ARR control stand

You got that right. Basically, just swivel the seat around, and face out the back door, instead of the windshield. You now use your right hand, to run the engine, and glance at the speedo, from time to time. If it's night time, you can usually see the speedo reflected in the rear window. After a few years running, most competent crewmen can tell you the speed, within a couple of miles an hour, without having to look. The other 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. What is not fun, is running those tabletops in reverse. I usually face forward, in that situation, and look ahead, using the rearview mirror, to see what's going on. Some roads, like the NS, use engines so much in either direction, that they place a second speedo, behind the seat, just for reverse running.

Thanks for your reply! I had always wondered about that.

GOLDEN-ARM wrote:... What is not fun, is running those tabletops in reverse...

Which leads to some follow-on questions: What about the readability of signals when running backward? With an engineer now on the left side of the train, as seen from the direction of movement, aren't the signals (which are almost always on the right) harder to read? Assuming a Geep or equivalent, does the long hood get in the way?

And what is a "tabletop?"

The CNJ mostly ran its units with long hood foreward so I guess the stand was set up for that. So if running 'backwards' the short hood would not impede visibility much.

Actually, a very large percent of the first generation cab units were built long hood forward, following the lead taken from years of running steam engines that way. Get 100 feet of boiler in front of you, then look out a window half the width of a modern diesel, and you wonder how they did it. Most places, unless you are running a long curve to the right, you can see signals well in advance, of passing it. Also, as per most class 1 railroads roday, all crew members must look out for, and call them aloud, verbally, in a clear manner, the indication of every signal they see. (That pertains to their movement). Even when we run "Hammerhead", if I don't see the signal, I know the guy in the other seat "has my back". If you are running regular territory, you become familiar with locations of all signals, switches, interlockings, etc, so you know when you are approaching one, and can ask "what do you have ?". At night, you can also dim the headlight, and see the color reflected on the rail. (Helpful only if there is one light on the mast). There have been times, and "circumstances" where I have had to get out of the seat, and look for signals myself. Only takes a second, and doesn't affect the train handling. Hope this helps. Regards, Dave

Interesting to learn how it is done. Thanks!

Also, Ken, I had the opportunity to run some of those CNJ Geeps, on the Gladstone Branch, when the electric conversion was taking place, back in the late 80's most of the Geeps actually had dual control stands, so ultimately, you were on the "right" side always. (Most roads I have worked on, that had passenger service, had dual stand Geeps. CNJ, PRSL, RDG, came that way, from the builder. This was so you could run either direction, and still see on the platform, to take the highball, from the conductor) We had some dual stand Geeps, on Conrail. I remember them being ex-PRSL units, also from passenger service. By this time, only the "right" side stand was serviceable, though. Regards, Dave.

Thanks Golden-Arm!

ConRail Shared Assests Southern Secondary freight SA31 runs from Browns Yard near South Amboy, NJ to Lakehurst, NJ and back (and sometimes even traverses what's left of the Barnegat Branch). From BANK on the NJCL it's single track, with no provisions for turning the locomotive anywhere from BANK west (geographic south) (There used to be a wye at BANK in the CNJ days but I don't think it's still there). The train is usually powered by GP38 GeePs and similar, sometimes single engined.

Same for SA31 when it traverses the Freehold Secondary from Browns Yard.

So I always wondered how much of a pain in the neck it was to shove freight for half of the trip with the engine the wrong way! Thanks again for describing how its done.

Yes, I remember those jobs. I worked at Browns quite a bit, and did the "Southern Secondary" and the "freehold" thing, as well as the Red Bank turn. (We used to switch a newspaper company, whose name escapes me at the moment). If we didn't have a pair of Geeps (which we usually did, as NJT did not "trust" a single diesel, on their tracks) then it was just that. Run-around the train, At Red-Bank, and run backwards back to Browns, unless the first half was run in reverse. I also used to run a "conveyor train", from the Raritan Line, just outside of Boundbrook, to a sand pit, on the Southern. Either way, not the best way, to spend a 12 hour day. But then again, certainly not the worst, either!

Seriously, why won't you type in upper- and lower-case? If you're not going to use the shift key, then type in lower case, it's way easier to read than CAPS LOCK.

SERIOUSLY. I DIDN'T WASTE MY TIME LEARNING HOW TO TYPE, OR USE THIS COMPUTER. ALL OF MY TIME TIME WAS SPENT LEARNING TO RUN, THEN TEACHING OTHERS TO RUN LOCOMOTIVES. I TYPE WITH 2 FINGERS, AND DO NOT CARE FOR UPPER/LOWER CASE STUFF. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, I WOULD SUGGEST YOU JUST DON'T READ MY POSTS. SKIP DOWN THE PAGE TO THE NEXT ONE. THIS WAY, YOU WON'T ACCIDENTALLY LEARN SOMETHING. I SEE YOU ARE LOOKING AT MBCR, FOR AN ENGINEERS JOB. I HOPE YOU ARE IN THE CLASS THAT I AM TEACHING OUT THERE. REGARDS, DAVE

As a fellow engineer I would sugest you play by the rules, just like on railroad.
Typing in uppercase only is rude and considered shouting.
Please show some profesionalism, even if its with two fingers.
My typing skills are about as good as yours, two fingers only.

GREETINGS, "DRN". AS PER AN EARLIER POST, WHERE THIS SAME GUY MADE THE SAME COMMENTS, AND AS REPLIED TO BY "CAR FLOATER", IF I WANTED TO SHOUT (WHICH SEEMS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS, IN AN ELECTRONIC FORUM. SHOUTING IS DONE VERBALLY, NOT IN PRINT), I WOULD USE GIGANTIC PRINT, COLOR IT DARK RED, AND ADD EXCLAMATION POINTS TO THE END OF IT. WHAT LOOKS FOOLISH, IS LOWER CASE TYPING, AND SOMEONE SAYS" i was looking at....," INSTEAD OF "I was looking at....." THE POINT BEING, I HAVE ALREADY RESPONDED ONCE TO THIS "A-A", AND IF HE DOES NOT CARE TO READ MY POSTS, THEN DON'T. THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT, AND KEEP 'EM ROLLING. REGARDS, DAVE

GOLDEN-ARM wrote:SERIOUSLY. I DIDN'T WASTE MY TIME LEARNING HOW TO TYPE, OR USE THIS COMPUTER.

Then don't waste your time by posting here.

I TYPE WITH 2 FINGERS, AND DO NOT CARE FOR UPPER/LOWER CASE STUFF.

If you don't care about typing correctly, I think it only makes sense to assume you don't care about doing any other job correctly, either. You just want to do it the "quick and dirty" way.

THIS WAY, YOU WON'T ACCIDENTALLY LEARN SOMETHING.

I cannot really forsee that happening from someone who claims typing like a normal person is too difficult.

I SEE YOU ARE LOOKING AT MBCR, FOR AN ENGINEERS JOB. I HOPE YOU ARE IN THE CLASS THAT I AM TEACHING OUT THERE. REGARDS, DAVE

No, I'm already employed by a railroad. Thanks anyway, though. I don't think I would particularly want to take classes from someone who finds basic typing abilities just too difficult to master.

GOLDEN-ARM wrote:YEOW !!!!! A FIESTY STINGER, FROM A COMMON BRAKEMAN. OUCH, THAT REALLY HURTS.

This coming from someone who finds capitalization an impossible skill to master? You've got a long way to go, baby.

MODERSTOUR'S NOTICE

As a fellow engineer I would sugest you play by the rules, just like on railroad.
Typing in uppercase only is rude and considered shouting.
Please show some profesionalism, even if its with two fingers.
My typing skills are about as good as yours, two fingers only.

Thank you, DR. Mr. Golden-Arm, as you are niticing, I've been modifying your material to lowercase to make it look more appropiate. So in the future, you may want to check your "Caps Lock" key and be sure it's in lowercase mode. I also type with just two fingers, but I don't go all Caps. Thanks for your cooperation.