Whats Its Like To Run Junk

Ive noticed on here how exited rail fans get when they see older power pulling freight on class ones. Well its like that for me to the tenth power when i clime aboard and blast off with some junk. New AC power is nice, all the do-dads, bells and whistles and what not's. But theres a ton of them, if you ran one, you've ran them all. Computers decide what you can do, the first ones were dial up, the new ones are closer to broadband.

I dogcaught a train once that had an SD40 on the point with two 90's trailing on piece of crap out of the northwest, old pipe gons, empty ash hoppers, P4 tanks, 0.9 horse per ton, worst train a crew could ask for. I was tickled. We blasted off and headed for a stretch of track with some camel humps. My brakeman was a cut back hog who had never worked as one yet, so as i start off the first swell while slowly notching off and get down to about the second run. At the bottom just before we start up the next side i put her in third, fifth, and then up to eighth. I asked him if saw that, no slack, no way could i have done that with straight AC's and not felt anything. AC power kinda takes a touch of what you can feel out of running, cant hear the motors RPM as well, all the bouncing and vibration due to the anti-wheel slip and what not. Old power is right there waiting for your next command, she'll eather do it, or crap out on you.

Running older locomotives is more fun then you can imagine.

Not really "junk", with those SD-40's. Try getting called for a coal train, and finding GP-10's and 35's for your power. that was one memorable trip, with Conrail. I still run older U-Boats, and GP-9's, and 18's, in road service, when it's an especially unlucky day. When I was on the Soo Line, we were still running SD-18's in road service, as well as GP-35's, that were all well past their prime. The road I'm running now has nothing to offer but orange and green Dash-9's, with the very rare silver and red one showing up. I am running DP potash trains, as well as grain trains, and it is very depressing getting the GE "toaster motors" every single trip. What I wouldn't give now, for a string of F-7's and GP-18's to work with, or perhaps some Alcos..........

I got called to work the Bend switch engine Thursday. They have the BNSF 2127 and the 2276 (GP38-2's). Those naturally aspirated 645's are sooo sweet. The 2127 still has class lights too.

Have to go back to my 19th student engineer trip in 1979 for a classic in junk power. C/f train 177 OD Ravenna, NE 21:00, final terminal Alliance, NE. Power was BN 5610-BN 6521, 20L, 83X, 4547T, 5845'. One P/U in Seneca. Dpt. Ravenna about 22:30, overcast with steady rain, black as pitch. The turbo in the GE was about shot as when the throttle went to R8 the flames came out of the stack to a height of 10'. The engineer afterwards informed me to operate no higher than R7. Even then the flames shot out about 3'. Total power output was basically nil, but we sure did light up the Nebraska corn fields that night. The poor SD45 was definitely pulling its guts out. Top speed was no more than 30 mph except on certain downgrades. Almost mercifully, we exceeded the hours of service at Halsey, NE. Finally were picked up by the van service and tied up with 16'40". The engineer's classic statement was:"So now you have learned that the railroad dosen't always give you good power".

Thats a good story there TB. I know an SD 40 aint junk to me and you there buddy, most of my fellow RR employees consider them as a heap.

It makes sense that operating antiquated locomotives can be more interesting than operating newer locomotives. It reminds me of riding in my friend's half dead Subrau Legacy with the crappy transmission, blown AC, leaky radiator, shot springs, and Conrail Blue smoke out the rear. You have to look at the gauges, hear for anything strange, smell for anything unusual, and keep under 55mph.

Yep thats exactly right dude, the uneasiness of not know whats gonna happen.

On BN back in the late 1970s to the early 1980s the SD40-2 series units were considered to be "Cadillacs" by most engine service personell. The main complaint, as I recall, was that they put out a tad more noise than the new -7 GE units.

I like having any standard cab EMD. They are so much more comfortable than that stupid desk top on the trash 9's. Standard cab GE's are comfortable too I guess but we dont encounter much of those out here. And when we do they're usually trailing.

GN 599 wrote:I like having any standard cab EMD. They are so much more comfortable than that stupid desk top on the trash 9's. Standard cab GE's are comfortable too I guess but we dont encounter much of those out here. And when we do they're usually trailing.

I remember reading (probably on this site, and others too) that since the 'desktop' controls were so disliked by the crews that new locomotives are tending back toward the control stands (at least freight - I think commuter stock is sticking with the desktop).

It makes sense that operating antiquated locomotives can be more interesting than operating newer locomotives. It reminds me of riding in my friend's half dead Subrau Legacy with the crappy transmission, blown AC, leaky radiator, shot springs, and Conrail Blue smoke out the rear. You have to look at the gauges, hear for anything strange, smell for anything unusual, and keep under 55mph.

I drive a '96 Legacy, and it's been the topic of many conversations for its remarkable longevity and reliability. Kinda like seeing rusty old ex-CSX MOW GP40's fit for the scrapyard when units built in the same order run past where I live (on the SLR) in glistening paint.

I remember reading (probably on this site, and others too) that since the 'desktop' controls were so disliked by the crews that new locomotives are tending back toward the control stands (at least freight - I think commuter stock is sticking with the desktop).

UP's final SD70M's came with control stands instead of desktops, and, to my knowledge, the control stand is standard on new GEVO's and SD's. I believe most of CN's units built in the "Desktop era" were ordered with control stands as a result of crew preferences. I've never heard of anyone who preferred the desktop over the control stand.

I actually prefer to run junk. At least when you derail & smash it up, nobody can tell how much damage you've done!