Western Railroad Discussion > Sand Usage

I know that you use sand as an aid to traction to get started but do you use sand anywhere else? When operating at speed? Using dynamic brakes? Is it automatic on the new units? It's easier than hanging iron like we do on the trucks.
Thanx, Lynn

If you're having traction problems in both power or dynamics going over flange greasers, I think most engineers (including myself) turn on the sanders to keep from slipping. On the newer units, if you're in dynamics and the computer senses slippage, most of the time it will drop the amperage. Also if in dynamics and coming to a stop, I was taught to put the lead truck sanders on, but in talking to the newer engineers, they don't teach this anymore. Hope this answers your questions.-BMT

Sand can also be used to stop wheel slippage while running in rain or snow. I was even taught that it can slow you down just enough (1mph or so) so as to avoid having to use dynamics. Of course this would work best on relatively flat ground which there isn't all that common. It's not good to use it over switches or while standing as it could insulate the rail and prevent shunting.

Although a bit off of your question, I do use sand a lot while working the yard with the SW1500 we have. It makes a difference, even on dry rail. One day my conductor needed to move a 96-car cut that was fouling the lead on the north end of our yard. The simplest way was to grab ahold of it and yank it back, but he doubted that our 'crud' would do it. I laid down a bunch of sand for about 3 car lengths, going back and forth a couple times while he scratched his head at what I was doing.

I waited a few minutes for the air to get all the way to the rear and let the brakes release. After taking the slack out, I went straight to run 8, pulling 1500 amps for a few moments with no slipping. By the time we got to the switch at the south end of the track we were doing 4 1/2 mph and about 1100 amps.

The only time I've had to go to plan 'B' was when I wasn't able to get enough sand down to restart the cut. That happened a couple days ago, trying to drag 45 cars, mostly loads, and doubling them to other cars behind us while on a bit of a hump in the yard. Couldn't get it restarted so we had to make a cut and take the cars out to the north end of the yard in two cuts. Darn!

Roustabout out

I liked those SW 1500s. Best swtich engine ever built. One time I hauled 5,500 tons on flat track about three miles with one (very slowly).

One thing ive noticed is the new ESD44c GEVO whatever's dont let the engineer apply sand on the leading wheels. It only lets you apply sand at 15 mph and below. Man those units are saving the railroads money on fuel and sand.

The sand button works only till 12 mph on GE's, thats trainline sand.
The Lead axle sand (bleu buttons)will work at any speed.

With most road EMD's it's not so much about how to get the sand to come on, it's how to make it quit. On most of them the sanders come on every time you change the reverser, start moving around in the yard, hitting a rough spot out on the road, or just for no reason specific reason at all. Almost anything you do makes them run sand for a few seconds, for no reason. It's very common to be running down the track and see the EMD in the consist cycling the sander's on & off over and over. The old GP's, the 35's & 20's were real bad about sanding for no reason, but the newer ones do it too. Usually by the time they got back east to Kansas, they were out of sand. Most of it wasted. Sand grit & dust has to be hard on the rail, wheels, ballast, switches, and traction motors. Sanding is a function best left up to the engineer, and it should be taken away from the computer.

The MP36PH-3C's sense wheel slip and will automatically turn on the sanders for a period of time, typically over a flange greaser or on wet rail when starting the train.