A Bevy of Questions

[MotoLinz]

Warning: My four year old is the train brain. I am merely the mom with the driver's license. Calculus is my friend, but trains are a mystery. Please forgive any incorrect terms and all stupid/obvious questions.

1 ) Are signals set at regular intervals? If irregular, what determines their placement?

2 ) Why do so many coal trains seem to have 'helpers' (if that's incorrect nomenclature, blame my four year old), but seemingly endless mixed freight trains don't? Is it a function of where these trains go?

3 ) Why do we see UP units (and SOO and GMTX and BNSF and others) mixed in with the other NS units? Is this some sort of simple lease for the power, does NS own these units and they're just too lazy to paint them (<--that's a joke - mostly), or do UP and others have an interest in these loads?

4 ) Along the same lines, is there any significance in the order of the engines? Meaning, if the lead unit in a four engine lash-up (or whatever that's called) is a BNSF unit, does that have any greater significance than, say, a four engine lash-up in which the BNSF unit is the third in line?

5 ) What's the bathroom situation in the average engine? (These are the hard-hitting questions I'm really interested in, people.)

6 ) Getting back to the signals... What's the story with the gas tanks next to the signals? And, what about the big antennae? Are they for plain 'ol radio traffic, or are they specific to the signal next to which they stand?

7 ) What the heck is 'shunting?'

8 ) Do the same engineers/conductors run the same routes on a regular basis? In other words, are the same handful of engineers/conductors spotting my car at Anchor Park and saying, "Oh, God - it's THAT lady again..."?

[csx6900]

Well, I can answer a few of those questions.

1 ) No, they are not set at "regular" intervals as it were, but they are placed according to speed limits, grades, and other factors that affect the operations in the area.  Most signals can be found between 1.5 and 3 miles of each other, but that is certainly not a rule.

2 ) Coal trains pretty much have two states: Loaded and unloaded.  A 100-car train of loaded coal cars is still way heavier than a 100-car train of manifest, which has a mix of loaded and unloaded cars.  The heavier trains need the extra power.  Of course, if a manifest train is heavy enough and it has to deal with tough grades, helpers (yes your son is correct in his terminology, although there are other terms as well) may be used.  I'm sure others can elaborate a bit further on this point to explain the physics involved.

3 ) Wow... I should know that.  It has to do with "power hours" and such, but I'll let someone else cover that way better than I can.

4 ) There are a lot of things that can determine the order of a locomotive lash-up, but usually it just depends on how the power was positioned in the originating yard.  The railroad generally just wants enough power to get the train across the line, but sometimes equipment restrictions may prevent a certain locomotive from being in the lead position.  There are other reasons as well, but that is a main one.

5 ) Lol, most units have restrooms in the nose.  Depends on the model of locomotive, though.

6 ) The gas tanks are used to heat the switches for winter time.  It prevents ice and snow from gathering between the points.  The antennas can be used for several things.  Some are for radio traffic (like road channels and dispatcher channels) and some are for the radio signals sent to the control points, which control the signals and switches.

7 ) European term for switching.

8 ) Yes, generally crews stay in the same pool for certain lengths of time.  Having never worked for the railroad, I don't really know how long they usually stay in a pool, but I knew someone who worked for CSX who would stay on the same line (even on the same job) for months at a time.  So yes, the crews can probably spot you from a mile away by now!  

-Evan

[lwjabo]

Well I was trying to answer the question but when I pressed load I got drooped from jreb. Well CSX answered them pretty good. Will add this. Trains say originating in Atlanta going to say Houston. Well they have to change rails so both rails share the power on it. On number 7 I had no idea so thanks CSX for that one. Also most engines have a simple toilet. The waste goes into a tank where it emptied when it gets back to the shop. N&W did have a place to wash hands but not any longer. If you need more ask and I will try to answer. The questions tease my old brain and may kick starts it.

[Ponce de Leon]

7 ) European term for switching.
-Evan

I would think "shunting" in this case would be bridging the electrical gap between the two rails (between sections separated by insulated joints, that is) to activate the signals to display block occupancy.

"Shunting" is indeed an English term for "switching." In the Northeast, it's often called "drilling."

Ron

[Badhorse79]

To answer 3 say At one point NS was power short and just so happens there was a BNSF loco around they would use it or like CSX6900 said rent it in a since so ns would either loan BNSF a loco or alot them the same hours days minutes whatever back un return ! So after awhile you see this sespool <--- im sure that's spelled wrong?  of locos spread out every where also some times ns and UP will have run through trains from coast to coast to cut down on the time it takes switching out power?  Hope this helps

[mbgphoto79]

For number 2, like CSX said on a coal train there is a massive amount of weight to be moved.  There is also slack or "wiggle room" between every car.  When a train starts from a dead stop the slack is pulled out one car at a time until finally all the cars are rolling.  It is much easier on the couplers and more efficient if there is a loco in the middle or at the end of the train to start that part moving at the same time the lead unit(s) start. The other engines are usually called distributed power or DP's these days and are usually but not always controlled by radio signals from the lead engine. 

Also on certain sections of RR where there is a long grade in an otherwise manageable route a helper set will be stationed at the base of the grade to couple onto the end of the train and assist the climb.  When the train reaches the top the helper set will disconnect and return to the bottom of the grade. 

Additionally, the same helpers can be used to assist the train in a decent.  Engines have what is called dynamic braking or DB which uses the traction motors of the engine to slow down.  The electricity generated by running the motor in "reverse" as a generator is dissipated as heat in the large vents in the middle section of the locomotive. 

[GP30Rider]

OK Linz.........Railkat here from ETR.  You know these folks at JREB charge by the question......hahahah.   Anytime I can be of help on signals and good train watching spots, just give me a ring.  I'll bring the timetable and rulebook out and have you completely confused in under five minutes.  My fee is to see those two young men of yours on the Secret City Scenic Excursion Train sometime soon.

[cmherndon]

2 ) Why do so many coal trains seem to have 'helpers' (if that's incorrect nomenclature, blame my four year old), but seemingly endless mixed freight trains don't? Is it a function of where these trains go?

Here's a link you might find interesting and very informative.  It's one of the best explanations I've seen out there.

http://www.alkrug.vcn.com/rrfacts/hp_te.htm

[MotoLinz]

OK Linz.........Railkat here from ETR.  You know these folks at JREB charge by the question......hahahah.   Anytime I can be of help on signals and good train watching spots, just give me a ring.  I'll bring the timetable and rulebook out and have you completely confused in under five minutes.  My fee is to see those two young men of yours on the Secret City Scenic Excursion Train sometime soon.

HA! It's official - I know someone everywhere on the Internet. The SCSET is on our to-do list, and Jackson will hold you to your previous horn blowing offer. He already yells a pretty convincing grade crossing sequence. It makes me want to get out of the way, anyhow.

Here's a link you might find interesting and very informative.  It's one of the best explanations I've seen out there.

http://www.alkrug.vcn.com/rrfacts/hp_te.htm

Thanks for this - I did 4.5 hours of calculus today, and my brain is fried, but I will definitely read and absorb this tomorrow. Interesting stuff.

Thank you to everyone else for the info - especially clarification of the toilet situation (har).