OTTO, Good EMD power, a dead GE's on a slow M-17 on the CNO&TP

[E.M. Bell]

Back a week or so ago, I shared some pics of the NS F units and the deadhead move South on the CNO&TP (and what a long, slow trip that was) on June 7th.   Besides the massive delay that OTTO gave them, the OCS got to follow a long, heavy and slow moving M-17 from Danville KY, all the way to Chattanooga.

M-17 got into Danville about a hour ahead of the OCS, with a standard cab SD60 and a D9. While the train was fueling, the GE died dead and would not start. The Danville yardmaster finally rounded up a pair of engines for M-17 to use (which consisted of 1 FRA dead EMD and another GE)) and those where picked up in a move that consumed another hour. Even with 2 good engines, M-17 was still a drag, and really never got even close to track speed for that train (50 mph).  

Now, a real dispatcher (you know...the human kind) would have simply ran the OCS around that slow moving 1.5 mile long monster, but OTTO does not do such things. The OCS would follow M-17 the rest of the day...very slowly....all the way to Chattanooga. That worked out pretty good for John and myself, and we even got a few shots of M-17 along the way. With a standard cab SD60 leading and singing on the hills, I could not complain!

Here are a few from the "B-Roll" from our day with the OCS.. That leader might not be as pretty as the F units that followed, but in this day and age, I will gladly take it!

Well before the sun came up, we first saw the M-17 at North Wye (just North of Danville KY) as they passed a crew-less 239. A little while later, OTTO would run the OCS in behind that 239 where it would set for a hour or so. This shot was just me playing around (bored) but I thought it came out pretty good, considering it was hand held..


Later in the day, M-17 get back on the move at Parkers Lake after meeting a Northbound.


M-17 again, clawing its way up and out of the New River Valley at Mountain View, TN.


And one last time, crossing the TN river at Chattanooga as a steady rain falls. The OCS would finally get around them here!

[dschlegel]

That first shot is really slick, calendar worthy actually.

Sorry for the ignorance, but what is OTTO? From this and other threads it sounds like an automated dispatching system. It also sounds like it has quite a few kinks to work out.

As for the SD60 sounds, I think they're among the best out there. They really howl like a banshee!

Dan

[E.M. Bell]

Dan, check this link for some OTTO info  http://www.jreb.org/ns/index.php?topic=13001.0

Basically, its just what you said...and the source of much frustration for the NS folks around here..

[dschlegel]

Thanks EM, that thread explains a lot. I like the auto pilot reference from Airplane too!
Dan