Eastern Railroad Discussion > Does NS use SD40s as DPUs?

On the rear of NS 227 at Shenandoah Junction, WV.  Did not notice if the were running or nor, too busy trying to get into position for a shot.  ;-)

Other pics from yesterday and today.
http://members.trainorders.com/ddavies/News/news.htm

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NS 3040 is an ex CR GP40-2. And that looks like one of them Road Slugs they use, perhaps a 6XX number.Not sure tho that it's a DPU. Looks more like a local or even a yard job. Nice catch by all means. Ben

Not to my knowledge. I don't think they're DPU capable on NS. 

I used the GP40-2 3040 slugset on my local many nights, and it was a good runner.  I think it was paired with the RC slug 741.  It doesn't have the electronics to receive DPU signals.  It could be MUed to a DPU engine and work back there, but I wouldn't recommend it.  The GP40-2 slugsets are complex by nature.  They are great if they work, but they are also prone to malfunction.  One of the problems occurs when these slugsets refuse to MU properly with the leading road power.  The MUed air brakes fail to respond properly.  It happens more if the slug has a CCB brake valve.  Numerous times I have seen these slugsets have to be towed rather than MUed because of that malfunction.  Sometimes the slugsets were just left behind because of that.   In the past I have seen engines towed dead on the rear of a train with the dead engine feature cut in.  Perhaps this is what you are seeing on 227. It is irregular today, but a chief dispatcher could have authorized it.

DPU capable.  1000-1234, 1800-1851, 3600-3680, 4000-4625, 7229-7339, 7500-7719, 8000-8184.   I think that's right.

Eng.Shadetree



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/15/22 07:50 by shadetree.

We used to do that on conrail and csx to avoid runaround moves on the other end of runs and to ease some swit ching moves. Unfortunately, since the locos on the rear were unmanned when on the trailing end, some FRA inspectors took exception to this practice because we were technically violating our own loco securement rules which required an applied and tested handbrake whenever a loco is unoccupied. Instead of modifying the rule, it was no longer allowed. Other railroads still do this regularly. The only problem that I can see occurring when allowing this is when the locos shut down and run out of main air compressor air. When this happens the air supply for the brakes eventually runs out unless the dead engine feature is cut in and now if for some reason the rear locos run out of air and are uncoupled from the train without handbrake applied, they could just roll away if there is a grade with nothing to stop them.