Passenger Trains > Access to engines?

Is it possible for a crew member to access the cab of the engine on the head end if two or three engines are pulling the train and the train is moving?

I’ve seen crew members access the engine on Illinois corridor trains when seated in BC at head end.

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Short answer, no.

Freight or passenger?

Most passenger locomotives nowadays do not have nose doors, so unless the locomotives are back to back,
they cannot move from one to the other!

Freight locomotives have access front and rear, so crew can walk through all units if necessary!

Mike

The only road power, that I'm aware of, that AMTRAK has that would allow a crew member to get to the head end from the train with more than one locomotive would be the P32-8BWH.
And it would be rare for these units to be the only units in the consist. Usually they are mixed in with P42s.

Could it happen? Yes.
Likely to? Not at all.

The Genesis 700-series Dual-Modes have an emergency nose hatch for escape should they operate in the Park Avenue tunnels. But that is not for casual use. 

My trip to the engine was on Algoma Central.  My wife and I were in the bag car, common practise in those days.  A crew person coming through with coffee for the head end invited us to the locomotive.   So on this moving train which was doing the hilly curve country north of the Soo, we walked on the outside of not just one locomotive but a second stepping over the open areas between the two hanging hard on the grab irons!!  We made it to the head end for a nice ride but then had to do the return walk on the outside of the locomotives!!  Of course the walk was a bit scary but the thrill of being up front viewing the beautiful scenery and having the cab ride overrode whatever fear I had.

Doubt if this would happen anywhere these days!! 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/21 20:47 by viatrainrider.

I was lucky to ride on a Chessie charter passenger train to promote a new warehouse for industrial customers north of Cincinnati in ~1984. We rode from Cinci Union Terminal to the warehouse (maybe 20 miles north?).

great ride, nice catered food. On the trip back to Cinci, i was able to talk my way into the engine.  

Very impressed by the knowledge of the crew about the route: "hold on, we have a big bump in 1 minute." nice guys.

I was on a CA Surfliner with several Amtrak and CA DOT people looking at potemtial upgrades from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles.
We had a P40 pulling to SLO, then pushing back to L.A.
Several of us walked to and from the cab of the now trailing engine to have a good look at places of interest.
I am sure this was by advance arrangement and the two doors were unlocked, at the end of the coach and the rear of the engine.
Our safety briefing was sufficient: watch your step, keep one hand on a grabiron, and don't touch anything near the engine as it will be hot.
So it is physically possible.
 

With one engine yes

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