Vulgar Display of Power

WOW!!!

I think he lost the last 750 cars of the train

Only 12 units. I would guess that units are being repositioned or being transferred for maintenance.

GEs headed to big scrapper in the mid west

When I read the title of this post I thought maybe someone else got a ZWL.

That's a big train

I think so as well... I believe there's a limit on motorized axles. (24?)

For minutes of auto racks ??

Anybody recreated this on their layout yet?

Only 12 units. I would guess that units are being repositioned or being transferred for maintenance.

There are most likely being repositioned as the area is known as the "brickyard" west up the mountain out of Altoona, PA. Altoona, PA is the NS main diesel repair and rebuild shops.

 This area is just south east of the Horseshoecurve.

I would replicate it but no GEs in my fleet plus all those auto racks would be boring.

Now that would max out my Z1000 brick but i would be willing to try

Those old Dash 8s still make a statement! Thanks for posting.

Tim Allen would be proud.

Wonder what it cost to fill those things up.

Yes.

https://ogrforum.com/t...ve-your-mainline-run

Only 3 of those units were on line and pulling. Most, maybe all of the others were shut down.

As a general rule, you cannot have more than 24 powered axles on the head end of a train.

In San Diego they do gigantic Power moves weekly with the 30 car trains. I saw 9 with 29 cars at Riverside, CA 2 years ago.

I remember seeing eleven B&O F units ( A units and B units ) on the head end of a freight train on the old main line back in the 1960s.  I'm sure most of the units were being ferried to another location. It sure made for a great display of covered wagon power though!

Vulgar Display of Power

I have heard NS black called boring or pedestrian, even ugly.  But vulgar?  Where is the vulgarity in that?

Wonder what it cost to fill those things up.

If they were close to empty you are looking at about 4000 gallons per locomotive. So.....

4000 gallons x $2.50 gallon x 12 locomotives = $120,000

Hey maybe the auto racks were carrying spare diesel parts? :-). Love the NS livery whether it's one or twelve.

TRRR

Is there a rule that says no more than 24 powered axles or is it just common sense?

There's a rule ..  CN revision  1987  . MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE MOTORIZED AXLES

Unless otherwise specified the maximum number of working locomotives permitted in any engine consist (not lash-up)  is restricted top 24 motorized axles and the permissible tonnage is restricted to an amount which can be handled by 18 motorized axles  except in the following cases.

In unit train service on a subdivision specified in the time table or special instruction the locomotive consist may be increased to 30 motorized axles and the tonnage increased to that which can be handled by 24 motorized axles.

This is probably a little outdated but gives you the general idea. There are restrictions.

Same as backing up with multiple  units... Rules rules rules.You have to know which ones you break just about every day.  (104)

That's what I'm talkin' about!

Thanks for posting that.  Very impressive.

George

The part you guys are leaving out is that rule refers to "Conventional" DC motored axles. When Hi-Ad and AC units are thrown into the mix, the number of powered axles that can be used drops.

I have often wondered if the RRs MU AC and DC engines together ??  Occasionally you will see a rather large group of NS engines heading west out of Conway.

I was injured in 89 at work and that pretty well ended  my railroad career (91). Anyway I don't know if CN had any AC units back then . Another question though  along with Jims.   ..Do all AC units have dynamic braking?

@ gftiv I you exceed twenty four axles pulling, the risk of breaking a knuckle or tearing out a drawbar are increased, i.e. NYS&W/CSX stack train test runs 1987. I was there.

We see a number of those types of trains on the UP here in Sioux City. We are only 90 miles north of Omaha.

Dick

I've seen plenty of UP videos where the norm is like a DDA40X on point with at least 6 SD40-2's following which would be 44 powered axles/ 24,600hp.

How do you know whether all the trailing units were "on the line", i.e. actually loading?

I read "Vulgar Display of Power" and was totally expecting a thread somehow related to the band Pantera.

I think the video snapshot in Casey's post is the old Video Rails/Green Frog "Union Pacific 6900s The Centennials".

Haven't watched it for while but it had a number of shots where it was pretty obvious by a simple exhaust smoke check that all of the power was on online.       

As an EMD guy are you familiar with the video, HW?  I enjoy it and I chuckled

when the UP shop narrator Kent describes the “speed recorder like in your car".  I bet you have some GREAT stories of your EMD years.

 Picture yourself going up a steep grade with full tonnage and having a couple extra units trailing behind off line.  Of course you're going to put them on line, rule or no rule.  It's only common sense. Who's going to know ,, Fire away....

In today's modeling railroads, you would be fired for doing that. The modern event recorders would be your undoing.

I don't know about fired, but, you would certainly be getting a big talk too if not entering some kind of discipline program.

OK Gregg,

Here comes the laser beam!

Remember what they say about a car chase..."You can't outrun a radio". Well in today's modern railroading, you can't fool that satellite in space.  Gotcha!!!

When you pull the drawbar out of one of the head end cars, that might give someone a clue...

Exactly..that's the video...The Centennials and you're right as they're all smoking.

The in cab ride has someone saying "let's take it up to 90??"