Railroad Forums 

  • FL-9 MU Capabilities

  • Discussion relating to the NH and its subsidiaries (NYW&B, Union Freight Railroad, Connecticut Company, steamship lines, etc.). up until its 1969 inclusion into the Penn Central merger. This forum is also for the discussion of efforts to preserve former New Haven equipment, artifacts and its history. You may also wish to visit www.nhrhta.org for more information.
Discussion relating to the NH and its subsidiaries (NYW&B, Union Freight Railroad, Connecticut Company, steamship lines, etc.). up until its 1969 inclusion into the Penn Central merger. This forum is also for the discussion of efforts to preserve former New Haven equipment, artifacts and its history. You may also wish to visit www.nhrhta.org for more information.
 #1427258  by urrengr2003
 
Just viewed pic on another website taken 03/69 @ Motor Storrage in New Haven. Very clear shot of 5006 & 2016 MU'ed nose- to- nose. Two jumper cables are used to accommodate this purpose. One appears to be a standard 27pt MU cable & standard recepticles. The other cable is smaller in diameter and plugged above the 27pt cable in what may be a battery recpticle. What is the purpose of the second cable? We used a cable and plugs similar to this on the Southern Railway, all locomotives had one at both ends its purpose to provide battery current to a Radio Receiver Car for mid-train slave units. It was also handy to crank engines with poor batteries although this seldom occurs account the high maintenance standards that prevailed.
 #1427270  by amtrakhogger
 
Typically with a passenger locos there are two 27 pin receptacles. One (usually painted black)
Is the m.u. receptacle, while the second one (usually painted blue) is a communication cable
For buzzers, door control, p.a., etc. But based on the date of the photo, it could be for something
else. Mr. Weaver or Mr. Dutch Railnut could possibly shed some light on the subject.
 #1427280  by Backshophoss
 
This was before the HEP ERA,one was the 27 point MU trainline ,the other could be a battery trainline/Dynamic Brake control
the plug in was a smaller rectangle type
 #1427319  by Noel Weaver
 
Most if not all of the function of the second jumper covered the third rail operation from changeover to other items concerned with third rail operation. Although practically always both jumpers were used they could MU with a good number of other locomotives provided no third rail operation was involved. During earlier days it was not uncommon for an FL-9 to be operated with a GP-9 in either passenger or freight service.
Noel Weaver
 #1427419  by DutchRailnut
 
Noel is correct the FL-9 took standard 27 point jumper plus a 19 point for 3th rail operation controls.
 #1430161  by Statkowski
 
Although the FL9 sported what appeared to be a dynamic brake fan, this was used for cooling the resistor grids while in third-rail operation.

However, it may have had dynamic brake capabilities since it was built as a dual-service locomotive and could be MUed with the other 1957 road switchers, which did have dynamic brake capabilities.
 #1430186  by DutchRailnut
 
The FL-9 was not wired for dynamic brake but the Dynamic brake gear in engine fan and relay group was used to regulate third rail power to traction motors.
the relay group was mounted over compressor with grid resistors mounted over and to side near the Third rail cooling fan (what looks like dynamic brake fan)
 #1430214  by Noel Weaver
 
The first 30 FL-9's were fully equipped with dynamic brakes and they worked. I remember running the 2010 not long after Penn Central overhauled it at Altoona (they did a good job on it too) and on a light move I decided to see if the dynamic brake worked, used it to slow down for a crossover and it worked just fine. The second 30 of them were not equipped for dynamic brake and the selector lever did not have a "B" on the control stand.
Noel Weaver
 #1430251  by Statkowski
 
The EDER-5 FL9s (2000-2029) had 567C prime movers, just like the GP9s being produced in the same timeframe. They were built as dual-service engines, with nose MU connections, dynamic brakes and a head-end brakeman's seat in the cab.

The EDER-5a FL9s (2030-2059) had 567D1 prime movers, just like the GP18s being produced in the same timeframe. Due to the terms of the Federal loan guarantees, these were built as passenger-only engines, with no dynamic brakes and no provisions for a head-end brakeman. They had the same gear ratio as their predecessors and therefore could be MUed with the other same-timeframe engines, but could only be used as a lead or trail unit, and dynamic braking would not be available.

Apart from the Maybrook Line, where else on the New Haven would dynamic braking have been used?
 #1432761  by Ridgefielder
 
Statkowski wrote:The EDER-5 FL9s (2000-2029) had 567C prime movers, just like the GP9s being produced in the same timeframe. They were built as dual-service engines, with nose MU connections, dynamic brakes and a head-end brakeman's seat in the cab.

The EDER-5a FL9s (2030-2059) had 567D1 prime movers, just like the GP18s being produced in the same timeframe. Due to the terms of the Federal loan guarantees, these were built as passenger-only engines, with no dynamic brakes and no provisions for a head-end brakeman. They had the same gear ratio as their predecessors and therefore could be MUed with the other same-timeframe engines, but could only be used as a lead or trail unit, and dynamic braking would not be available.

Apart from the Maybrook Line, where else on the New Haven would dynamic braking have been used?
Others would (and will) know for sure, but I'm guessing the Highland between Waterbury & Bristol, the Midland through Bolton Notch, and the Air Line... and Sharon Hill in MA.
 #1432827  by Noel Weaver
 
Ridgefielder wrote:
Statkowski wrote:The EDER-5 FL9s (2000-2029) had 567C prime movers, just like the GP9s being produced in the same timeframe. They were built as dual-service engines, with nose MU connections, dynamic brakes and a head-end brakeman's seat in the cab.

The EDER-5a FL9s (2030-2059) had 567D1 prime movers, just like the GP18s being produced in the same timeframe. Due to the terms of the Federal loan guarantees, these were built as passenger-only engines, with no dynamic brakes and no provisions for a head-end brakeman. They had the same gear ratio as their predecessors and therefore could be MUed with the other same-timeframe engines, but could only be used as a lead or trail unit, and dynamic braking would not be available.

Apart from the Maybrook Line, where else on the New Haven would dynamic braking have been used?
Others would (and will) know for sure, but I'm guessing the Highland between Waterbury & Bristol, the Midland through Bolton Notch, and the Air Line... and Sharon Hill in MA.
A couple of things here. The FL-9's were not intended to be a primary freight engine although they were used in freight service from time to time. I had a pair to Bay Ridge once, I know they ran to Holyoke at least once on a Sunday Holyoke Extra (after they made NY-2 and YN-1 a Monday - Friday affair they usually ran a Holyoke Extra in the daytime on a Sunday, train up and light back, FL-9's were sometimes used on that move as they would be back in time for Monday's rush hour trains), Cape Code trains to Hyannis and probably some more that escape me right now.
As for dynamic brake operation, the FL-9's were not normally used on the line between Waterbury and Hartford and in fact except for a period in 1959 this line did not have any heavy through freight trains on it, FL-9's did not run through Bolton Notdh except in rare occasions on a passenger extra (they did run them a few times, I rode the cab of one from Waterbury to Willimantic way back when) and as far as Sharon Hill was concerned this could be run just as well without dynamic brakes. The only place I used them other than on the Maybrook Line and Beacon Branch was on Hell Gate Bridge and this was during the early years of Penn Central when we again got diesels with working dynamic brakes. Dynamic brakes were a wonderful tool but the engineer had to know the best place and time to use them.
Noel Weaver