ARR control stand

Once again, thanks for everybody's input, both negative and positive. Actually, more folks have sided with the "leave him alone, and enjoy the info" camp, than with the "boo-hoo, I can't read capital letters". If this is bothersome to the "Self appointed hall monitor", then let A-A have his say. Curious to me, though, is why he takes no-one to task, for the "childish" spelling of so many simple words. Probably half of the posts in this forum contain so many improperly spelled words, "I" have trouble reading them. Having watched this forum, as a silent guest, from the sidelines, for almost a year, I finally decided to "jump in", and offer some real, honest answers, to questions some of you folks seem to think are "beneath you", to answer, or to waste two pages on a forum topic trying to "flame" someone. Every single person out there (myself at the top of the list), started this love of trains with absoloutely no skills, or knowledge whatsoever. You self appointed "Masters of the Universe" (you know who you are) would rather waste pages of text, on degrading, or razzing someone, who you feel is somehow at a level below you. The time and space you spent, belittling someone could have been put to use, answering the question, or moving to another forum, if this was somehow beneath you. There are about five engineers in the country, who's resume could compare to mine, and I haven't seen any of them on this forum, yet. Don't point a finger at me, unless you are prepared to back your talk, with your walk. I have not had a vacation from the railroad, since 1987. I choose to work, and learn, and teach, and learn, then learn some more. I chose not to attempt to remember when to put a capital latter in the beginning of a sentence. Could I do it? Obviously, this is possible. I choose not to. Mr. A-A, with your year(s) of service of a switchman, need to worry about getting that office job, and stop worrying about my typing abilities. As a person who has not scored less than 100% on all rules exams, since 1989, on NORAC, G.C.O.R. as well as the uniform code of operating rules, as well as all A/B exams, safety and haz-mat exams, and my tests that I must take to maintain my license as a road foreman of engines, and rules instructor,(we are required to get a minimum of a 95% score, or it is a failure) I would suggest you refrain from your "attempts" trying to assume my abilities to operate a locomotive, as well as instruct a rules class, conductors/trainmans class, and instructing in the engineers certification/promotion training program, that I also administer, for several regional shortlines, as well as two class 1 carriers. As for those who have the ability, and the time, to make my post "case-correct", my sincerest thanks !!! I type fast, with these two fingers, and when trying to convey some info, I feel the message outweighs the conveyance, of that message. I appreciate your "proofing" my post for me. Kudos, to you. Regards, Dave......(A little comment, for the Dutch Railnut, and Mr. Paniagua you both tout the word "professionalism", yet you are the very thing a professional is not. I will break the cardinal rule, myself, to illustrate this point to the two of you. As a RFE, I see many instances of rules violations, poor/dangerous train handling, etc. Unless there is an immediate threat to property, or loss of life, the "professional" to do is, I will wait for an opportunity to be alone with the engineer/employee in question. If time will not permit this, I will take aside, or instruct others to leave this area. I will have an intelligent, pertinent conversation, regarding what happened, what could have happened, etc., and then formulate a corrective action, that will ensure this will not happen again. As a professional, the two of you should have sent me a PM, and explained your side of this debate issue. You would have been received as "professional", and your advice would have carried some weight, based on your ability to act as a professional. Your public "rant" about my not being professional indicates that the two of you are exactly, not that. Professionals. I send many a PM, with answers, and questions, to those who don't want, or need the hassles, from the "know-it-alls", in the public forums. Take this under advisdement, before you tout your so-called "professionalism" again ) Regards, Dave

GOLDEN-ARM wrote: ACTUALLY, MORE FOLKS HAVE SIDED WITH THE "LEAVE HIM ALONE, AND ENJOY THE INFO" CAMP, THAN WITH THE "BOO-HOO, I CAN'T READ CAPITOL LETTERS".

Actually you'll notice the moderator for this forum requested that you type in upper and lowercase letters. Obviously reading is difficult for you, too.

IF THIS IS BOTHERSOME TO THE "SELF APPOINTED HALL MONITOR", THEN LET A-A HAVE HIS SAY. CURIOUS TO ME, THOUGH, IS WHY HE TAKES NO-ONE TO TASK, FOR THE "CHILDISH" SPELLING OF SO MANY SIMPLE WORDS. PROBABLY HALF OF THE POSTS IN THIS FORUM CONTAIN SO MANY IMPROPERLY SPELLED WORDS,

Kinf of like "capital?" (see above)

"I" HAVE TROUBLE READING THEM. HAVING WATCHED THIS FORUM, AS A SILENT GUEST, FROM THE SIDELINES, FOR ALMOST A YEAR, I FINALLY DECIDED TO "JUMP IN", AND OFFER SOME REAL, HONEST ANSWERS, TO QUESTIONS SOME OF YOU FOLKS SEEM TO THINK ARE "BENEATH YOU", TO ANSWER, OR TO WASTE 2 PAGES ON A FORUM TOPIC TRYING TO "FLAME" SOMEONE. EVERY SINGLE PERSON OUT THERE (MYSELF AT THE TOP OF THE LIST), STARTED THIS LOVE OF TRAINS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO SKILLS, OR KNOWLEDGE WHATSOEVER. YOU SELF APPOINTED "MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE" (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) WOULD RATHER WASTE PAGES OF TEXT, ON DEGRADING, OR RAZZING SOMEONE, WHO YOU FEEL IS SOMEHOW AT A LEVEL BELOW YOU. THERE ARE ABOUT 5 ENGINEERS IN THE COUNTRY, WHO'S RESUME COULD COMPARE TO MINE, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THEM ON THIS FORUM, YET. DON''T POINT A FINGER AT ME, UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO BACK YOUR TALK, WITH YOUR WALK.

I care.

I HAVE NOT HAD A VACATION FROM THE RAILROAD, SINCE 1987.

Just kidding, I don't care.

I CHOOSE TO WORK, AND LEARN, AND TEACH, AND LEARN, THEN LEARN SOME MORE. I CHOSE NOT TO ATTEMPT TO REMEMBER WHEN TO PUT A CAPITOL LETTER

Capital letter. Did you not pay attention in grammar school? That's when I learned proper capitalization--it's hardly the advanced concept you make it out to be.

IN THE BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE. COULD I DO IT. Obviously, this is possible. I choose not to. MR. A-A, WITH YOUR YEAR(S) OF SERVICE OF A SWITCHMAN, NEED TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING THAT OFFICE JOB, AND STOP WORRYING ABOUT MY TYPING ABILITIES.

Now you're desperate.

AS A PERSON WHO HAS NOT SCORED LESS THAN 100% ON ALL RULES EXAMS, SINCE 1989, ON NORAC, G.C.O.R. AS WELL AS THE UNIFORM CODE OF OPERATING RULES, AS WELL AS ALL A/B EXAMS, SAFETY AND HAZ-MAT EXAMS, AND MY TESTS THAT I MUST TAKE TO MAINTAIN MY LICENSE AS A ROAD FOREMAN OF ENGINES, AND RULES INSTRUCTOR,(WE ARE REQUIRED TO GET A MINIMUM OF A 95% SCORE, OR IT IS A FAILURE) I WOULD SUGGEST YOU REFRAIN FROM YOUR "ATTEMPTS" TRYING TO ASSUME MY ABILITIES TO OPERATE A LOCOMOTIVE, AS WELL AS INSTRUCT A RULES CLASS, CONDUCTORS/TRAINMANS CLASS, AND INSTRUCTING IN THE ENGINEERS CERTIFICATION/PROMOTION TRAINING PROGRAM, THAT I ALSO ADMINISTER, FOR SEVERAL REGIONAL SHORTLINES, AS WELL AS 2 CLASS 1 CARRIERS.

Again, I don't care. Do you think that somehow makes me overlook your terrible spelling, punctuation, and captialization?

AS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THE ABILITY, AND THE TIME, TO MAKE MY POST "CASE-CORRECT", MY SINCEREST THANKS !!! I TYPE FAST, WITH THESE 2 FINGERS, AND WHEN TRYING TO CONVEY SOME INFO, I FEEL THE MESSAGE OUTWEIGHS THE CONVEYANCE, OF THAT MESSAGE. I APPRECIATE YOUR "PROOFING" MY POST FOR ME. KUDOS, TO YOU. REGARDS, DAVE

Too bad you don't think as fast as you type.

Regards, Dave

I believe the NW and Southern had locomotives with control stands that were angled differently so to make reverse moves easier. More like an Alco, were it was aligned staight.

EMD's with the drum reverser are also somewhat interesting to operate long hood foward being the throttle is in the cab front corner.

It seems everyone has to apply some sort of proper way to do everything, like trainmasters. (unnecessary "etiquette" really, of course Ms Stewart doesn't write the rule books, YET!)...hence speaking American vs. English...GET'ER DONE!

SD Shortline

Amen, brother, amen. I agree, those NW units do have a different geometery, to the alignment of the control stand, to facilitate easier operations, when running reverse. (In this case, short hood forward) Have seen Alcos go both ways, with both angled, and straight alignments, on the orientation of the control stands. Did not seem to make a difference, which side of the cab it was on, though, in relation to that angle....

I haven't been around Alco's or GE's operations wise, little young for those. The DSRC has an unmodified LIRR C420, the 213, that has a straight stand. They tend to run her short hood as the lead although it is set as long hood foward. Its just a matter of scooting the seat back or foward depending on hich way they are going.

The SD9 they use has the drum and as long as its pointed the right way its not so bad. I am kind of short so it is actually quite comfortable to run, backwards still is a neck cramp.

The few desktops I have been on fit OK but are a complete pain in the rear after a little bit. I haven't ever switched with one, but I can just imagine that the situation is any better.

Dash-2 EMD's are my personal favorite, and from what I gather most engineers feel the same.

GOLDEN-ARM wrote:... I also used to run a "conveyor train", from the Raritan Line, just outside of Boundbrook, to a sand pit, on the Southern...

I remember seeing the conveyor train in the '80s on the Glidden Spur of ConRail Shared Assets Southern Secondary.

TerryC wrote:...cab locomotive photos [of the AAR control stand]... http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=84417...

GOLDEN-ARM wrote:... The other [AAR control stand] gauges aren't too important, unless you are starting the train (then it's nice to see the ammeter), or when braking, when you need to see the reductions being made...

And I recently tried a train simulator at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Not so simple, as I found out.

I had no problem accelerating and maintaining proper speed while keeping an eye on the ammeter. I kept it at the proper notch (no I didn't "notch it out"), while complying with the signal indications, speed restrictions, and wayside signs. But when it came time to apply brakes, there was a surprise: moving both the independent and train brake handles both ways did not seem to do anything - no reductions were shown in the brake gauges. Da** - what do I do? I crashed.

Turns out there is an interlock between power and braking - you have to reduce power to idle (which I did), flip a switch, (which I didn't), and then apply brakes. Not so simple after all.

So their simulator is not correct apparently. Every loco I've run you can apply brakes while in power - how else would you stretch brake? And I wonder - if you had used emergency without reducing power and flipping a switch, what would have happened on that simulator - nothing?

Does anybody know of a prototype that works that way?

We had a Sr VP on Conrail years ago who would have ordered that option if it were available. He was death on power braking of any kind. Of course, he wasn't out of engine service, or he would have known better.

I've never heard of a similar set-up in the real world. I'd speculate, though, that there would be an emergency over-ride/knockout for that.