radio train operations

[LC43]

Was just wondering about radio train operations and what it was like operating them? 

Has anyone on the site ever operated over Saluda grade with one?  I visited Saluda in 2000 just passing through the area, but didn't see any trains.

The last one I ever remember seeing was in Rockmart, GA I believe in 1997.  I was riding over the bridge on the bypass when I saw a loaded coal train headed south with 2 engines.  I pulled into the baseball park and watched and it was a radio train with 2 more engines.  I think they may have been SD60's, but I'm not sure.

My grandparents lived about 200 yards from the railroad tracks and there is nothing more impressive to a 5 year old than a Southern Railway radio train rumbling by with 3-4 high hoods up front, 100+ Southern Railway rust red coal cars, 3 high hoods in the train, and caboose.  If you missed the engines up front, you always knew there were more engines and the caboose on the way.

[lwjabo]

I have never worked on Saluda. Plus I was a conductor and not and engineer. I worked at Rockmart and Braswell a few thousand times. If you saw this in the late 90s would have been one of the eastern trains going to Plant Schear. But by them were no cabooses. That ended around 92 is my guess. They did a bit of double tracking at Braswell about that time. That was about the last time I said a cracker box in a train.

[Ponce de Leon]

I didn't operate a radio train, but I certainly rode several of them in the '60s. The Locotrol box on the lead unit (a "white face") was mounted on the control stand above the throttle area. I remember the main air brake (the "big brake"---or train brake) was controlled by pushing a button. Each time it clicked, it denoted a release of five pounds (or some smaller increment---I can't recall).

For a time after the creation of NS, some coal trains were operated on the Appalachia Division with mid-train remotes ("slaves") and also a two unit manned pusher behind the caboose. It was a pretty neat operation, and there were no mishaps that I can recall. There were three or four daily radio trains out of Andover then---not to mention other non-radio coal trains.

From my time on the Rat Hole, most of the radio trains were routed over the Louisville District out of Danville. There were several trains on the CNO&TP that were regularly "radio-ed" then (early '70s). I assume they continued along the Georgia Division to and from Atlanta.

Before system renumbering, there were several versions of through freight 156. All of them served Inman Yard and all of them were regular radio trains. There were several frequencies available to the radio control equipment, and sometimes one train within the radio range of another one might pick up the other's signal. I remember a story when one of the 156's was moving through Inman slowly when a car derailed. A terminal trainmaster spotted all the commotion from the tower, so he grabbed the radio and said, "Southern 156---stop your train!" A moment later, a voice came back over the radio: "Which 156 are you talking to?" He answered: "ALL Southern 156's---stop your trains!"

[lwjabo]

Train 160, 161 and 123 from or to Atlanta from Louisville were Radio at one time or another. Train 123 was called the Monon and 160 was the Hummingbird. There was a coal train off the Louisville Dist that went to Krannert in west Rome Ga. It also was radio. From memory it had 3 engines head out and 3 in the middle. There was a radio unit at the diesel shop at Inman with the radio car still MU and when a train went down the main line that was radio the engine started moving. It went all the way to the main line at Howell and they lined it into a dead track in the old Terminal Station to derail it. They installed derails on both ends of the shop after that.

[Batman]

124 from chatta to lousiville was a radio train back then.   also SR ran a 283 coal train
down  the rathole with 3 leaders and 3 slaves.

[lwjabo]

I remember 124 it was our afternoon train. Ran north from Inman about 12:30 pm or later. They cut it off back about 1974 when the recession hit. Train 283 must have been the coal train to Krannert. It's just been to long. Back then trains with 200 numbers were coal or pigs. Then we started using 700 again for Pigs and coal. Trains with 900 were company trains such as rail or work trains. Our schedule north was 116 (Penn Central) after midnight. Then 172 was a Chessie train. It ran 5 days a week till the GM plant at Lakewood closed. Then train 144 which had clay (Kaolin) and paper.  Next was 160 around 9am then 124 as I said in the afternoon. Next was 230 at 7:30pm and 150 about 10pm. Train 560 was known as the bullet. As it shot from one siding to another. Then train 140 known as the cannon ball. A form of bullet but went to Knoxville. Train 560 and 140 had Rome (Forrestville) and some times Dalton cars. Since train 116 chased 150 it was the Beagle chasing the Rabbit. South bound was train 143 and 123. Never could tell which would be first. Train 161 if it ran was next. In the afternoon was 117 (Penn Central) and 171 (Chessie) Train 151 known as the Spark Plug. Train 117, 171 and 151 were auto parts for the three plants around Atlanta. Train 229 was next and some times a 729 extra pig. There were two long barrel locals and a Dallas turn. The long barrel went from Inman to DeButts and returned the next day. So two crews. The Dallas turn worked double track out of Inman and turned at Austell and some times it went all the way to Rockmart. It would Carry the cars for the locals that went to DeButts. They ran a few hours later. Pick up there train where it was left. The long barrel's picked up at Dalton and would have the pigs out of Dalton. This train was a all day job when business was heavy. Trains 140 and 139 the south bound could run at any time.

[blacksheep]

a couple years ago i saw a radio train down here on the AGS. freaked me out. first one i'd seen in years. only one i've seen in years. a couple units came by pulling on a mixed fright, cool enough but nothing special, then, about 2 thirds back in the train was 1 unit pulling hard. of course there was no radio control car but it was still cool. seems like this would be a better way to handle a train but i can understand it cost more to switch the unit into the middle instead of putting it on the rear.

[Ponce de Leon]

Man, I miss the days when many of the hottest trains on the Rat Hole were named: The Rabbit, the Beagle, the Monon, the Humming Bird, the Spark Plug, the Big Clipper, the Little Clipper, and the Penn Central. Those were the days of high drama!

In those days, 229 came out of Cincy with the gladhands on every air hose taped to make sure they wouldn't separate and cause an emergency brake application. It's kind of amazing that all these years later, 229 is still the hottest train on the railroad---and with the same number.

Still---I wish 151 was still running. The "Plug" was the quintessential Rat Hole hotshot. What I would give to see 51 (its original number) roll down Norwood Hill behind four SD24s whining along in full dynamics with an endless string of 40 and 50 foot box cars full of auto parts between the rear drawbar on the last the last unit and the bay window caboose at the rear.

[lwjabo]

Forgot train 143 was the cliper. You not the only one wishing the auto parts trains still ran. Lots of jobs lost when the three plants closed. The GM plant at Lakewood was very old. It opened around World War One. The Ford plant at Hapeville moved from Atlanta to Hapeville around 1948. The GM plat at Doraville was the last to close. It opened after World War Two. These plants provided thousands of jobs. People lived as far away as Alabama worked in them. There were a few hundred railroad jobs lost also because of them closing.

[LC43]

I appreciate all the posts about times past; it is always good reading.  

Talking about the Rathole,  I worked in Dayton, TN in 2001 and lived about 100 yards from the tracks.  They were still running a lot of high-hoods then; they may still be.  I wasn't into taking pictures, but I should have been because I saw a lot of trains everyday.  Trains hauling Caterpillar, John Deer, Khomatsu, M1 Abrams, other Army equipment; can't remember if there were any road railers; everything really.

I have seen the Spark Plug train before with 40-50 autoparts boxcars around Dallas, GA.  You could tell it was a high-priority train.

I remember when I was younger and the Sothern and Norfolk & Western first merged.  They would throw in a NW engine or two on the radio trains; I liked the NW engines because they had windshields and liked the Southern GP30's because they were just different looking.  I had no idea what they were then, but realize they were GP30's now.  My Grandparents lived close to the Cedartown line, so those would have been going to Plant Yates or Wansley.  Did you ever catch any of those trains in the early to mid 80's lwjabo?    

[lwjabo]

Yes I have been to cedartown on coal trains a hundred times or more.They now have assigned crews but that was not the norm till a few years back. Train 116 was always built in track 1 in the forwarding yard. Train 172 was built in track 16 and 15. It had to double. The reason was all the boxes from the bankrupt lines. There equipment was terrible. They could run a welding truck to spot weld cars from these two tracks. Was nothing to have to walk the train and tie up broken cut leavers. Was easier than setting them out. Often ladders broke loose and we would get a report on them. I've took a few on the Wye with them still hanging down. The trainmaster did not like it but the cars got repaired and sent on there way faster if we did it. Train 151 and 150 ran till a few years ago.