Railroaders' Nostalgia > Can you believe this?

Called for a multiple MUed consist. Roundhouse foreman had OKed the power and released it to engine crew. Well as you guys know, never leave the RH without checking things over as mistakes could sometimes be found.
Well this takes the Cake! The lead unit had the engine brakes applied with the jam but the trailing units brake shoes were not applied. Upon applying the automatic, with the jam released , you could get a set on the entire consist
but only with the automatic. The jam would only work on the lead unit. So it was off to the RH foreman. After listening to the problem, he simply said to take the consist and if you need engine brakes just use the automatic!!!!
Well of course the consist did not move as such until the issue was rectified. The lead unit was an Alco 6 axle, the rest were EMD's.

Ever have  a trainmen, eager to help you and they did often, get the hoses crossed  upon MUing power?  You did have to always check!




JJ Bucksnort

I might have been a pain in the ass but I was always very adamant that the units were my responsibility and I would MU them myself. I had guys trying to help mess things up and it was harder to find an issue when somebody else screwed it up. As far as a roundhouse screwing up, yes, I have seen that also. I have gotten consists from the roundhouses that had trucks still cutout from when they replaced brake shoes on a truck.

Right, always double check. Watch each other’s back.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

I have done that very same thing as a hostler. You go to give a brake test and they don't work  And its alwways when there and several units,not two or three. You climb all the engines, check everything in the cab, nothing. You check all the cutouts, nothing. You are in a hurry to get through so you can sit down and do nothing. Finally you decide to check the hoses. Bingo. Problem solved.

Sam

Probably the reason SP units ended up with numbers above the MU hoses. Hook 1 to 1, etc...

Yep, when I’m hosteling power and I gotta set up a consist I walk up one side and down the other then through the consist. Hoses and jumper cables are a good start if something is FUBAR.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

This past December, we boarded #449 Amtrak's Lake Shore at Boston's South Station on our way to Denver. Three hours later, we were still there and being in the front sleeper behind the last of 3 P42 units we saw the whole show of a crew of up to a dozen yard mechanics/supervisors standing on the platform puzzling over why the trailing unit would not release its brakes. Someone had brought those 3 units to the station from the yard and yet here she sat with locked brakes. After 3 hours, it was decided to haul the trailing unit back to the yard and depart with the two. Of course, our schedule was ruined but we got our connection to the CZ in Chicago. Our train crew said simply that this was just another day with Amtrak.

For all you hoggers who are meticulous about getting your power from the house, you will be entertained by this. Read the whole thread because the answer (fun) part comes after a few responses.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1045490,1045490#1045490

TAW

ApproachCircuit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Called for a multiple MUed consist. Roundhouse
> foreman had OKed the power and released it to
> engine crew. Well as you guys know, never leave
> the RH without checking things over as mistakes
> could sometimes be found.
> Well this takes the Cake! The lead unit had the
> engine brakes applied with the jam but the
> trailing units brake shoes were not applied. Upon
> applying the automatic, with the jam released ,
> you could get a set on the entire consist
> but only with the automatic. The jam would only
> work on the lead unit. So it was off to the RH
> foreman. After listening to the problem, he simply
> said to take the consist and if you need engine
> brakes just use the automatic!!!!
> Well of course the consist did not move as such
> until the issue was rectified. The lead unit was
> an Alco 6 axle, the rest were EMD's.
>
> Ever have  a trainmen, eager to help you and they
> did often, get the hoses crossed  upon MUing
> power?  You did have to always check!
>
>
>
>
> JJ Bucksnort


I've had engineers get the hoses crossed.

Brian Black
Castle Rock, CO

Had on rare occasions, where the valves were actually hooked up wrong.  In line with pipe should allow air flow, however, somebody or somehow, the valve got reversed  and closed then allowed air to flow through.  Now that takes awhile to figure out that is your problem.  Thank you BN/BNSF.

PWM

Was not just the BN, pretty standard. Never understood the reasoning for them to be "backwards". Our old L&N units had initials above the hoses

Steve



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/23 15:47 by ln844south.

Another hard one to catch was an open accuting pipe without a hose. On the old GP 7's and 9's the cutout cocks were under the steps, behind braces, and generally hidden and if you ahd 6 or 7 units you would have to crawl under them until you founnd the offending valce unless you happened to hear it blowing. This was always fun on a cold rainy night.

Sam

MU hoses are open for flow when the handles are “cross ways” with the pipe. Backwards of the way trainline is plumbed.

Regards

Posted from iPhone