a crew and track time...

Our CSX DPU trains, are two normal trains that get combined

juniata guy posted:

DPU’s are not a guaranteed prevention against broken knuckles.  My youngest is an NS conductor and had a loaded coal train a couple months ago with two motors on the front and two on the rear.  They were passing over a hog back between Atlanta and Macon when the Trip Optimizer malfunctioned and placed the two DPU’s into dynamic braking while the train was still stretched over the top of the hill.  Yanked the train right apart and he got to enjoy replacing a knuckle about two thirds of the way back in the middle of the night.

Not a normal occurrence, I agree but; proof that DPU’s aren’t always the solution.

Curt

Hee Hee... Could have been worse..... a draw bar on the wrong end .  I know it's not funny  , knuckles are heavy and in the middle of the night one can't be sure if it's a knuckle or something else such as a hose bag... Walking back with a hand lamp, hose bag . pipe wrench and  radio to determine the cause in the middle of winter in not fun.,

In case of the knuckle ... I suppose the engineman   would drop one off,maybe light a red fusee at that location  and after getting the air back , pull up so the conductor could   pick the knuckle up and return to the joint and replace it if on the trailing part of the train.  Some have dragged knuckles using a broom , sort of works but  still not fun and time  consuming . I don't miss it.

Just saw my first CSX with DPU today around 2:30 PM today at a grade crossing in Havre de Grace, MD just before the Susquehanna RR bridge.

Side Rod