worth getting up early for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZAayYeIPR0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZAayYeIPR0)
You speak the truth!
That gives the old heart a cardio workout without ever leaving the chair. I can feel mine beating harder and faster as the train speeds up, trying to keep pace with the exhaust.
Thanks for sharing and for getting up early to do it.
r0bert-
All I can say is WOW!! And just this morning, too. Why oh why am I in Minnesota?
-- D
i guess that trumps the ringling bros circus train that went through yesterday morning.
I understand the 844 will be making a run from Denver to Cheyenne for Frontier Days. A friend in Denver tells me tickets, which aren't cheap, sell out in, like, 20 minutes.
Oh, you know I watched your KATO COLA video right after that. Great, great stuff!
Would it have killed you to throw in a B&O frieght car somewhere? ;D ;D
Regards,
Jonathan
You know Jonathan, I honestly don't think I have one, don't have a reason why,
I guess one just never caught my eye, I'll have to fix that.
If you scan down the videos, you will see that I do have a B&O 44 tonner,
if that helps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do4oSH-2RkE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do4oSH-2RkE)
:)Whew, I feel better now. Very nice scenery. I probably wouldn't have guessed N scale unlessed you mentioned it. Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Jonathan
Great video. Just one thing that bothers me, and that's that they pretty much always put a modern diesel engine with the steamer. They pulled 50+ cars on their own back in their day. Do they really think that it can't pull a boxcar and 7 coaches on it's own? Just one thing that always bothers me about steam specials. But great video nonetheless.
This diesel is in this train for two reasons.
1) cosmetic, as this excursion follows the Missouri Pacific lines
to Little Rock, one of Mopac's main maintenance facilities,
so the Mopac Heritage loco was used.
2) Dynamic Braking, The real reason for having a diesel in this train.
Utilizing the diesel for it's dynamic braking power saves a lot of
wear and tear on the steam locos systems.
The 844 can, and has pulled entire modern freight loads all by itself, no shortage
of horsepower, but all replacement parts have to be custom made, they can't just be ordered in like for a modern diesel.
The other main reason that you see a diesel loco in other steam consists is that
the steam loco does not have the proper CTC (Centralized Traffic Control)
equipment it for the railroad it is operating on, which is handled by the diesel.
Quote from: r0bert on June 04, 2011, 02:26:50 PM
This diesel is in this train for two reasons.
1) cosmetic, as this excursion follows the Missouri Pacific lines
to Little Rock, one of Mopac's main maintenance facilities,
so the Mopac Heritage loco was used.
2) Dynamic Braking, The real reason for having a diesel in this train.
Utilizing the diesel for it's dynamic braking power saves a lot of
wear and tear on the steam locos systems.
The 844 can, and has pulled entire modern freight loads all by itself, no shortage
of horsepower, but all replacement parts have to be custom made, they can't just be ordered in like for a modern diesel.
The other main reason that you see a diesel loco in other steam consists is that
the steam loco does not have the proper CTC (Centralized Traffic Control)
equipment it for the railroad it is operating on, which is handled by the diesel.
I understand that some years ago, the 844 was to make an appearance at a railfair in California, and to get there, the Union Pacific insisted on putting a diesel on in front of the steamer. All was well--until the diesel conked out in a tunnel. The runner on the 844 just cracked the throttle and both
pushed the diesel out of the tunnel
and pulled the train. :D
Ah, I see Robert. Thanks for clearing that up. I never knew the diesel engine had so much responsibility. I though they put it on there just for "in case" reasons (i.e. "in case" the steamer were to break down, things like that).
Funny story Jeff. I guess that proves how much better older things are than newer ones (in some cases) like automobiles. Older, metal made cars are much better than today's crappy fiberglass and plastic ones.
I don't think CTC was an issue. This is the first time, in this part of the country, that I have seen a diesel with either of UP steam locomotives. I think it was just to have the heritage locomotive.
i don't think ctc would affect a steam locomotive. ctc is just a form of signal system using wayside signals.
union pacific and some ofther railroads do use cxab signals, which repeat the lineside signal indications inside the locomotive cab before you get to those signals. they were used extensively on amny former conrail lines, and in those territories the lead locomotive must have cab signal equipment. in my area, that means about half the locomotives ns currently owns are reduced to trailing unit only.
in the case of the union pacific, the steam locomotive may not have cab signals but the diesel would. they may have seperate engineers for both steam and diesel, in which case the diesel engineer could tell the steam engineer what the cab signal indication is.
It seems to me that neither ctc nor cab signals necessarily present a problem. The UP could easily install the electronic equipment in two more cabs if it would allow them to leave the diesel and crew at home. So I think the diesel has to be there due to a combination of braking and breakdown insurance.
-- D
UP does have both MU control stands and CTC onboard their steam locos, and generally stay on their home rails, so usally do not have a diesel in the consist unless it's pulling an extremely heavy train like the circus train last fall.
With the circus train the diesel was for dynamic braking only.
In my original post refering to CTC I said "in OTHER steam consists" generally when the steamer is not on it's road a diesel with the proper CTC is pulled.
Info update;
I have received intell that the Mopac ACe is in fact being deadheaded in the excursion train. It normally operates out of the Dupo yard, and may have been dropped off there, or my be left in L.R. for servicing.
more useless info
Another reason with non UP steam locos you may see a diesel "Amtrak loco" is for
head end electrical power for the passenger cars.
UP has dedicated power cars with diesel generators in their Excursion trains, but most other pull a mixed bag of borrowed cars and need the Amtrak diesel to run lights, AC and such.
eh, getting up early, the hardest thing in the world.
Especially after working the night shift for 30+ years.
Due to the flooding coming on the Missouri River the 844 thought Oklahoma today instead of Saturday. So I missed it.
The Union Pacific has faith it it's steam locomotive. It is a rare occasion for them to have diesel with them. When steam runs on the BNSF it is rare to not have a diesel in the train.
what year is this train in?