Nostalgia & History > This is what I call a HELPER SET.

Here are 5 ATSF units on the head end of an Eastbound freight at Sullivan's curve. Looks like 2 SD45's, 1 F45, 1 GP35 and 1 GP30. And yes, that is my 1967 VW bus down there where we camped out on the curve.

---

Here is the caboose on the end (?) of the train with a helper set(?) shoving on the rear of the train.

---

I assume this is actually a power transfer from San Bernardino to Barstow. I believe the only working units are the ones behind the remote unit. All followed by another caboose. Usually power transfers were placed behind the rear units of the head end of a train. This may have been an afterthought as the train was already made up, and they tacked the dead units on the end, added helpers and then the real caboose on the end of the helpers. Unless someone has better knowledge of the situation as seen here........... C.C.Chas.

---

wow - sweet catch! They of course (they being BNSF now) still do these moves over Cajon out of the Basin all the time but usually a light power move all the way. Looks like 14 helper units back there in your shot - 7 SD39's, 6 SD24's and 1 F7B?!?

espeeboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> wow - sweet catch! They of course (they being BNSF
> now) still do these moves over Cajon out of the
> Basin all the time but usually a light power move
> all the way. Looks like 14 helper units back there
> in your shot - 7 SD39's, 6 SD24's and 1 F7B?!?


The F7B unit is the receiver car for the early Locotrol I system. No engine inside the carbody on the receiver radio equipment and ballast weight.

WOW! I was reading the previous statement about some units being off-line, but I figured it must be a power transfer. OTW, I was going to ask if the train was hauling LEAD in the cars to need that much power! The sound would have been awesome! Oh, BTW, when you guys were out there camping in your microbus, you didn''t happen to run into Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper on choppers,did you? HA,HA. One of the local cable channels has been running Easy Rider repeatedly lately.

Odds are, train may have stalled on the hill, and the power transfer came up behind it to tack on and shove it the rest of the way to VV. OR, that could be a helper set taking the days <or weeks> power up to VV and shoving at the same time. Odds are, the entire consist is runing, only the first hand-full would be on line.....hope this helps....

......the York Canyon to Kaiser (YK) "lead" and "helper" power combined. As I have mentioned before, the Santa Fe used the train's power for "turns" between San Bernardino and Barstow, (and SB/LA on super rare occasions), while the coal train unloaded.

In the first photo, the lead SD-45 looks like a "Locotrol Master" (5590-5614, IIRC). However, in the second photo, it sure looks like their is a hoghead in the lead SD-39. In that it had a caboose as well, I am in complete concurence with Gyration's first observation, in which the train following helped the gimpy train (ahead) to Summit.

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

That makes sense that the power and caboose behind the freight trains' caboose was a power transfer that had to help a troubled freight up the hill. This was just before I bought one of those scanners that required actual frequency specific plug in crystals so I could hear what was going on in the RR world. I do have photos of ATSF power transfers on Cajon which consist of just power and a caboose. Thanks for straightening me out. I do need it once in awhile....... C.C.Chas.

Leapin' Lizards! The photos on this board never cease to Amaze me!- WOW...Steve