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Post by ptitrainrouge on Jan 26, 2022 14:50:02 GMT -5
In real life
when multiple unit locos are pulling a train, I assume that there is one conductor in the first loco, and the others are connected as slave to the first one ? Am I right ?
But what about the helpers (mid ones, or back ones) ? is there another conductor ? If yes, they should be radio connected to have
a common speed, and manage the constraint on the couplers. thx
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Post by zscalehobo on Jan 26, 2022 21:43:11 GMT -5
In my experience in the Cuesta Helper district of the former SP line (San Luis Obispo, California) ... the helper crew stayed in their own set of locomotives.
Trailing units do not have any crew. The usual SP crews on the main train were 2-man crews - engineer and conductor ... trailing units were slaves.
The local-based helper crew are needed to cut in/out the helpers and then return the helpers back to their home base. Once the train passes over the Cuesta grade, the helpers were cut out of the long consist and then the local crew took the helpers back to the SLO depot.
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Post by cwrr on Jan 26, 2022 23:27:59 GMT -5
Most of your major Class 1 railroads here in North America have just two man crews in the lead unit, with the rest in a locomotive consist controlled by the Engineer via "MU" or multiple unit. If there are mid-train helpers or "DPU's" on the rear of the train, they are remotely controlled by the lead unit with the engineers commands.
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Post by ptitrainrouge on Jan 27, 2022 12:56:28 GMT -5
thank you for your answers. you upgrade my us train culture  it was not so obvious for me a last question: how do they communicate the orders between the leading loco and the helpers: radio ? cable ? If it is cable, that means that there is a connexion thrue all the cars; it seems weird .  |
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Post by cwrr on Jan 27, 2022 15:57:26 GMT -5
The dispatcher has communication between the train crews via radio.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2022 16:10:04 GMT -5
a last question: how do they communicate the orders between the leading loco and the helpers: radio ? cable ? If it is cable, that means that there is a connexion thrue all the cars; it seems weird .  Absolutely not weird : in South Africa ( "almost metric" railroads, same gauge as in Japan), for a very heavy ore train, all locomotives are remotely controlled from the first one via a glass fiber running through the whole train (source : 3rd regional channels on German TV, "Eisenbahn Romantik" ) |
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