Air and Dynamic Brakes
and Train Handling

Since this is a systemwide change, all divisions should have this document posted in the General Order books.

Becuase the number assignments vary according to divisions, may I submit for your computer skills the following message code to pull this up in TCS:

Now, let's go to the next scene in the episode: Some of the changes in this document address Item 10: Rule Supplements and Amendments. Below this heading, you will find the answer to the question about Rule 31.13.2B.

In the last portion is the part involving responsibilities to be taken care of by the mechanical forces; there is now in place instructions issued by the Locomotive PS&P department in Omaha for all shops to apply coupler blocks to the 60 Amtrak F40PH units presently on lease to the UP. Upon completion of this project, all 60 Amtrak locomotives will then be alignment control coupler modified.

31.4.1, Part A (Controlling Speed)
31.5.1 (Operating Dynamic Brake Correctly)

1. Q - If your locomotive consist contains non-alignment control coupler units, does this mean that you cannot employ dynamic braking with this consist makeup?
A - No. None of the air brake rules governing dynamic braking use prohibit this circumstance.

2. Q - Can you therefore still employ up to, but not exceeding, 28 equivalent axles of dynamic braking for these types of consists?
A - Yes. With any type of a locomotive consist, proper execution of this technique is dependent upon how the braking strength of the consist is developed, even after you have the train into a bunched status.

Other air brake rules which support this position are:

31.4.3 (Disturbed Track)
31.5.2 (Through Turnout of Crossover).

1. Q - On some of the older locomotives, the selector lever will have positions No. 1 to No. 4. What was the purpose behind this?
A - It was, you could say, a locomotive's version of a manual transmission shift lever. Some of the early designs locomotives employed required the engineer to make the locomotive perform the transition program, as it wasn't an automatically built in provision.

So units with this format of selector lever (They are outfitted with automatic transition) were used as leaders of consists which had units requiring manual transition, the engineer could perform this event by using the selector lever to send a trainlined signal to the necessary trailing unit(s) at the proper time.

Since today's units have automatic transition, all that is required for power throttle operations is to use selector position No. 1.

2. Q - If you have a Hot Engine light on the engine control panel, but no alarm bell accompaniment, what do you need to do to correct this circumstance?
A - The particular unit the inquirer had this to occur was an SD40-2R (UP 3293); it is equipped with the Throttle Limit switch. See if it's turned on; if it is, turn it off, and the unit will respond normally.

The Hot Engine light doubles as the indicator for letting you know the Throttle Limit switch is on.

3. Q - With the new Rockwell Gemini two-way HTD box, is there any method by which you can bring up the amount of battery charge you have used on the RTD?
A - The present design of this product does not have this option available. It may be something that will be added at a later date.

Another change made is with the type of electric motor; now the time it takes to fully apply or release the brake is approxiamately 15 seconds.

A very important note: Regardless of which position the locomotive is in the consist, if the rever is moved out of neutral, and the parking brake is still applied, it will sound a trainlined alarm bell, along with not allowing the locomotive to produce load. Should the locomotive be the lead unit, the operator, in addition, will receive on the ICE screen the crew message:

Well, so far in 1998, there have been two DPU coal trains put together with a pair of SD90/43MAC's in the lead consist, but working as the remote was a C44AC. Here are those two jobs:

CJRHP-15 - - units were the 8018, 8016 and 6560, with 135 loads, 19,170 tons.
2CCDSA-09 - - units were the 8199, 8083 and 6556, with 128 loads, 16,809 tons.

On this route, it is commonplace to see unit coal trains in conventional format pulled by a trio of the BNSF's SD70MAC's, but hang on for this one: Unit coal train job CDVFW-06, with 87 loads, 11,045 tons, came into Fort Worth on February 9th with a former S.P. crew out of Childress, Texas with a trio of SD90/43MAC units in conventional format. The unit numbers were the 8062, 8120 and 8011.

Since there is a 1.2% grade on this line at Decatur, Texas (41 miles west of Fort Worth), I've wondered if their performance was just as impressive as how they do on Ray Hill at Denison, Texas.

Of the individuals I've spoken with, they say that the 16V265-H diesel engine, when it is idling, would lead one to believe you're beside a GE unit. More extensive testing with these prototypes are slated for later on this year.

Marcel is a Fort Worth Based Locomotive Engineer.