why is the assisting unit reversed on most trains

why is the assisting unit reversed on most trains

for example
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=519289

Not speaking for the Susquehanna but for Conrail in my working days, it
usually did not matter what direction the trailing units were headed unless
the power turned at the other end for a return to the originating point. In
such a case, the rear unit would be headed for a return trip probably the
next day. This would apply on a job to Oak Point out of Selkirk because
there is not a convient way to turn such engines at Oak Point. On the
other hand at places like Syracuse and Buffalo where turning facilities are
reasonable close to the engine terminal facility the units could all be
headed the same way on a train.
There are advantages to both, as I said above, where there is no way to
turn engines at the other end and they need to return, the rear unit has
to be headed back to their starting point. On the other hand a good
reason for the second unit to be headed the same way as the lead unit is
so in case of emergency and the lead unit had to be set out enroute, the
crew would still have a unit on the head end of the train headed in the
proper direction.
In some cases the railroad company may have a policy in place as to just
how trailing units are headed in a consist of locomotives.
Noel Weaver

amoreho1 wrote:why is the assisting unit reversed on most trains

for example
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=519289

I'm speaking on local practices but we run engines that way so they don't have to turn the engines for the return trip, just change ends. We do it all the time, it saves time not having to turn the engines at the turn around point. Engineer changes ends, does a brake test and we're ready to go.

On road trains it doesn't usually matter what way the trailing unit is facing as most terminals have a wye or loop to turn the units. But on transfers and yard jobs where a crew may have to change ends a lot during the shift it helps if one unit is facing the other way. Especially if we have the cowl units for power, which have very poor visibility or CP power with the desktop controls.