Thursday Proto Photo, Mar 17/16

[Lenny53]

[Bob Bufkin]

Found this photo searching the web. 

[mu26aeh]

Caught this critter at Essroc in Frederick, MD.  Had two boxcars being loaded with skids of bagged product.  I did not get to ask what they were loading.  About 10 boxcars were on property on two other leads, one of which looked like it was for hopper loading before.

20160317_134451 by Adam Henry, on Flickr

Also caught string of CSX MOW flats on siding.  CSX is doing major track rehab along what I guess is the Frederick Branch, replacing all road crossings, ties and new ballast. 

20160317_134540 by Adam Henry, on Flickr

[eric220]

Came back from my annual ski trip on Tuesday, and this time we took the train both ways.  I'm glad we did!  The Sierras got pounded the week that we were gone, and we got to see Union Pacific doing something that they've only done twice in 33 years:



That's out the window of Amtrak train 5, just west of Donner Pass.  Pretty awesome to see one out in the wild!

There were also some kind of scary sights.  I didn't get any shots of the idle power at Roseville, but the miles of idle power at Grand Junction tell a similar story:



Track after track of idle yard power.  There were some interesting finds in the group, like whole blocks of old U-boats:



Overall, a very fun trip!

[trainforfun]

Came back from my annual ski trip on Tuesday, and this time we took the train both ways.  I'm glad we did!  The Sierras got pounded the week that we were gone, and we got to see Union Pacific doing something that they've only done twice in 33 years:



That's out the window of Amtrak train 5, just west of Donner Pass.  Pretty awesome to see one out in the wild!

There were also some kind of scary sights.  I didn't get any shots of the idle power at Roseville, but the miles of idle power at Grand Junction tell a similar story:



Track after track of idle yard power.  There were some interesting finds in the group, like whole blocks of old U-boats:



Overall, a very fun trip!

Wow beautifull shot !!!
There is no fuel tank under UPY 108 : slug ?

[C855B]

... There is no fuel tank under UPY 108 : slug ?

Yes. All those gray B-[whatevers] are slugs.

[jmarley76]

Looks like a lot of GP15's too. But it makes since, branch lines are going to the shortline operators and big railroads are just focusing on point to point. I was surprised when I saw NS was selling off it's GP38-2's, but that is the trend...

[Ike the BN Freak]

Yes. All those gray B-[whatevers] are slugs.

No its not, its a remote control car.

http://utahrails.net/up-diesel-roster/upy-ccrcl.php

[jmarley76]

Here's some info on those remote control cars... http://utahrails.net/up-diesel-roster/upy-ccrcl.php

You would think that UP would have done the opposite, remove the prime mover and left the traction motors so the units could act as slugs. I am not familiar with these, so does anyone have any insight on the typical lash-up or operations?

[Lenny53]

Here's some info on those remote control cars... http://utahrails.net/up-diesel-roster/upy-ccrcl.php

You would think that UP would have done the opposite, remove the prime mover and left the traction motors so the units could act as slugs. I am not familiar with these, so does anyone have any insight on the typical lash-up or operations?

The prime movers are of no use without a fuel tank, they must draw their electrical power from the units they are controlling.

[jmarley76]

The prime movers are of no use without a fuel tank, they must draw their electrical power from the units they are controlling.

Right, so the only guess I have is they must have left them in place for weight and/or cost of removal. The part that mystifies me is the traction motors. It seems only logical to leave those in place since they can get power from the other MU'ed units.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

They're not actually slugs.
Think of them as radio control adapters.

http://utahrails.net/up-diesel-roster/upy-ccrcl.php

[jmarley76]

They're not actually slugs.
Think of them as radio control adapters.

Right, I got that too, so maybe better way to put it is why were they not slugs with radio control equipment? Maybe I am thinking too hard on this, but it seems a huge waste to set these up the way they are. I think back to Southern Railway's radio control car, it was just a modified 40' box. No need to gut a loco to get a platform for some receivers and control untis...

[davefoxx]

Right, I got that too, so maybe better way to put it is why were they not slugs with radio control equipment? Maybe I am thinking too hard on this, but it seems a huge waste to set these up the way they are. I think back to Southern Railway's radio control car, it was just a modified 40' box. No need to gut a loco to get a platform for some receivers and control untis...

I bet it came down to cost.  It was probably cheaper to take a paid-for B30-7 and modify it by removing the fuel tank, plating over some windows, adding the necessary electronics, and giving it a cheap paint job than to construct or modify a box car.  I've was lucky enough to be granted a tour inside one of those Southern Ry. radio control cars in Asheville, North Carolina in April 1994 (we had just railfanned Saluda), and you might be surprised by how much equipment was in there, not to mention the poured concrete floor for weight.  I also believe that the Southern cars were not just modified box cars, but were specially built for radio control duty.

DFF