Thank you Phil. This brings another question to my post steam (& waycar) life.
How did they keep the speeds of both the diesel and steam locomotives close?
I assume just good ole' experience? Or was there a trick or signals? Thanks
again. This is great learning material.
R.W. Brown, Jr.
Galesburg, IL
Hello, Ralph - During the 'transition' period it was not uncommon to see steam
and diesel locomotives working together, although the practice was rare on the
Burlington. Flatland railroads would often doublehead to move locomotives to
another terminal without incurring an additional train movement. (A light
engine on the mainline is a 'train'). Mountain railroads would often have
steam locomotives in 'helper' service, and they would tie on to whatever power
was assigned to a train - steam or diesel. And, yes, multiple engine crews
were needed. Each engineer handled the throttle on his own locomotive, but the
engineer on the lead locomotive took control of the air brakes on the train.
That was the only 'MU' (multiple unit) function that existed when steam and
diesel were worked together. Diesels just didn't know how to "talk" to a steam
locomotive! Only a few steam locomotives ever learned to talk to a diesel -
the Mid-Contin ent Railway Museum's C&NW 4-6-0 #1385 was fitted with a
rudimentary diesel control setup to handle the more modern locomotives that
were 'assisting' it. But the engineer was handling the diesel throttle
separately from the steam throttle. The tender had an MU receptacle for the 27
point jumper cable! Phil Weibler
I have been browsing at the photographs posted at CastleGraphic.com. Under
the 01 AUG 05 collection are many photos of the 4000 series Hudsons. Towards
the bottom one of the photographs titled "4003 January 1953" depicts lead
locomotive 4003 followed by a GP7 or 9. I can't recall seeing consist with a
mix of steam and diesel power. Did this happen often? When it did, were two
engineers required?
R.W. Brown, Jr.
Galesburg, IL
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