Western Railroad Discussion > Train placement question...

Can you have a conventional train with one buffer, 80 ethanol loads, 1 buffer, and an EOT?

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eje673 Wrote:
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> Can you have a conventional train with one buffer,
> 80 ethanol loads, 1 buffer, and an EOT?

I have certainly observed trains configured exactly this way, with the rear buffer presumably provided to accommodate rear-end helper-engine operation.

No, this is not proper placement. If you have two buffer cars they must be next to the power. If up have DPU power then you can have one buffer on the head end and on buffer ahead the DPU power.

Hmm.. is the rule relatively new? Initially over the last few years as eastbound ethanol loads became more common off the DME/ICE I'd see them through northern Indiana on the NS set up as power / 1 buffer / train / 1 buffer with eot. Lately it seems to be power / 1 buffer / train with eot... no trailing buffer. I have seen several with two buffers up front followed by the train but not often. They could use a hundred buffers for all I care, as long as they heap on the DME/ICE SD40-types!

-Ryan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/11 11:38 by BN7149.

Is one buffer really going to help much if a train is moving fast when it collides with something?

Absolutely not!

KR

eje673 Wrote:
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> Can you have a conventional train with one buffer,
> 80 ethanol loads, 1 buffer, and an EOT?
>


Yes, one buffer on a loaded unit train behind the locomotives is all that is needed. However, most hazardous material loads, including ethanol, on a mixed-manifest type general freight train, must be placed behind a minimum of five non-haz-mat cars. Environmentally hazardous loads can be placed next to locomotives.

brighteyes