Having high horsepower locomotives is a double-edged sword. When they work, which is presumably most of the time, it's great, but the time that just one breaks down, that's a a huge chunk of power gone. How often that happens comes down to the model's reliability, and how diligently the maintenance has been carried out. Great show, and thanks for catching it! EDIT: it was also pretty funny to the the ditch lights act like four-way flashers (or hazard lights, if you will).
This kind of drama is okay. No one is hurt and nothing is wrecked. Thank you for showing what it took to rectify this situation. Very interesting. You caught a surface grinder. Excellent video.
This was one complicated rescue mission. I'm sure the locals in Hull and Comer really "appreciated" the lengthy mucking around. By the way this is what happens, when the railroad is stingy. They want to run super long trains with minimal, often not enough power. If there's a malfunction, chaos ensues. You've documented this unusual process very nicely. I really enjoyed this longer video. :)
You're absolutely right. I always praise BNSF for putting extra power on their trains, but out there in the west it would take much longer to bring in auxiliary power - and a rescue mission like this would simply interrupt their busy schedules. One has to say that what is shown in the video is not a daily occurrence. Most of the time, there's no problem (and we get plenty of these coal trains), although it has happened before, of course. Great you enjoyed the video.
I don't understand why they simply did not take the "new" DPU back there and couple it up, then run back to the head end and couple up and go. It seems like a lot of extra work to me.
@Bob Paulino Someone who works for CSX pointed out that these decisions are not made by the crew. Power assignment is done in the headquarters in Jacksonville, FL. The crew just did what they were told to do.
Great video. With minimal crew size and power the operation seems to have been accomplished with much more time and effort than seems to be appropriate for the task at hand. Very interesting and well documented process. Thank you.
@@richardcline1337 Being Union means nothing. What a shitty comment. This has everything to do with PSR. This could have all been avoided if they ran two trains with two crews and probably would have made it to their destination quicker. 🖕Jim Foote.
Back in the later 70's to late 89 we lived in a mobile home park that had tracks running along side it. I loved hearing the train go by. My father-in-law worked for C&O Railroad for 30+ years. I still miss hearing the train. Some days I can hear it leaving the yard but it is about 10 miles from me.
Awesome video- thanks for being patient with the switching move, not many of us get to ever see that. Editing of explanations was right on point. Keep up the good work !
A dispatcher's nightmare! Great video and commentary. I loved the long-lens views, too, especially with those GE's under power. The heat waves they generate are fantastic!
It was Wirtgen milling machine. It removes the top pavement layer and elevates into a dump truck which takes the millings to a plant to be recycled into new paving material.
Took me a while to figure this one out . That seemed a bit more complicated than need be , but , what the hell , as long as engines and/or cars are moving , I'm a happy puppy . Thanks for including signals . It's cool to see almost as much as the crew and to know what it means on the block signals . Finally , the sharp crystal clear videos and action catching techniques are truly impressive. Top shelf old boy . Cheerio
The road construction vehicle was a nice contrast, but it was also fitting that it came by when the CSX crew tried to get that coal back on the move again lol
I live about 1000 feet from this line in Coronaca on the other side of Greenwood; just before it crosses Lake Greenwood heading through Waterloo to Laurens.
I appreciate your videos over the years. You let the sights and sounds of trains dominate the videos without the repetitive, stupid commentary on other sites. I subscribed because of your work and the Ukrainian flag on your icon. Thank you...
Thanks very much! Some people prefer this video style and others a different approach. That makes RUclips interesting and there's always something for everyone.
@@mbmars01 You are constantly doing fine job, only wish I have to see trains from engines to last car. I don't know how many coal hoppers this train had, and especially with manifest trains their versatile mixture of interesting cars. You can cut it, but at least in one instance the whole train. In this video just once to show us the complete train! Thank you (I think it can only improve your videos) 🙋
@hades decent 666 Thanks! These coal trains have typically 110 cars. The way I'm filming simply doesn't always allow to show all cars. I often try to catch the more interesting trains more than once, though, so that the most interesting details are captured.
Great you enjoyed watching it. It's a bit arduous at times to spend so many hours watching and filming an operation like this, and producing a video about it, but I it was worth the effort.
Excellent Enterprising Emerging Evolving Railfanning Endeavour on the field as well as digital documentation. Hearty Greetings and Congratulations from India 🎉🙏
2:17 And here folks - is a PRIME EXAMPLE of a sheer lack of locomotive lighting maintenance - as we see a new train arriving WITHOUT a lower LH side lamp .. Sure the other side lamp is alternate flashing - but alternate to what an extinguish (non lit) LH side lower headlamp that obviously refuses to operate.
You cannot blame anyone for random light failures of any kind on an engine . The fixtures in or on an engine take a real pounding day in , day out . I think the railways do a good job trying to keep their equipment maintained and safe !
@@donhunking2286 Don, they just don’t maintain shop personnel like they use to, sorry, blue flag rules have created maintenance issues specially when the equipment is attached to a train sitting on a main track….ms~~~
What a fantastic video MB, I can’t wait to see more CSX Abbeville Sub! I’m uploading one of my videos as well! :) I haven’t seen your videos in awhile lol.
As bad as this was in real life, this would make an amazing operation puzzle for a model railroad complete with all the caveats and restrictions thrown into the operation.
Great video, interesting moves that we as fans don't get to see that often, also good example of a Leader PTC locomotive that can communicate with a DPU! Thanks
LOVE This Video !! Outstanding Job Bud !!! I still offer my Porsche Convertible to get some awesome unrestricted videos in the open air. I drive you film.. Just let me know. I live right here in Athens, GA.
Fantastic video,I guess this doesn't happen all that often however when it does it makes for interesting action for us railfans but not so much so for the railroaders! The consequences of running super long trains!
Thanks, Mike. Yes, thankfully it doesn't happen that often as it used to years back, but this, to a certain extent, is due to running fewer trains. The coal trains, at least the loaded ones, usually have 110 cars. This hasn't changed over the years. Sometimes they combine two empty trains and these beasts have obviously more than 200 cars.
👍👍☝️✅ Excellent cover of this event! It could have been faster, but only 562 & 929 were DP capable, also non of the units ( and on the auto rack train) has no new symbol on the side of the nose DP in the circle, I've seen plenty of them recently started to add it! I can think of faster ways to accomplish what took 5 hours! Very good job done 👍✅ Excellent video like!🙋
@@mbmars01 Honestly, I love your videos! WWOT is somewhat famous, but very sloppy. Your enthusiasm and dedication is visible everytime. Germany videos were awesome addition (I live in Europe)! Велики Поздрав 🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸
@@scotty4579 they are CW44AC's or CW44AH's. And yes, I DPU'd one just last night as a mid-train single unit DP. I've used others as DP lead on other manifests and unit coal trains.
@Cody Alright, got it, but the question still remains why the crew in the video chose the ES44 as rear DPU? This choice required extra moves. It would have been easier to use one of the available AC44s. What could have been their reasoning in your opinion?
Of the current Class I railroad schemes, I like the KCS Belle scheme the most; in a more historical context I'd say the Santa Fe Warbonnet scheme is my all-time favorite.
Seems like a SUPER long and complicated process and you edited a lot of the dead time out. If it takes all of that to swap engines around, you can only imagine how long it takes them to make these long super trains up in the yard.
Well, these unit coal trains are somewhat special, because many of them run between the mine and the power plant back and forth, so they don't actually need to be necessarily re-assembled in yards. At 110 cars, they are not really very long either, but since all cars are loaded, it is rather heavy, which is why thinking about the proper power arrangement is important.
Chaos indeed. Did they even attempt to assess the malfunction DPU? Did CSX actually pay a third party taxi company to transport a crew 1/4 mile to their train? I'm looking at this and it becomes clear why rail can't compete with trucking.
You have to assess it. It's done remotely over the radio from Jacksonville by the Mechanical desk. You use the taxis for more than just a ride to your train.
Csx has a shuttle service under contract for all of its division and for the most part the drivers are very cooperative keeping in mind they have “hours of service” to comply with as they did during my 40 years as an Engineer……ms~~~
Absolutely. Imagine all engines are on the head end and the train climbs a grade. Then, because of gravity, the train will be completely stretched out, which puts maximum strain on the couplers (danger of breaking the knuckles) and also increases friction at the couplers, which is bad for performance. Pushing from somewhere inside or the rear of the train helps release some of the strain and can also reduce fuel consumption.
Radio-controlled DPUs without crew have also only been introduced here maybe 10 years ago. The older engines still on the road are not even equipped for DPU operation unless they have already been modernized in recent years.
@@mbmars01 I suspect as the older engines go in for refit, they will be upgraded to be DPU capable. Of course, in the future I suspect we'll see better and more powerful engines developed which will decrease the need to refit the older engines. Those old ones could then be sold to the smaller train companies.
@Harry Doubt it. It's already been tried with GE, EMD, and MorsMorrison-Knudsen. Once you get around 5,000 to 6,000 horsepower range, they have many mechanical failures - shot bearings, broken crank shaft, cracked engine blocks. Also, air emissions compliance makes it impossible today even with a de-nox system and diesel flue gas recirculation. The alternative is either a gas turbine prime mover or electric.
Well, you can always put a crew on a locomotive and use it as a helper engine, of course, but not all of the older locomotives are equipped with radio-controlled DP capabilities and can be operated remotely as far as I know.
Why does CSX seem allergic to rear DPUs? It seems so much harder to run a 2x1x0 train than a 2x1 and add engines as needed for mountain passes. Not to mention having to dig that mid DPU out of the train at its destination in order to get it ready for another train. Also nice catch with all those AC44s! BNSF doesn't use them up here in the Northwest, mainly GEVOs and Dash 9s.
Hi. A question here. I was a steam locomotive driver on the SAR in South Africa years ago hence my love for trains and my fascination for the American diesel locos. i see on your long bulk trains you have locos in the middle of the train and also at the back some times. Who controls them? The engineer from the front via radio control or has each unit got its own engineer under supervision of the front engineer?
Nowadays, all units of such trains are radio-controlled by a single engineer from the lead engine. In some areas, where still helper units are used to push trains up a grade, a second crew controls those helpers.
That new crew just screwed the pooch. All they had to do was take the feed engines to the bottom of the train and push, cut off on the fly, back into Comer.
Well, it's not the crew's decision and what the reasoning was of the person at the power desk in Jacksonville, who made the decision, in not know to us.
![[8O][4k] Mixed Freight and Brand New Abrams Tanks, CSX Abbeville Subdivision, GA 02/05-03/09/2022](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/e6f8NMMC_-0/mqdefault.jpg)
![[8O][4k] Mixed Freight and Brand New Abrams Tanks, CSX Abbeville Subdivision, GA 02/05-03/09/2022](/img/tr.png)
![[1u] Full Story of CSX E148-21 Helping Stalled Q616-22, Elberton GA, 01/23/2016 ©mbmars01](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6_3fTNnuW0k/mqdefault.jpg)
Having high horsepower locomotives is a double-edged sword. When they work, which is presumably most of the time, it's great, but the time that just one breaks down, that's a a huge chunk of power gone. How often that happens comes down to the model's reliability, and how diligently the maintenance has been carried out.
Great show, and thanks for catching it!
EDIT: it was also pretty funny to the the ditch lights act like four-way flashers (or hazard lights, if you will).
I certainly agree, but I think it's gotten better in the last couple years. Nice you like the video.
This kind of drama is okay. No one is hurt and nothing is wrecked. Thank you for showing what it took to rectify this situation. Very interesting. You caught a surface grinder. Excellent video.
Absolutely right! Glad there wasn't a wreck. It was very interesting to watch how they got it all worked out.
This was one complicated rescue mission. I'm sure the locals in Hull and Comer really "appreciated" the lengthy mucking around. By the way this is what happens, when the railroad is stingy. They want to run super long trains with minimal, often not enough power. If there's a malfunction, chaos ensues. You've documented this unusual process very nicely. I really enjoyed this longer video. :)
You're absolutely right. I always praise BNSF for putting extra power on their trains, but out there in the west it would take much longer to bring in auxiliary power - and a rescue mission like this would simply interrupt their busy schedules. One has to say that what is shown in the video is not a daily occurrence. Most of the time, there's no problem (and we get plenty of these coal trains), although it has happened before, of course. Great you enjoyed the video.
I don't understand why they simply did not take the "new" DPU back there and couple it up, then run back to the head end and couple up and go. It seems like a lot of extra work to me.
@@patwilkinson1201 burning on duty hours.
@Bob Paulino Someone who works for CSX pointed out that these decisions are not made by the crew. Power assignment is done in the headquarters in Jacksonville, FL. The crew just did what they were told to do.
@@mbmars01 -- They might want to give some thought to getting more advice from the people at the scene.
Great video. With minimal crew size and power the operation seems to have been accomplished with much more time and effort than seems to be appropriate for the task at hand. Very interesting and well documented process. Thank you.
Thanks very much! Great you find this video and the story it tells informative.
Remember, they are union so time means nothing.
@@richardcline1337 Being Union means nothing. What a shitty comment. This has everything to do with PSR. This could have all been avoided if they ran two trains with two crews and probably would have made it to their destination quicker. 🖕Jim Foote.
A great video of the intense mess a breakdown can cause on a railroad, I also note a small acknowledgement from the crew at the end . Well done Mb
Thanks! It was surprising how long it took, but the crew did a great job.
Back in the later 70's to late 89 we lived in a mobile home park that had tracks running along side it. I loved hearing the train go by. My father-in-law worked for C&O Railroad for 30+ years. I still miss hearing the train. Some days I can hear it leaving the yard but it is about 10 miles from me.
Cool!
Thank you for such a great video. Very interesting mate. Cheers.
You're very welcome!
Intro is absolute spectacular, looks like a Model Train when the camera is zoomed in far, good job on the intro
Cool, thanks! Great you like it.
man it was really neat how you walked us through this entire ordeal with the stalled coal train!!!
Great you like it. It was quite a bit of work to put the puzzle pieces together and understand what they are doing, but also fun to tell the story :)
Great Video Hull Those Cars CSX Has Have Alot of Derailments Then and Now
Thanks!
Awesome video- thanks for being patient with the switching move, not many of us get to ever see that. Editing of explanations was right on point. Keep up the good work !
Thanks! Great you like it. Patience is a necessary skill when watching railroad operations...
A dispatcher's nightmare! Great video and commentary. I loved the long-lens views, too, especially with those GE's under power. The heat waves they generate are fantastic!
Cool you enjoyed the video!
Well
Thanks! Yea, I know. I've seen the road construction equipment out there multiple times.
Actually called a milling machine.
It was Wirtgen milling machine. It removes the top pavement layer and elevates into a dump truck which takes the millings to a plant to be recycled into new paving material.
Took me a while to figure this one out . That seemed a bit more complicated than need be , but , what the hell , as long as engines and/or cars are moving , I'm a happy puppy . Thanks for including signals . It's cool to see almost as much as the crew and to know what it means on the block signals . Finally , the sharp crystal clear videos and action catching techniques are truly impressive. Top shelf old boy . Cheerio
Thanks for your continued effort to watch all videos on this channel :) Really appreciate it!!
Looks like someond d😮evising a rescue with as many moves as possible😂
Great video brother you got the coal train with flashing lights plus paving machines in the back ground 👍
The road construction vehicle was a nice contrast, but it was also fitting that it came by when the CSX crew tried to get that coal back on the move again lol
Nice job. The random construction equipment was a nice brief distraction from csx lol.
Thanks. Lol, it was.
Glad to see you're still filming the Abbeville sub I haven't seen your videos in a while now but I still enjoy them
Yep, I do. Very cool!
I'm from abbeville 😊
Complex operation indeed. Thanks for your work.
You're welcome!
Thank You ever so much!
You're very welcome!
Another Great video my friend. Keep up the great work. 👍😎😎
Thanks very much!
Beauty aye! Very nice for a rainy afternoon. Thanks again.
Yeah, that's the right thing to do on rainy days! You're welcome!
I live about 1000 feet from this line in Coronaca on the other side of Greenwood; just before it crosses Lake Greenwood heading through Waterloo to Laurens.
Cool! I've yet to visit this area.
Thanks for dcumenting this entire thing!
You're welcome!
Great video. Taken 5 minutes from where i live. Love your videos!
Thanks! Yea, I know - 5 minutes in both directions (Hull and Comer), right?
@@mbmars01 right across from the old freds building
Gotcha, cool!
I love the steerable trucks, they look awesome!
Great video thanks for sharing my friend
You're welcome!
Belle opération de sauvetage. Merci.
Thanks for watching!
I appreciate your videos over the years. You let the sights and sounds of trains dominate the videos without the repetitive, stupid commentary on other sites. I subscribed because of your work and the Ukrainian flag on your icon. Thank you...
Thanks very much! Some people prefer this video style and others a different approach. That makes RUclips interesting and there's always something for everyone.
@@mbmars01 You are constantly doing fine job, only wish I have to see trains from engines to last car. I don't know how many coal hoppers this train had, and especially with manifest trains their versatile mixture of interesting cars. You can cut it, but at least in one instance the whole train. In this video just once to show us the complete train! Thank you (I think it can only improve your videos) 🙋
@hades decent 666 Thanks! These coal trains have typically 110 cars. The way I'm filming simply doesn't always allow to show all cars. I often try to catch the more interesting trains more than once, though, so that the most interesting details are captured.
Really cool to see operations like this!
Great you enjoyed watching it. It's a bit arduous at times to spend so many hours watching and filming an operation like this, and producing a video about it, but I it was worth the effort.
love the horn on csx 341
That was very interesting. Your videos are very well done. Thanks.
You're welcome! Good you like the videos. Keep watching!
341s horn sounded like a dying turkey XD
Lol
Hello my best friend.
Awesome video. I like it so much. Thank you for your sharing amazing video. Greetings from Vietnam 🙏👍❤️👍🤝🙏👍❤️
Very cool! Great you enjoyed watching the video. Greetings back to Vietnam!
Very interesting and unusual switching
Glad you think so!
Amazing catch man! Just subscribed
Very cool, thanks!
thanks, entertaining, amazing stuff and detailed description.
Glad you enjoyed it!
That was a pretty good video. Now I understand a little more about the use of DPUs.
Nice, thanks!
Explanation of DPU working!
Well done sir! 👍
Thanks!
Excellent Enterprising Emerging Evolving Railfanning Endeavour on the field as well as digital documentation. Hearty Greetings and Congratulations from India 🎉🙏
Very cool you like it. Awesome also to have railfans in India watching the videos here :)
Love that DPU and Pusher !!
Very good presentation! GE locos work very hard!!
Thanks!
Well done
Precision scheduled railroading !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, these incidents happened before PSR, too, maybe even more frequently, because there were more trains.
Beautiful video!!!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Thank you 🤗
those splendid machines!
Keep up the excellent work!!😎 You have my like👍👍
Thanks so much!
Outstanding Video !!!
Great, thanks!
Cool ditch light pattern. Never seen that.
I also don't remember I have ever seen that before.
Running lean works great until it doesn’t.
Haha, exactly.
2:17 And here folks - is a PRIME EXAMPLE of a sheer lack of locomotive lighting maintenance - as we see a new train arriving WITHOUT a lower LH side lamp .. Sure the other side lamp is alternate flashing - but alternate to what an extinguish (non lit) LH side lower headlamp that obviously refuses to operate.
You cannot blame anyone for random light failures of any kind on an engine . The fixtures in or on an engine take a real pounding day in , day out . I think the railways do a good job trying to keep their equipment maintained and safe !
@@donhunking2286 Don, they just don’t maintain shop personnel like they use to, sorry, blue flag rules have created maintenance issues specially when the equipment is attached to a train sitting on a main track….ms~~~
I live in the area and keep looking to see you out here. We don’t seem to get as many trains as we used to.
Cool. It's true, we lost a lot of trains when CSX implemented their precision-scheduled railroading strategy a few years ago.
@@mbmars01 And they went to longer trains which means fewer people.
... which is part of the reason why they embraced PSR.
@@mbmars01 indeed. Do you live in this area?
I live about 20 minutes from Hull.
Amazing rail movie! Great rail activity! Good work, master! Thumbs Up 🚂🚂🚂🚂😎👍👍👍
All the best from Romania
Andrew
Thanks very much! And greetings back to Romania! Stay safe in these crazy times.
What a fantastic video MB, I can’t wait to see more CSX Abbeville Sub! I’m uploading one of my videos as well! :) I haven’t seen your videos in awhile lol.
Thanks, great you had fun watching it!
Used to see those coal gons going through Monroe, NC with a little snow on top.
Super film!
Thanks!
Great vídeo.
Thanks!
That looks like fun . Driving all those locomotives. Hard work though
Nice video!
Thank you!
Your welcome @@mbmars01!
Excellent video!
Thanks!
@@mbmars01 you are welcome!
As bad as this was in real life, this would make an amazing operation puzzle for a model railroad complete with all the caveats and restrictions thrown into the operation.
Absolutely! Nice idea, I could do that on my layout :)
Great video, interesting moves that we as fans don't get to see that often, also good example of a Leader PTC locomotive that can communicate with a DPU! Thanks
Nice you enjoyed watching this operation. It's always cool to see trains with DPUs.
Awesome job
Cool, thanks!
LOVE This Video !! Outstanding Job Bud !!! I still offer my Porsche Convertible to get some awesome unrestricted videos in the open air. I drive you film.. Just let me know. I live right here in Athens, GA.
Lol, thanks, Tom!
Fantastic video,I guess this doesn't happen all that often however when it does it makes for interesting action for us railfans but not so much so for the railroaders! The consequences of running super long trains!
Thanks, Mike. Yes, thankfully it doesn't happen that often as it used to years back, but this, to a certain extent, is due to running fewer trains. The coal trains, at least the loaded ones, usually have 110 cars. This hasn't changed over the years. Sometimes they combine two empty trains and these beasts have obviously more than 200 cars.
your explanations were helpful; I would have been completely 'buffled'!
Great. That's fully understandable. It was a complicated procedure.
Good Video.
Thanks!
Awesome video
Thanks!
I am part of your subscriber base 👍
That's very nice!
👍👍☝️✅ Excellent cover of this event! It could have been faster, but only 562 & 929 were DP capable, also non of the units ( and on the auto rack train) has no new symbol on the side of the nose DP in the circle, I've seen plenty of them recently started to add it! I can think of faster ways to accomplish what took 5 hours!
Very good job done 👍✅ Excellent video like!🙋
Thanks, great you like it.
@@mbmars01 Honestly, I love your videos! WWOT is somewhat famous, but very sloppy. Your enthusiasm and dedication is visible everytime. Germany videos were awesome addition (I live in Europe)!
Велики Поздрав 🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸
Awesome. Cool, so you live in Serbia? Greetings back! I'm always stunned that so people from all over the world watch videos here.
27:33 Damnit CSX There in sync
Odd, why not crew the singleton and push it forward to the loaded consist?
Great catch , I thought CSX AC44S weren't DPU capable only the ES44AH/ET44AHs
They are. We use them all the time.
@Scotty So I heard - and they deliberately chose the ES44AH for that job.
@@cody8217 so are AC44s DPU capable leaders ? Last I heard it was only ES44Ah/ET44s that could lead/dpus
@@scotty4579 they are CW44AC's or CW44AH's. And yes, I DPU'd one just last night as a mid-train single unit DP. I've used others as DP lead on other manifests and unit coal trains.
@Cody Alright, got it, but the question still remains why the crew in the video chose the ES44 as rear DPU? This choice required extra moves. It would have been easier to use one of the available AC44s. What could have been their reasoning in your opinion?
That's was awesome 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Nice you enjoyed it!
HA, YEAH!,LONG COAL EXPRESS GOT THE AUTOMOBILES ON THE HIGHWAY WAITING NOW YES!,28:13 🚂🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚂
Lol
Why did they not shove the stalled train?
Conductor failed to turn the headlight on dim on the rear DPU unit.
Awesome
Thanks!
Just out of curiosity, what railroad do you think has the best paint scheme?
Of the current Class I railroad schemes, I like the KCS Belle scheme the most; in a more historical context I'd say the Santa Fe Warbonnet scheme is my all-time favorite.
Same here!
WOW. that's a lot of coal.
Yup, thousands of tons.
got to charge up all those tesla's🤣
What does the synchronous ditching light mean? Is that a shunting sign?
I think this was just a weird flashing mode setting.
That was alotta moving
Indeed...
Seems like a SUPER long and complicated process and you edited a lot of the dead time out. If it takes all of that to swap engines around, you can only imagine how long it takes them to make these long super trains up in the yard.
Well, these unit coal trains are somewhat special, because many of them run between the mine and the power plant back and forth, so they don't actually need to be necessarily re-assembled in yards. At 110 cars, they are not really very long either, but since all cars are loaded, it is rather heavy, which is why thinking about the proper power arrangement is important.
Quite an operation! Excellent video - one of your most interesting yet! I wonder if the crew made it to Greenwood without dogging?
Nice you like it. Yes, I know that they safely made it to Greenwood.
Chaos indeed. Did they even attempt to assess the malfunction DPU?
Did CSX actually pay a third party taxi company to transport a crew 1/4 mile to their train?
I'm looking at this and it becomes clear why rail can't compete with trucking.
You have to assess it. It's done remotely over the radio from Jacksonville by the Mechanical desk. You use the taxis for more than just a ride to your train.
that's because companies are greedy, and unions protect their workers from working themselves to death, with nothing to show for their efforts.
Csx has a shuttle service under contract for all of its division and for the most part the drivers are very cooperative keeping in mind they have “hours of service” to comply with as they did during my 40 years as an Engineer……ms~~~
Absolutely noice!
Thanks!
Is there any advantage to mid-DPU over just having 3 at the front?
Absolutely. Imagine all engines are on the head end and the train climbs a grade. Then, because of gravity, the train will be completely stretched out, which puts maximum strain on the couplers (danger of breaking the knuckles) and also increases friction at the couplers, which is bad for performance. Pushing from somewhere inside or the rear of the train helps release some of the strain and can also reduce fuel consumption.
@@mbmars01 Good point! Thank you, I live in Australia and while we do run the occasional mid-DPU it's not very common here. :)
Radio-controlled DPUs without crew have also only been introduced here maybe 10 years ago. The older engines still on the road are not even equipped for DPU operation unless they have already been modernized in recent years.
@@mbmars01 I suspect as the older engines go in for refit, they will be upgraded to be DPU capable. Of course, in the future I suspect we'll see better and more powerful engines developed which will decrease the need to refit the older engines. Those old ones could then be sold to the smaller train companies.
@Harry Doubt it. It's already been tried with GE, EMD, and MorsMorrison-Knudsen. Once you get around 5,000 to 6,000 horsepower range, they have many mechanical failures - shot bearings, broken crank shaft, cracked engine blocks. Also, air emissions compliance makes it impossible today even with a de-nox system and diesel flue gas recirculation. The alternative is either a gas turbine prime mover or electric.
nice video wonder why the csx coal train had isseus?
Thanks! Well, the DPU's engine cut out and the train wouldn't move with the original head power only.
Glad you’re back. Was this in Madison County?
Yes, this is in Madison County.
wow what a parade!
I have often wondered how much monitoring can be done on the DPU, from the lead engine.
There are engines out there that aren't DPU compatible??
Well, you can always put a crew on a locomotive and use it as a helper engine, of course, but not all of the older locomotives are equipped with radio-controlled DP capabilities and can be operated remotely as far as I know.
@@mbmars01 I learned something new.
Why does CSX seem allergic to rear DPUs? It seems so much harder to run a 2x1x0 train than a 2x1 and add engines as needed for mountain passes. Not to mention having to dig that mid DPU out of the train at its destination in order to get it ready for another train. Also nice catch with all those AC44s! BNSF doesn't use them up here in the Northwest, mainly GEVOs and Dash 9s.
It's a good point. There are also CSX coal trains with rear DPUs through here, so I don't know why some have mid-train and others rear DPUs.
been a while since u uploaded
Well, the production of a video like this takes about an entire week (and making train videos is not my main job, just a hobby...).
Yeah, I can understand that. But it’s nice that you uploaded in a while.
Yeah, I try, as time permits :)
3349 has a headlight out!
I like train videos on RUclips 👍
Nice!
Why did the ditch lights go in sync????
Hi. A question here. I was a steam locomotive driver on the SAR in South Africa years ago hence my love for trains and my fascination for the American diesel locos. i see on your long bulk trains you have locos in the middle of the train and also at the back some times. Who controls them? The engineer from the front via radio control or has each unit got its own engineer under supervision of the front engineer?
Nowadays, all units of such trains are radio-controlled by a single engineer from the lead engine. In some areas, where still helper units are used to push trains up a grade, a second crew controls those helpers.
That new crew just screwed the pooch.
All they had to do was take the feed engines
to the bottom of the train and push, cut off on the fly,
back into Comer.
I'm no railroad expert but it sure seems to me it would have been simpler to drive the rear DPU up to the back of the train!
Well, it's not the crew's decision and what the reasoning was of the person at the power desk in Jacksonville, who made the decision, in not know to us.
341 engine had a strange horn. 🤔