Unlike modern machines, the steam locomotive — which underwent few fundamental changes in 125 years of development — openly displays many of its parts. This mechanical honesty has long captivated onlookers and invited study, but many still wonder just how steam locomotives work. In fact, entire books have been devoted to the subject. There are […]
SD7 and SD9 locomotives The Electro-Motive Division’s original six-axle diesel-electric road switchers were the SD7 and SD9. Producing 1,500 and 1,750 hp, respectively, they set the stage for larger and more powerful six-axle locomotives that would come to dominate the industry. The first SDs sold in relatively small numbers. EMD produced 188 SD7s and 471 […]
Critters in the enginehouse: There’s a pecking order that governs North American diesel locomotives. At the top of the order are the big high-horsepower locomotives produced by General Electric and Electro-Motive Division. These are followed by medium-horsepower units such as GE’s 2,300 hp Super 7 Series and Republic Locomotive‘s 2,000-hp RD20. Next are medium- and […]
What’s in a name? An engineer’s life: Nicknames have long been a part of railroading. This is the story of how I came to be called “Mad Dog.” I hired out at Burlington Northern’s Auburn Yard in August of 1978. Unbeknownst to me, I wasn’t the only Michael Sawyer around those parts. One day, early […]
Wrecking derricks were once the kings of maintenance-of-way equipment, used mainly to move derailed rolling stock but also for such other heavy-lifting duties as bridge replacements. Today, when a derailment needs to be cleaned up, the work is often done by private contractors using bulldozer-like machines delivered to the wreck site by highway. But fifty […]
Rare genset diesel locomotives South of Sacramento and north of Modesto lies Stockton, Calif., home to Central California Traction Company and its rare genset diesel locomotives. Built by Brookville Equipment Corp. of Pennsylvania in early 2015, the units, designated BL12CG, are powered by a pair of Cummins prime movers connected to EMD D78 traction motors […]
The next time you watch a quartet of six-motor diesels go grinding past with an 11,000-ton unit coal train, consider that all that horsepower is being transmitted through the train by a mere 11-inch-high chunk of steel at the end of each car. This simple little device – the “knuckle” – is the key part […]
Before radio communication came into wide use in the 1960s, a locomotive’s whistle was an important tool in conveying information to other employees, both on and off the train, and many signals were on the books. The General Code Of Operating Rules, used by many railroads, contains the following list of whistle signals and their […]
Unsurprisingly, the largest 2-6-2 Prairie fleet operated on the U.S. prairies with the railroad that originated the type. As the railroad industry approached the late 19th century, it became obvious that what had been considered the preferred locomotive — the 4-4-0 American — could no longer provide the horsepower nor the speed necessary […]
End-of-train devices replaced cabooses that, not so long ago, train watchers almost everywhere could count on as a final point of interest at the end of each freight train. The distinctive little cars housed crew members who would observe the cars ahead for defects, process the train’s paperwork, operate track switches, monitor the air-brake system […]
Steam excursions in the United States are like taking center stage. Star-studded locomotives arrived with some staying while others received curtain calls. Of those that have taken their final bow, here are five former U.S. steam excursion locomotives that left an impact. Grand Trunk Western No. 5629 Excursion service 1959-1973: The class K-4a, 4-6-2 No. […]
Given a choice, railroads will always follow a straight, level path. Trains use less energy, speeds are higher, and there’s less wear on equipment when railroads can build on an arrow-straight line. But land rises and falls, obstacles must be avoided, and this requires grades to compensate for changes in elevation and curves to reorient […]
