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Steam & Excursion > When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power!Date: 09/08/19 03:57 When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power! Author: LoggerHogger Back in March of 1946, when the AT&SF put together this long passenger train and aimed it over Raton Pass in New Mexico, they knew they would need to call out 3 seperate steam locomotive crews to give the train the power needed for the job.
This is how AT&SF #3806, #1705 and #3785 all came to be on the head-end of this train when Richard Kindig caught her in this impressive scene on that day. I would say that the dispatcher managed to match the power needed with the train and grades they faced. Martin Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/19 04:10 by LoggerHogger.  Date: 09/08/19 06:18 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: Keystone1 Fantastic shot Martin. Now, you economic, practical, super efficient diesel lovers...take a good look at this ...REAL railroading. Sure, a six man crew, and a water stop coming up...but this scene is why many of us became railfans. If this doesn’t get you excited....then go out to the nearest interstate, and watch the 18-wheelers grind up a hill for a while. That’s for more you!
Date: 09/08/19 07:00 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: LocoPilot750 No smoke from the rear unit, it might isolated.
Posted from Android Date: 09/08/19 07:41 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: HotWater LocoPilot750 Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > No smoke from the rear unit, it might isolated. Now THAT is the "laugh of the day"!!!!!! Date: 09/08/19 08:17 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: Evan_Werkema LoggerHogger Wrote:
> This is how AT&SF #3806, #1705 and #3785 all came > to be on the head-end of this train when Richard > Kindig caught her in this impressive scene on that > day. There was evidently another photographer out with Kindig that day, and I'm surprised we can't see him in the view above. Photos of what appears to be the same train taken a couple hundred feet closer to the curve appear on page 100 of the first edition of Santa Fe's Raton Pass. They are credited to Les Logue, and the caption gives the date as March 28, 1946, the train as the eastbound Chief, and the locomotives as 3806, 1705, and 3783. Date: 09/08/19 08:26 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: tomstp I have seen many photos of the Raton Pass action with 3 and sometimes 2 engines. Lots of helpers in Trinidad and Raton. They are always nice photos.
Date: 09/08/19 09:34 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: Keystone1 I’d like to see 2926 and 3751 struggle up this hill. Hummmmm.....I wonder what it would take to arrange that show?
Date: 09/08/19 09:38 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: HotWater Keystone1 Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > I’d like to see 2926 and 3751 struggle up this > hill. Hauling what? Hummmmm.....I wonder what it would > take to arrange that show? A LOT! For one thing, BNSF management has previously offered to allow 3751 to move eastward, out of the LA area, as a "one time move", i.e. never returning to LA. Date: 09/08/19 10:22 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: kurt765 Two 2-10-2's and a 4-8-4. Quite a show!
Date: 09/08/19 11:10 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: coach AT&SF glory!
Date: 09/08/19 11:10 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: Keystone1 I think Ross Rowland and Peter Lerro could pull it off. I’ll buy two tickets right now!
Date: 09/08/19 11:12 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: HotWater Keystone1 Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > I think Ross Rowland and Peter Lerro could pull it > off. I’ll buy two tickets right now! Just my opinion but, I believe your money would be better spent contributing to the FRA mandated 15 year inspection, currently being done on 3751. Date: 09/08/19 11:23 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: utwazoo Water stops must have been fun with mulitiple locos.
Date: 09/08/19 11:54 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: HotWater utwazoo Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > Water stops must have been fun with mulitiple > locos. Maybe that's why the road engine (4-8-4 3700 series) isn't working, i.e. conserving water while the two helpers do all the work. Date: 09/08/19 13:59 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: ns1000 NIICE..!!
Date: 09/08/19 19:58 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: lynnpowell < < Maybe that's why the road engine (4-8-4 3700 series) isn't working, i.e. conserving water while the two helpers do all the work. > >
I dare say that the first two locomotives are coal burners, and the third is an oil burner, with the fireman using the liquid fuel much more efficiently! Date: 09/08/19 21:41 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: MojaveBill As the westbound SP's San Joaquin Valley Daylights were always doubleheaded over Tehachapi Pass, two water spouts
were located where the enigines could take on water at the same time before blasting out of Mojave and up the hill to Bakersfield! Watching that train cross Oak Creek Road in those days was one of the most exciting things I have ever seen... Bill Deaver Tehachapi, CA Date: 09/09/19 07:30 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: railscenes “Maybe that's why the road engine (4-8-4 3700 series) isn't working, i.e. conserving water while the two helpers do all the work.”
The 3783 or 3785, had a 25,000 gallon capacity water tank, along with being an oil fired modern steam loco being more efficient. The photo in the Raton Pass book could have been a different day, as most steam helpers were assigned to that hill, while the main road power went through. But unless we know of a crew member who was on the train and can remember details or even the routine drill for operating steam over Raton Pass all is speculation. Yes, would have loved to been there, but it was a year before I was conceived. Should have been born 50 years earlier when my grandfather was born. One general operating practice (un-written) for road crews to keep in mind is that unless your train was on time or known to be held for any length of time you operated your train as fast as it could go. The sooner you got your train to your terminal the sooner you could be home or at the tavern with a cold brew to rinse those cinders out of your throat. I can not think of any railroader that would violate that un-written rule. And yes, spotting 3 big locos at a single water crane would be time consuming. So could be they were conserving water on the big loco? Date: 09/09/19 07:51 Re: Raton Author: timz Probably no need to conserve the 4-8-4's water. Don't recall if the Chief stopped at Trinidad, but I'm guessing it had enough water to go downhill to La Junta anyway.
Date: 09/09/19 14:23 Re: When The Train Is Long And The Grade Is Steep, Add More Power Author: johnsweetser MojaveBill wrote:
> As the westbound SP's San Joaquin Valley Daylights were always doubleheaded over Tehachapi Pass ... The westbound San Joaquin Daylight wasn't alway doubleheaded over Tehachapi Pass. It appears that it wasn't unusual at some times of the year for the train to have a single engine. >... two water spouts were located where the enigines could take on water at the same time before blasting out of Mojave ... So far, no photos have surfaced showing a double-water spout arrangement at Mojave. Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/23 14:14 by johnsweetser. |