Monday, 8 November
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The
Pacific & American RR VR is open for
business. The VR now has 19 members, plus a number
of people in the Headquarters division. So now the
NERR network consists of:
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the NERR itself;
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the Bison Rail and the Blue Ridge & Tidewater
Divisions of the NERR; and
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the Great Lakes & Allegheny and Pacific &
American subsidiaries.
So what will happen next to the NERR network - a
number of possibilities occur to us. Watch and
see!
Sunday, 7 November
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MSTS
getting boring today? Spend a few minutes (or hours)
at the following website:
Train Spotting Simulator.
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The
Pacific & American RR VR will open its doors to new
members from today. But before you rush and join,
you need to be aware of the way that the new
VR will be set up and operate - it will be different
from here at the NERR. Apart from being based on a
number of payware routes, it will have an ethos
based on the following statement from its CEO, Bob
Artim:
"On 7 November I will
be opening the doors and we will start taking
applications.
I know a lot of you are anxious to join, but be
advised this is not going to be like NERR or OVS; it
might not be like GL&A either.
NERR and OVS are VRs for the engineers. Engineers
have a say and have essentially made those VRs what
they are by suggestions and actually helping out in
the progress of the VR.
P&A is a place for me and my friends to play with
the payware stuff. There are some really nice items
for sale, and we are using them here in our work
orders. So right off the bat you have a financial
commitment that you do not have at NERR or OVS. If
you purchased everything P&A is using your looking
at over $300. That's a lot of money.
So to me, if you can commit to the financial end of
P&A, it would seem to me you want to come here and
play, seriously, so you get your money's worth out
of your toys. And not be bothered by people who
can't install anything, can't make work orders that
have been tested work, and people coming around
instigating change or their idea of good change and
then getting mad when we don't like their idea, or
not being able to install a commercial product or
make their email work.
P&A is not about these things. It is about running
work orders with expensive toys by people who know
what they are doing. Serious people.
Over the years, I have answered sooo many questions,
over and over again, I know the answers off by
heart. I know complete paths to files on my system
pertaining to MSTS and other items, because I have
typed them sooo many times in assisting people.
I have made FAQS, and NERR forums always has answers
to everything. But the same questions keep coming as
people find it easier to just ask again than to help
themselves and find the answer from the data
available.
I am tired of helping people. It takes my time. I
figure I helped enough, and it is time for me to
enjoy MSTS too. So I made P&A for me and people like
me to have fun and not have to help everyone all the
time.
You can find help at NERR and OVS, that's
guaranteed. At P&A, you are going to help yourself
first, because you know about all the quirks with
MSTS, and you know the folder structures and where
things go, and what the add-ons did, and how the
utilities work and how to search the forums for
answers.
If you do find an actual problem, then I am sure
that everyone here will also have it.
P&A is about trains. Our trains. P&A is about
running work orders. Our work orders, to include the
ones coming with the routes and add-ons and ones we
make in house.
At NERR & OVS I rarely see any discussion about the
work orders that are run. 1,000s of work orders have
been entered into a time slip system, but no one
ever talks about running them. No oohs and aaahs
about such and such run, not even a 'that one sucked
big time'.
At P&A, I'd like to talk about the runs. What made
it worth the time? How was the route area. Was it
hard? Was it easy? Was it too easy? What could be
different? Was it real? What would make it 'realer'?
(Is that a word?)
I don't want to solve your problems with MSTS,
Windows XP, the latest utility or other problems of
the world. I want to have fun and talk about it. If
you don't, then P&A is not going to be the place for
you.
Jim at GL&A is restricting engineers to 50. I do not
know yet what I am going to do at P&A. For now I am
going to open up on Sunday and see how it goes. If
it does not go like I plan for it to go, P&A may be
invitation only.
P&A is to be your escape from NERR & OVS and train-sim.com,
huge forums with so much stuff that doesn't interest
you, people bitching and whining and arguing with
each other. Huge amounts of downloads to acquire and
attempt to make work. The same old people with the
same old problems. The same new people trying to
change the whole structure for the few days they
will be around, then leave.
That is what I want P&A to be. If this is your idea
of a VR, then join up tomorrow when you see the
announcement on the home page that we are open."
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Greatest Train Spotter: Bill Curtis of
Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England, is acknowledged as
the world champion train spotter. He has clocked up
some 85,000 locomotives, 11,200 electric units, and
8,300 diesel units, over a period of 40 years, in 31
different countries. (from the website of the
Guinness Book of Records)
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For
those people new to American railroading, and for
those who are not exactly sure, here is the text of
an 'article' in the NERR forums about the types of
diesel locomotives that are around the NERR and the
rest of the VW and RW. The question about the
different types of diesel locomotives was posed by
Hiemdal (James, ID# 123). The response came from our
resident technical expert on most things to do with
locos in the RW, taz (Jeremy, ID# 9). (please note:
tThe hyperlinks below were added later by your
Editor - don't blame taz for their quality!)
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Definitions of
Engine Types and Other Mystical Incantations
There isn't
really a clear distinction between some of
these model names. A "Road Switcher" (of any
description) could be used as a switcher or
"transfer" locomotive, as these are more of a
function than a "type". In general, you can
apply the following rules to help classify
locomotives:
Switchers
- Usually (but not always) this is considered
to be a locomotive with the cab located at, or
near, the end of the locomotive frame. These
are also referred to as "End Cab Switchers".
There were also a few earlier "switcher"
models with the cab located in the middle of
the frame (like the
ALCo C415s and the
"Center Cab" Baldwins)...As far as
I know, all models of this type of switcher on
Class 1 railroads are out of service. There
are the exceptions of some of the lighter
weight GE and other manufacturers' industrial
locomotives (like the 44 tonner) that are in
use as "plant switchers" at various industries
and/or special purposes (I believe that UP
uses a 44 tonner in one of its tie plants).
The last of the EMD "End Cab" switchers
manufactured for Class 1 railroad service was
the
MP15 series. GE has never produced
an "End Cab" switcher specifically for Class 1
service, although many Class 1 railroads had
GE's 70 ton switchers, and GE
cataloged an "End Cab" switcher, called a
U18BT, which it never produced.
Cow/Calf Units
- This is more of a "railfan" term used to
refer to a switcher-type locomotive that has a
"Cabless" booster unit, usually of the same
design and horsepower, semi-permanently
attached to it. In some cases, this
semi-permanently attached booster was attached
via a solid drawbar instead of the standard
knuckle couplers. EMD produced a series of
locomotives called the TR series which
featured a "calf" unit as a part of the basic
model. An example of this is the
TR6 model which was a pair of SW8
switchers, one with a cab and one without. It
should also be noted that the "calf" units
have a "control station" where the cab would
normally be placed. This "control station"
contained the engine/locomotive startup and
shutdown control, in addition to various
gauges for monitoring the engine (i.e., oil
pressure, coolant
temperature, etc.).
Cab Units
- This term is generally used for locomotives
that are built with a car body that contains a
place for the crew to operate the locomotive
from, and a control stand for that operation.
This term is usually used to refer to
locomotives of a similar design to EMD's
"F" and
"E" unit series locomotives
(including the ALCo "FA"s, Baldwin "DL"s,
Fairbanks-Morse "C-Liners", etc.). Note that
in the construction of these locomotives, the
construction of the "Car Body" was an integral
part of the frame of the locomotive. This is
in contrast to locomotives like the F40, F45s,
and the
Canadian "Draper Taper" units,
where the "Car Body" is basically a
non-structural cowl that is lowered onto the
basic locomotive frame to cover the engine and
other inner components.
Booster Units
- Generally used to refer to the
"Cabless" units associated with the "Cab
Units" above. These locomotives are
also referred to as "B" units. Like the "calf"
units above, there is a "control station" for
monitoring the engine/locomotive AND
there is what is referred to as a "Hostler's
Station". This "Hostler's Station" has both a
throttle and an independent brake and is used
to move the "Booster Unit" or "B" unit using
its own power. This throttle is only capable
of moving the engine/locomotive at slow speeds
(generally only the equivalent of "Run 1") and
has to be "Cut In" and "Cut Out" by the
operator. This would also include the various
"B" units manufactured by EMD, Baldwin, etc.
such as the
GP9B, GP30B, SD24B, etc.
Cabless Units - As the name
implies, these units do not have a control
cab. What is interesting is that the term came
into "regular" (read: railfan) usage when the
Santa Fe and Burlington Northern started
rebuilding some of their SD40s (including
SD45-2 in the case of the Santa Fe) and
removed the cab. At about the same time, a
couple of other railroads (notably the
Southern Pacific) had either rebuilt damaged
locomotives without a cab or were running
units that were awaiting new cabs from the
builders. As far as I know, only GE actually
produced
brand new locomotives without cabs, and all of
these were for the Burlington Northern.
Before we go any further, let me say that the
term "Cabless" and "Booster" have been used
interchangeably throughout the years and have
even been combined as in "Cabless Booster".
It's one of those things that you'll get a
different answer to, based on either who you
talk to or whose book you're reading. The
"definitions" that I listed above are what
I've used over the years.
So why are there different terms for the same
basic locomotive type (like "Cabless" versus
"Booster"), and why there isn't a "standard
terminology" across the board? The only answer
that I can provide you is that it is based
when the locomotive first appeared (time line)
and what it originally started out life as.
"Booster Units" were manufactured that way by
the various builders. "Cabless Units" were
generally rebuilt by the railroads (or a
contractor). In the case of some of the very
first "Booster Units" (such as
EMD's "FT"s), there wasn't any
method provided for starting the "Booster
Units" engine unless it was coupled to a "Cab
Unit". In fact, all of the "FT Booster Units"
came from the factory semi-permanently coupled
(using a drawbar) to a "Cab Unit", and only
the "Cab Units" contained batteries (used for
starting the engines, in addition to other
things).
Road Switcher
- Basically, this is any locomotive that isn't
an "End Cab" switcher or a "Cab Unit". They
are identified by having "running boards"
along the outside of the locomotive. It should
be noted that this encompasses everything from
the GP7s and U25s to the SD90MACs and
AC6000s (and everything in
between).
Slugs or TEBUs
- "TEBU" stands for "Tractive Effort Booster
Unit". Slugs and TEBUs are un-powered units
(i.e. they do not have an engine) that have
traction motors and additional weight added to
them, which when coupled to a
properly-equipped locomotive (sometimes
referred to as a "Mother Unit"), draw their
"power" from the engine/main generator of the
attached locomotive. Their purpose is to
increase the tractive effort of the locomotive
consists at slower speeds without adding
another locomotive. It also, generally, lowers
the "minimum Continuous Speed" rating of the
"Mother" locomotive to a level acceptable for
the service since the "Mother" unit is
supplying power for both itself and the slug.
In general, they are used in slow speed
service and/or yard assignments, generally not
exceeding 20 mph. It should also be noted that
not all slugs are created equal. Some are
meant for yard service only (referred to as
"yard slugs"), while others are meant for slow
speed "drag" service on the mainline or
branchlines (referred to as "road slugs"). In
addition to the slugs that have been built by
the various railroads, both GE and
Morrison-Knudsen built them. GE called them
"Mates", while Morrison-Knudsen called them "TEBU"s.
Some slugs can also act as fuel tenders for
the controlling locomotive. Almost all slugs
are equipped with a blower motor to provide a
source of cooling for the traction motors.
Slugs can be of either 6 or 4 axle design.
Transfer Units
- This is really more a function of the
"service" that the locomotive may be involved
in rather than a specific locomotive type. In
the early days of dieselization, there were a
few specific models that were "Transfer
Units". At least, that is how they were
marketed. The TR6 model mentioned above was
one such unit, as was the
ALCo T6 model. In general, these
specialized transfer locomotives were
basically switchers that featured items such
as road switcher trucks (instead of switcher
trucks), standardized locomotive control
stands, MU capability, etc. Their primary
use/service was to transfer cars from one rail
yard to another.
Brake Sleds
- These are
locomotives that have been stripped
of just about everything (cab, engine,
traction motors, etc.) and weighted down,
usually with concrete. Their braking
capabilities (i.e., the brake shoes and
associated brake rigging) have been left
intact and are designed to work when the
controlling locomotive's independent brakes
are applied, thereby providing additional
braking capability. The controlling
locomotives are modified to provide a separate
connection for this purpose.
Now, before you take this too far, just know
that a lot of this is subject to change by the
various railroads and/or manufacturers. Union
Pacific (and the Southern Pacific before
them), for example, uses what would "normally"
be classified as a "road switcher" as a
"switcher". These are
SD38-2s (2000 horsepower, 6 axle
locomotives) which have been modified for hump
yard service by changing both the traction
motor gearing and eliminating the locomotive's
ability to "transition" (i.e., change the
electrical system for the traction motors from
serial to parallel). Some of the earlier
diesel production, especially from Baldwin and
Fairbanks-Morse, really confused things by
offering the option of different trucks
underneath the same basic machinery - The
Baldwin AS615 (C-C, 6 powered
axles),
DRS-6-4-1500 (A-1-A/A-1-A, 4
powered axles with an
un-powered axle in between the powered axles),
and the
DRS-4-4-1500 (B-B, 4 powered axles)
are basically the same model but with
different wheel/truck arrangements.
Now, if you like that, you'll love this!
Kansas City Southern (KCS) used to operate a
road slug that had been converted from an old
F7 car body. This slug retained its cab and
operating controls for movements when the slug
was the lead unit and appeared to be an F7
from every angle ... except the front, which
had a larger than normal "buffer zone" around
the front door of the locomotive! CSX has done
similar things with a few older GP35s (if I
remember correctly). They are identified by
CSX as RDMTs.
Whoops...I neglected something in my original
post. I stated the following, which was
incorrect: "As far as I know, only GE actually
produced brand new locomotives without cabs
and all of these were for the Burlington
Northern."
Turns out that both EMD and MLW (Montreal
Locomotive Works) build "Cabless" locomotives
fairly recently. In the case of EMD, this
would be the GP60B (only the Santa Fe ordered
these, as far as I know). The MLW built the
M420B (BC Rail only?). GE's "Cabless"
model was a version of the B30-7 and was
referred to as a
B30-7A. These were originally built
for the Burlington Northern only, as far as I
know (although I know of a few that are
currently "running around" on other railroads
and shortlines).
An interesting anomaly on the recent "Cabless/Booster"
front. All of the recently, "as built" units
(i.e. those built by the manufacturer) are of
a B-B (4 axle, all powered) design while the
railroads, or their contractors, have favored
rebuilding their own C-C (6 axle, all powered)
units.
An "historical" note ... Both ALCo and EMD
built a couple of
"Double Diesel" "Booster Units".
The EMD entry was the
DD35B (also referred to as a DD35)
which was basically a pair of GP35s on a
common under-frame that rode on a pair of 4
axle, D-D, trucks (8 axles, all powered). Only
the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific had
these, and only the UP had the similar "A"
unit (cab and controls) model the
DD35A (also referred to as a
DDA35). This truck design later showed up
under Union Pacific's
DD40AX (note: The DD40 model is
referred to by several different names
including "The Centennial", DD40A, DD40-X,
DDA40, DDA40-X, and the DD40AX. A "B" unit was
cataloged by EMD, the DD40B, but never built).
The ALCo entry was one of their Century
series, the
C855. This locomotive appeared as
both a "Booster" unit and a "Control Unit" and
rode on 4 standard B trucks, two under each
end in a B+B-B+B configuration (8 axles, 4
trucks, all powered). Only the UP bought this
locomotive. |
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And I'm getting to know the switchbacks really
well.
