Western Railroad Discussion > MRL Jimbo (MOW train ) up bozeman pass

Mrl had this MOW train that work along side the crews working on the rails, one day it would pick up scrap and the other it would dump ballast. These couple of shots are going E/B up the bozeman side of the pass. Maybe someone in the know can say were they came up with the name jimbo which was on the side of one of the gondolas

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A couple more shots E/B up the pass. This caboose reminds me of one of the old H.O. tyco ones

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Jimbo is the name of the slider crane that runs along the tops of the gondolas.

Mr. MRL

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Great shots Tim, really like #5.

Cool work train with a caboose.

SantaFeRuss

How do those slider cranes/backhoes get from one gondola to another? I assume they don't jump! Do they stick out some sort of rail between the cars or what?

lwilton Wrote:
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> How do those slider cranes/backhoes get from one
> gondola to another? I assume they don't jump! Do
> they stick out some sort of rail between the cars
> or what?


There is a large frame that the crane slides across. The machine is able to pick up that frame and then slide it across to another car.

tc Wrote:
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> Maybe someone in the know can
> say were they came up with the name jimbo which
> was on the side of one of the gondolas

The gondola that says Jimbo on the side is the transport car/storage car for the Jimbo crane that is loaded on it. Notice that the crane has Jimbo on the back of it in the same script. Machine is called a Jimbo Cartop Crane or a Jimbo Material Handler (depending on the railroad). Machine uses it's boom to raise itself allowing it's attached track to slide to the next car.

Jimbo is the model name for the piece of equipment originally built by Temco. I'm not sure if there have been any new ones of the built since late 80's or early 90's as Herzog has taken over a lot of this market with their more versatile car topper lines of equipment.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/11 04:50 by scraphauler.

Jimbo's were used on Amtrak but found to be unsafe and were banned from use on the railroad ... i believe NS has also banned them from use on their railroad too if i'm not mistaken

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
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> Jimbo's were used on Amtrak but found to be unsafe
> and were banned from use on the railroad ... i
> believe NS has also banned them from use on their
> railroad too if i'm not mistaken


Was that related to the catenary on NE Corridor or on other lines as well?

Interesting mods on the gondola to stow the machine. Seems like it would be an improvement on the backhoe used by some operations.

TCnR Wrote:
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> Out_Of_Service Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Jimbo's were used on Amtrak but found to be
> unsafe
> > and were banned from use on the railroad ... i
> > believe NS has also banned them from use on
> their
> > railroad too if i'm not mistaken
>
>
> Was that related to the catenary on NE Corridor or
> on other lines as well?
>
> Interesting mods on the gondola to stow the
> machine. Seems like it would be an improvement on
> the backhoe used by some operations.


cantenary was an issue but there were some design flaws as NS has also banned them from use ... Amtrak now uses what they call a slot train ... it's a train of articulated gondolas with no ends and crawler excavator with different attachments for various jobs ... they used it from ditching to moving rail sections from one location to another ... power units vary ... Amtrak's is similar to a 2 axle power unit fittied into a gondola ... others have power units that can be disconnected ... below is the Georgetown link for the slot train and 2 videos altho at night you get an idea of how it's built ... these kind of systems don't use T&E crews to move around the railroad but qualified MW Pilots ... saving money and also the job can be still be done if no train crews were available something that long hindered Amtrak when big jobs were scheduled

http://www.georgetownrail.com/materialHandling/slot_machine.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2LSYQe5AV4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wseRgg0z54I&NR=1



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/11 00:53 by Out_Of_Service.

Good info. Interesting that it uses articulation, one truck for two car ends which also keeps the gondola sides closer together, low sides and conventional Cat tracked equipment. Which means the cars are not from the 'old car' stock that supplies much of the MOW equipment.

SantaFeRuss Wrote:
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> Cool work train with a caboose.
>
> SantaFeRuss

Not a caboose, a shoving platform for reverse moves.

A caboose needs lights, drinking water, toilet, heat and regular service. MRL 1007 and 1009 have none of these. At least the doors are not welded shut so you can get inside in case of rain or hail.

fbe Wrote:
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> SantaFeRuss Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Cool work train with a caboose.
> >
> > SantaFeRuss
>
> Not a caboose, a shoving platform for reverse
> moves.
>
> A caboose needs lights, drinking water, toilet,
> heat and regular service. MRL 1007 and 1009 have
> none of these. At least the doors are not welded
> shut so you can get inside in case of rain or
> hail.


thats not a caboose or shoving platform ... that's the power unit for the train inside the gondola ... when making reverse moves the pilot will stand in the gondola on the rear end of the train (in good weather) ... if the weather is cold and wet ... the operator will move the machine to the end and the pilot will sit in cab of the machine to instruct the operator for back up moves that is in the power unit controlling the movement

No, really, it is for riding on the rear of the train on long shoves. There is no power supply or controls inside the carbody. A locomotive powers the train along with an engineer and assistant engineer who respond to direction from the Jimbo operator who is a MOW employee in charge of the train. The shoving platform is just a surplus piece of dead equipment from the SRY updated enough for safe movement on the tracks with a fresh coat of paint. No radio, no toilet, a few seat parts and glass in the windows.



Out_Of_Service Wrote:
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> fbe Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > SantaFeRuss Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Cool work train with a caboose.
> > >
> > > SantaFeRuss
> >
> > Not a caboose, a shoving platform for reverse
> > moves.
> >
> > A caboose needs lights, drinking water, toilet,
> > heat and regular service. MRL 1007 and 1009
> have
> > none of these. At least the doors are not
> welded
> > shut so you can get inside in case of rain or
> > hail.
>
>
> thats not a caboose or shoving platform ... that's
> the power unit for the train inside the gondola
> ... when making reverse moves the pilot will stand
> in the gondola on the rear end of the train (in
> good weather) ... if the weather is cold and wet
> ... the operator will move the machine to the end
> and the pilot will sit in cab of the machine to
> instruct the operator for back up moves that is in
> the power unit controlling the movement

fbe Wrote:
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> No, really, it is for riding on the rear of the
> train on long shoves. There is no power supply or
> controls inside the carbody. A locomotive powers
> the train along with an engineer and assistant
> engineer who respond to direction from the Jimbo
> operator who is a MOW employee in charge of the
> train. The shoving platform is just a surplus
> piece of dead equipment from the SRY updated
> enough for safe movement on the tracks with a
> fresh coat of paint. No radio, no toilet, a few
> seat parts and glass in the windows.


my mistake ... i was under the impression you were referring to the slot train not the Jimbo ... i'm familiar with the Jimbo top riding machine

OK. It looks like we are on the same page again.

What is the lineage of that caboose?

GN599 Wrote:
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> What is the lineage of that caboose?


Canadian. Think it was either BC Rail or BC Hydro...

Mr. MRL