GP 30 Slugs

ExEMDLOCOTester wrote:In this pic I don't see any connectors for slugging on the short hood, but I do see ditch lights.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=85764

Can the Locomotive consist be operated from the slug (fully functional control stand)?

The "road slugs" can only be connected to the power unit from the rear.

Yes, the cab is fully functional. Long time ago, I had a stone train (moving it, not putting it down) with a road slug for a leader. Quietest, most pleasant trip I'd had, except for a few runs in WhisperCabs.

Originally the slugs had no controls in their cabs, but the crews noticed how quite they were. CSXT then installed items necessary for making the slugs capable of leading.

Ok, so which is better...

> Quiet Slug Leading?

> Or Powered Locomotive Leading?

Also, are there horns engaged?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.......

I would think a slug leading, rather an a "real" loco leading

An EMD at Notch 8 gets pretty noisy in the cab.

If the unit was able to lead, it would have to have a working horn, along with working headlights and ditchlights.

To anyone who has run from a slug.......how is the ride in them? Id assume that the units are weighted down a bit with ballast, but id assume they are lighter than a operating locomotive. Do they bounce alot or ride smoother?

To me they ride a lot smoother. Also for some reason, the DD's up here like to miss the first axle on a Mother/Slug, if the Slug is leading. New Conductors usually have a funny look on there face, until it is explained that for what ever reason the DD, misses the first axle on a slug.

Matt> DD??

Engineer James wrote:Matt> DD??

defect detector

conrail_engineer wrote:

ExEMDLOCOTester wrote:In this pic I don't see any connectors for slugging on the short hood, but I do see ditch lights.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=85764

Can the Locomotive consist be operated from the slug (fully functional control stand)?

The "road slugs" can only be connected to the power unit from the rear.

Yes, the cab is fully functional. Long time ago, I had a stone train (moving it, not putting it down) with a road slug for a leader. Quietest, most pleasant trip I'd had, except for a few runs in WhisperCabs.

Most of the EMD cab heaters (99%) are powered by the Aux Generator, the remainder utilize engine coolant. Since the slug has neither, do you siphon power from the traction system or dress like Eskimos?

Jtgshu wrote:
If the unit was able to lead, it would have to have a working horn, along with working headlights and ditchlights.

This is true, most of the time. I have come across quite a few slugs were one on or more of these features was temporarily out of order.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=152003

This one for instance had both headlights burned out, not to mention that the paint job is pretty much shot. It was assigned to the same local for a week, according to the crew the first headlight bulb burned out on Monday, the second on Tuesday, and they finally got it fixed on Thursday. At least the ditch lights worked. Also there are a number of the older ones that have horns which have only one or two functioning bells.

ExEMDLOCOTester wrote:

conrail_engineer wrote:

ExEMDLOCOTester wrote:In this pic I don't see any connectors for slugging on the short hood, but I do see ditch lights.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=85764

Can the Locomotive consist be operated from the slug (fully functional control stand)?

The "road slugs" can only be connected to the power unit from the rear.

Yes, the cab is fully functional. Long time ago, I had a stone train (moving it, not putting it down) with a road slug for a leader. Quietest, most pleasant trip I'd had, except for a few runs in WhisperCabs.

Most of the EMD cab heaters (99%) are powered by the Aux Generator, the remainder utilize engine coolant. Since the slug has neither, do you siphon power from the traction system or dress like Eskimos?

Good question!! That one time I had a road-slug leader, it was high summer...I didn't notice it. I think if the heater boxes had been missing, I would have...especially since I have a habit, on the road, of propping my feet on the heater in front of the engineer's windshield.

The GP-38 road slug I had had a lavatory, complete with overflowing, malodorous commode...and to have that, there needs be heat in the unit. So I would guess that somewhere in the lash-up cables, there's a circuit that routes auxiliary power in there.

That would be necessary for the 74-volt lighting circuits in any case.

I can't speak with authority. I've never MU'd a road slug or examined its wiring. On my runs we don't see them much.

Jtgshu wrote:
To anyone who has run from a slug.......how is the ride in them? Id assume that the units are weighted down a bit with ballast, but id assume they are lighter than a operating locomotive. Do they bounce alot or ride smoother?

The ride was fine.

There's concrete in the bilge tray in what was the engine bay...not sure how much. It's welded up there; the only access is to the air-compressor room (those things, or at least the one I had, had an electrically-driven air compressor). The fuel tank, according to a maintainer I asked, is filled with either water, waste oil, or concrete.

I seem to remember hearing or reading that on some slugs, the Company was experimenting with transferrable fuel storage. No, I don't know how that would work.

According to the book CSX Diesel Locomotives in Color by Patrick H. Stakem, the fuel tanks are used to hold diesel fuel and equiped slug mothers have equipment that will fill up the powered unit's fuel tank when the level of fuel falls below a set amount, when the unit is idling. That was just for the GP30/35 slugs and the 1 GP40 slug I think CSX had back then. I don't know about more recent conversions. Of course, the book is full of errors, so I don't know if I should believe that either.

Leo_Ames wrote:According to the book CSX Diesel Locomotives in Color by Patrick H. Stakem, the fuel tanks are used to hold diesel fuel and equiped slug mothers have equipment that will fill up the powered unit's fuel tank when the level of fuel falls below a set amount, when the unit is idling. That was just for the GP30/35 slugs and the 1 GP40 slug I think CSX had back then. I don't know about more recent conversions. Of course, the book is full of errors, so I don't know if I should believe that either.

I think I've seen it in some of the rulebooks, also.

Trouble is...in seven years, I have NEVER seen transferral equipment or rigging...no connnecting hoses, no pumps, no nothing.

I have seen at least one road slug with a large "DO NOT FUEL" spray painted on the fuel tank in yellow lettering. I believe it was the 2298, but I'm not real sure. I'll try and find a picture of it.

It was the 2264, here is a shot of it

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=120947