Eastern Railroad Discussion > Helper-Link B23-7?

Shot this B23-7 today on the lead of NS 921 combo camp train-MOW eqipment. The box mounted on the front deck looks identical to the helper link boxes that Conrail used on the Altoona SD40-2`s. Did Big-Blue also have a group of B23-7`s in helper service somewhere on the system? PRR 4052 should be ex-CR 1959.

Tom

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Hey Tom, How you doing? was that equipment getting put away for the season?

Doing fine, Jose. Don`t know if it`s getting put away but it was headed for the Middle Division cause the cab signals in the 4052 needed testing.
Tom

Ok roger on that Tom. Cool photo by the way.

What is the mystery box used for? Remote control of the helper by the lead locomotive?

Helper link is basically a remote uncoupler. It is connected by radio to the EOT (or HTD??) of the train being pushed and allows the pusher to be cut in the train brakes by radio signal rather than physical connection, to avoid having to couple the air hoses between the train and the pusher.
The helper can therefore be operated by a single person (engineer) and using controls at the engineer's stand the pusher can be remotely uncoupled either static or on the fly and the brakes on the locomotive will come on, while the train being helped continues on.
I have never seen it on a B23-7 but it looks like the SD40 version.
David

Conrail didn't have any B23-7's regularly assigned to pusher service that I can remember. That model was used predominantly in yard and local service during the 1990s, when HelperLink was introduced. That's not to say they NEVER turned up as helpers, I just don't recall it being a regular thing.

During that time, SD40/SD40-2/SD45-2 were the usual helpers in the Altoona/Cresson/Johnstown and Keating Summit areas, while GP38-2s and occasionally a GP40-2 or two seemed to make up the helper pool for Crestline-Canton-Conway. The one possibility I can think of for this B23-7 is that this unit was a regular in Ashtabula and got ore-train helper assignments there; I never covered that operation.

could some of the B23`s been set up for some sort of remote control ballast or work train service? That firecracker antenna right above the numberboards seems in strange place.

Tom

Many thanks. I've never seen one before.