Western Railroad Discussion > Manned helpers return to UP on Tehachapi

Today (1/24/2005), the UP was using a manned helper set on Tehachapi. Some trains were using DPU's, but at least two southbounds were helped from Bena to Tehachapi summit with 2 SD60M's (and helper engineer). Not quite like the old glory days of the SP, with the "standard" 6 unit helper set, but its still good to see that manned helpers can still be fielded on Tehachapi. Of course, the dispatcher did have to ask the outbound crew if the train could make it from Bakersfield to Bena without helpers, which was common practice back in the SP days.

Ron

http://rlehmer.50megs.com/photos/

Cool! Helpers at Bena.. Now THAT's a move in the right direction!

Now.. for the next move.. find a few more tunnel motors, and paint all the helpers a nice sooty Espee Grey with Tunnel 5!

Cheers,
Harry

were they using the helper spur at bena or runningthem to and from bakersfield for shoves?

With the first train that I saw them helping, the train was already up between Cable and Marcel (near the top of the pass), and the dispatcher was in a big hurry to get the helpers back down the hill because the second train it was going to help was getting ready for a crew change at Bakersfield when the helpers were only back to Woodford. Amazingly, the dispatcher put a BNSF auto train in the hole at Rowen to get the helpers around him. Anyway, from the discussions, it sounded like the helpers were going to push from the rear by either crossing over behind the train at Sandcut or using the handthrows at Edison. Couldn't stick around to see what actually happened.

As for the Bena helper spur, its still there, but I don't think this operation is using it. It would be more appropriate if you were going to entrain helpers in the middle of the train, since it would be hard to fit an reasonably long train between the spur and the control signals at Bena.

I don't know how long they've been doing this with the helpers, but the dispatcher addressed them as the "First Manned Helpers" and when I went through there the week before, I did notice a pair of UP engines at the south end of the old yard at Quantico, so maybe that's where they hide when they're waiting for an assignment. Either that, or all the way back at Baker Street.

BTW - the helpers were originally ordered to stop at Woodford and pick up two BNSF engines from the old #2 siding, actually a BNSF and a CN C44-9W. Unfortunately, the helpers had to get back to Bakersfield quick.

Ron

http://rlehmer.50megs.com/photos/