Canadian Railroads > 120 to Halifax today

120 was operating in a 3+1 DPU configuration this morning when it passed through Montreal. I hadn't seen such a configuration on this train before. The DPU was about 50 platforms back from the front.

Ray 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/15 13:54 by Ray_Murphy.

Perhaps CN has again taken "a page from" BC Rail DPU operations, and BC Rail idea that the DPU be cut in the train 2/3 from the head end by car count. I have never liked the idea of the DPU on the rear end of the train for train handling and other reasons. BC Rail was a front runner in Canada for remote control, mid-train locomotive and to the best of my knowledge never had a derailment account placement of the remote controlled / DPU units.  DPU's in my experience push 25 percent and pull 75 percent of their tonnage rating. Physics wise it does not make sense having the DPU on the tailend of a train. I had an "experience" with a CN supervisor not long after CN took over BC Rail. He claimed to be an experienced handler of DPU after only 3 trips. It's a long story, but I had him removed from my train before I would move the train, the person did not have a clue.   Doug

120 has been 3+1 for the last ten days or so.

KG

kgmontreal Wrote:
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> 120 has been 3+1 for the last ten days or so.
>
> KG

Indeed. Here's CN 120 leaving Taschereau yard last Sunday with the now standard configuration of 3+1 AC units.

Michael
 

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Ray_Murphy Wrote:
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> 120 was operating in a 3+1 DPU configuration this
> morning when it passed through Montreal.

They arrived at Rockingham at 12:23 today (Saturday).  Still had three ACs on the front, and another 2900 about 80-90 cars back.  The difference is because they picked up a sustantial number of "junk" cars in Moncton (and probably dropped some intermodal for Saint John).  Even after they cut off the first 100 cars (intermodal, junk, and the DPU), there was another mile of double-stacks left.  Business has been booming lately.

GTD​