U34CH questions

ericr wrote:

The tram man wrote:

CNJGeep wrote:A light engine has less braking power than if it had a train.
Multiple light engine have more breaking power, but it's still not as much as it would be with cars attached.

Aha. Usually where i live, if an engine is going light it usually goes faster than if it had a train. Though that could be because it doesn't have anything to pull.

It's Maximum Authorized Speed, not maximum speed. Like CNJGeep said, a light engine doesn't have the braking power an engine with cars have, so they want a light engine to go slower.

Oh, right. Sorry 'bout that little mixup.

An additional consideration regarding light engine moves is to ensure devices such as signals and crossing flashers/gates are activated properly. The trucks of a light unit tend to “hunt.” With fewer wheels involved, this lateral motion might inhibit the locomotive’s ability to maintain the amount of rail contact necessary to activate these devices so a lower authorized speed may be specified. When operation of single unit self-propelled passenger cars was more prevalent, roads would sometimes couple another piece of equipment behind the car to ensure circuits were activated. In fact, Morning Sun’s “Trackside to the Jersey Shore” contains pictures of Penny Doodlebugs trailing cabooses which accompanied them on runs for this specific purpose.

Bob

Earle Baldwin wrote:An additional consideration regarding light engine moves is to ensure devices such as signals and crossing flashers/gates are activated properly. The trucks of a light unit tend to “hunt.” With fewer wheels involved, this lateral motion might inhibit the locomotive’s ability to maintain the amount of rail contact necessary to activate these devices so a lower authorized speed may be specified. When operation of single unit self-propelled passenger cars was more prevalent, roads would sometimes couple another piece of equipment behind the car to ensure circuits were activated. In fact, Morning Sun’s “Trackside to the Jersey Shore” contains pictures of Penny Doodlebugs trailing cabooses which accompanied them on runs for this specific purpose.

Bob

Sounds like a good reason. But i've never before heard of this.