Steam & Excursion > Diesel in 4449 Consist Questions

I assume the Amtrak GE diesel is in the 4449 consist in order to supply power to the train and as emergency motive power. Is that correct?

Is the diesel supplying any tractive effort or is it a electrical generator being towed?

Is anyone in the cab of the diesel?

Is BNSF requiring the diesel or could a power generator car be used?

Just curious.

Stan Praisewater

The following is from what I have read here and
elsewhere by people who operate railroad excursions.

Amtrak requires an Amtrak diesel to be in the consist
as part of its liability insurance requirements.
Liability insurance premiums are extremely expensive,
and AFAIK, the only way any non-Fortune 500 excursion
operator can afford to buy liability insurance is to
buy it through Amtrak. There have been recent excursions
without an Amtrak diesel in the consist, but I do not know
any of the details about how or why that happened.

And the Amtrak diesel has dynamic brakes, which are very
helpful to the steam engine on downhill grades, and, yes,
it can help a bit with power, and its HEP generator is
necessary for the passenger cars. Steam locomotives
cannot make more than a small amount of 32 volt DC
electricity with their dynamos, most of which is used
for the headlight, with a little bit for lighting the
gauges in the cab. (For those who don't know, Head-End
Power is 480 volts AC.)

And, yes, there is usually someone in the diesel -- at
least there was today in one of the YouTube videos I saw of
the 4449 that was taken today. The 4449 (and a most other
main line steam locomotives) usually have an MU control box
in the cab so the steam locomotive's engineer can control
the speed of the diesel from the cab of the steam locomotive.
*AFAIK*, it cannot control the dynamic brakes of the diesel.
The 4449 was, *AFAIK*, the very first steam locomotive to
have that MU control box in the cab. It was designed by
EMD, and TO's own "HotWater" was very involved with the design
of this very first MU control box, as he worked for EMD.

AFAIK, I don't think BNSF had any requirement for a diesel to
be in the consist.

==> Please note my frequent use of "AFAIK". I am not an expert.
I am just sharing what I know. And I could be wrong about some things.

Corrections cheerfully accepted. :)



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/17 17:05 by Margaret_SP_fan.

Do you know when the 4449 will reach Prineville junction?

Posted from Android

fryejo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do you know when the 4449 will reach Prineville
> junction?
>
> Posted from Android
Here is the OFFICIAL 4449 Twitter most recent tweet sent at 3:49PM.
I do not know exactly where Sherars Bridge is myself.
Maupin is at milepost 54
Prineville JCT is at milepost 131
:

Sherars Bridge, be in Maupin soon

3:49 PM - 24 Jun 2017



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/17 16:39 by daniel3197.

Re: original subject line..

And MargaretSPfan....

The first excursion loco that I remember that was M.U.-capable, was Clinchfield RR 4-6-0 , # 1, 1890s , a tiny, but fully operable little steam engine....was fitted with early M.U. Control box that operated two F-type EMD B units... for their Santa Train, ---- early December, every year... through Appalachian coal Country..
(Late 1960s?)

Modern uses: Yes, if 'dynamics ' need to be used, an operator is at the diesel controls to regulate the amount of dynamic grid-loading & monitors the speed and grid current braking..
Not possible to replicate the dynamic's controls and mechanical interlocks on the diesel control stand...
( economically) and protect high voltage cabling ( for load meter) to the steam loco cab..

Mostly, Doyle does not 'grab' the diesel for traction use, except in rare instances... IIRC..

W.

(The toilet in the nose of the diesel, is convenient, too...)



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/17 20:19 by wcamp1472.

There is no toilet in the nose of those GEs. It's in back of the cab. At least when I ran them.