CSX GP30 No. 2211

Roadster, trust me, if the system is working right, the 4 axle Roadslug with a Cab will not be producing power at speeds over 25 mph. I have worked on these units for years at CSX Huntington Heavy Repair Shop. These units are designed to just get the trian moving. They have what is called a Barco Aeroequipped Speed Event Panel located behind a Electric Locker Cover that is controlled by the 60 cycle axle alternator. (Newer verisions of this panel is now made by Quantum if memory serves me correct) When the Mother and Road Slug take off and start moving, your AR10 (Main Generator) is capable of producing 144 Main Generator Field Amps whch will come to 6264 possible Main Generator Amps of outout. At 14 mph with the Road Slug on line you will have something happen that is called recalibration (at 28 mph with the Road Slug off line) when recalibration happens, your Main Generator Field Amps will drop from 144 down to 108 and at that point your AR10 Main Generator will then be capable of producing 4698 Amps. After making recalibration, the Road Slug will continue to be producing tractive effort until you reach the 25 mph area and it will drop out. When the Road Slug drops out, you will have four Field Shunting Contactors in the bottom of the Electric Locker of the Road Slug that will pickup and "Shunt" the voltage away from the "Traction Motor Fields" of all four traction motors underneath the Road Slug. Once you shunt the voltage away from the Traction Motor Fields, the traction motors are now just going along for the ride. I want you to understand that even though you have shunted the Fields of the traction motors out, your "AMP" meter on the Road Slug will "Still" be reading. From my experience on the Test Track when checking these systems out, you will not fill the Mother Unit Make Recalibration, we have electrical meters hooked to the unit so we can monitor when this happens. On the Test Track when the Road Slug stops producing power in the 25 mph area, you will not feel that either. But if you watch your Load Amp Meter (makes no difference which unit you are in) and say for example you have 500 amps on your Load Meter at the Point When the Road Slug Drops Out you will notice your Load Amp Meter starting to climb upward. If you are in the Road Slug at the point of when the Road Slug Stops producing, you might hear the four Field Shunting Contactors pick up. I hope this information helps you out in understanding how this system works.

Ok, so at 25 mph the slug cuts out it traction motors and the GP40 takes the load on itself. But all capable of normal track speeds of 50 - 60 mph. Ok I got that.

Yes, that is correct, by rights, it should be capable of reaching 70 mph before the WO12 or WO14 comes into play. This is called wheel overspeed and the EQP Relay will drop out and it will un load the Main Generator.

So, if the GP30 slug is leading, would it be a rougher ride without the traction motors pulling--or not enough to notice that?

Charlie

Charlie6017, I am not a Locomotive Engineer so they would be a better one to ask that question, I just troubleshoot locomotives, but from my experience of running them on the Test Track in Huntington it is a smooth and quiet ride. By the time we get them up to speed when they drop out on the Test Track, we are starting to run out of Track so we don't get to keep them out of the picture for very long because at speeds below 25 mph they come back to life.

Haven't really noticed any difference. 4 xl engines tend to be a bit rougher ride any way.

WVU wrote:Charlie6017, I am not a Locomotive Engineer so they would be a better one to ask that question, I just troubleshoot locomotives, but from my experience of running them on the Test Track in Huntington it is a smooth and quiet ride. By the time we get them up to speed when they drop out on the Test Track, we are starting to run out of Track so we don't get to keep them out of the picture for very long because at speeds below 25 mph they come back to life.

well, that's not bad. makes for less headaches