LOCOTROL the early Distrubuted Power in Tales of the Jointed Track

Trackside in the Diesel age…as to take a line from a railroad magazine column, Locotrol was a new technology in the ‘70’s .

This allowed the engineer to control, not only the head consist, but another buried in the train or on the rear, without another engineer. The BN, the Santa Fe, Penn Central and the Southern Railway had their versions and pioneered the way to the DP or Distributive Power that is in use today. Most major Class 1 railroads use DP today. The BN and the Santa Fe versions were the same with one exception. The Santa Fe had independent motoring, which in essence, allowed the head consist to be in dynamic braking, while the remote consist was still in power. The BN did not afford that option, but there was a way around that, you stalled the train so to speak, and isolated the head consist from the remote. That allowed the remote consist to remain in power, that helped propel the remainder over the top.

So at Palmer Lake you brought the head consist to 1 throttle in power..kept the mid consist working in Throttle 8 and about MP 52.8 you made the initial set on the air, and started dialing off the remote consist as they crested the summit. This was around 8 to 12 mph, the hoppers are braking and the remotes are still bringing enough tonnage over, so you can slowly dial them to throttle one. Once you had the grade balanced, the main throttle ( head end consist ) was placed to idle..The remotes consist would go to idle as well. Set up dynamic braking, and start bringing the head consist in. The remotes would go to throttle 1 dynamic and remain there. So with that set up, you dialed the dynamics in as needed on the remote consist, You kept the head end in full dynamic, and air under the train . You trimmed the dynamic brakes on the remotes to keep the train in a controlled descent. That’s a perfect world , and sometimes locomotives were cranky .. ect, so you did what was needed to make your descent.

The major consists were a mixture of U-30-C’s 5800 ( locotrol lead) 5900 (locotrol receivers) and 5300 locomotives..and a mixture of 6800 ( locotrol lead)6900 (locotrol receivers) and 6300 SD-40 / 40-2 locomotives…also the C&S got into the act, with the “NEW” 900 series SD-40-2’s.. We’d get odd consists, due to failures on the road, or power not available, of F-45,SD-45 and the odd U-25- and U-28-C’s. Trains were about 128 to 130 steel hoppers and rounding out 15,250 to 16,500 tons, and the power was 5 on the head end and 3 cut in as swing power.

As this technology was heralded as the savior, and a cost cutter for the railroad industry. It saved in crew costs and in higher tonnage. But as with the railroad, problems became and operational headache .. It’s all good, but when it goes to hell in a hand basket, enough said. There were data radio problems, due to heat. Radios…I don’t care, your car..your computer ( no its not a radio..but generates heat and today’s DP suffer from heat stress) . For all those that are not familiar with the 5800 and 5900 series BN U-30-C’s..there was a compartment behind the cab, with an access door…The toilet was there too. In the summer months , it got hot and heat and heat. Did I say heat and radio/electrical failures. They tried to pipe up air off the traction motor blowers to help cool, a nice try and it didn’t work.

You could tell when the radios were beginning to show operational problems . You would get a remote consist dropout indication, and you immediately put it into override. That gave you 30 minutes to fix or correct the problem, or hope the radio signal picked back up. If it did, the drop out indication cleared. If, you didn’t, the remote consist dropped to idle. That is a train separation waiting to happen on ascending grade conditions. You could go back where the data radios were located, and toggle the A radio-B radio button. That would send a boosted signal, and fingers crossed they were in communication again..

After many failures and break in two’s on the grade, an edict from the Santa Fe Division management was, if there was a rested fireman, who is a promoted engineer, not holding assignment, they will be called. That meant if you were 8 times out and looked like tomorrow afternoon, you could be stepped up, as the working fireman on this train, when it showed up and was called before your positioned turn. If you were used in to help keep a failing Locotrol train moving, you were given engineer wages for the trip down. I made some of these head end to the swing helper and ran them to destination, it was on the fly, and snagging them as they ran past. It wasn’t bad during the day, but at night had its fun hazards. Before you were sacrificed to the train, the elements, the engineers would say. “.Goddamn it Kid make sure you have a reverser!!!”. You could not guarantee that the remote consist locomotives would have one hidden, or in the holders in the control stand…plus you learned to carry extra with you..I ran an extra out of Pueblo, with a journal box packing hook, because all the power was set out, no other yard or road power was around. No reverser, and its another story, but you don’t or didn’t get caught without one..

CASTLE ROCK, COLORADO WOLFENSBERGER ROAD 0100 AM

I was stepped up several turns, because a Comanche BN symbol AA062 Santa Fe Symbol J-CCE showed up and was Locotrol equipped. We were called for 2130 PM, changed crews with the BN switch crew at Rice yard. We left Denver about 2340 PM and made our climb.. Around MP 30 we got a bell on the remote consist, and with several lunges and run outs of slack. Luckily the terrain was in our favor and we didn’t break in two. I tried to toggle the data radios, but it didn’t clear. We were losing speed and I was told get off at Wolfensberger Road and catch the swings on the fly. Wolfensberger Rd was at that time a lane and a half of dirt road.. There was no lighting and a pair of RR Cross bucks and stop signs. It is not like that now. It’s four lanes, paved and the railroad flies over the grade …

I got my coat, made sure I had chew (lol that was worth .0001 mph ) a reverser..and 5 fusee’s, along with my flashlight. I dropped off about 10 mph, and turned on the flashlight. I busted two of the fusee’s off behind me spacing them so they illuminated the train and didn’t blind me. The rest were in my back pocket..I busted another and watched for the caboose to round the cut at MP 30.2 . As I saw the markers coming around, and I heard the swings in the darkness. I gave an easy sign and threw the fusee up in the air, making sure it would land on the right of way. Okay here these swings are coming at 7 or 8 mph maybe more, but hopefully the rear end told the engineer he’s close. Great!!, there are no step lights are on any of them. The fusee’s I lit behind me are helping and I am ready to make my dash. Three units, and I better make one of them , and at half car away , good a SD-40 and good grab. I start to sprint, catching the step. I feel the consist, sweep me up. I am one with the swing helpers.

I run through the consist’s. The SD- 40 is loading hard, and the second unit a 5300 series U-30-C motor is dead. I’ll deal with that later. The receiving remote is also loading, but is hunting in and out..great. Hunting is a loading up and dropping amperage, while either in power or Dynamic brake. I slam the reverser into the control stand, placing the generator field switch up and start notching them out. The hunting seems to slow. I activate the communications radio..and say “I’m on.. I have throttle control”… “Great kid keep after ‘em”… “We have a dead one here… I’ll go back and see if I can get it going”… “No problem , we’re on clears ( green signals )..let us know”. The 5300 series (road number unknown ) is dead. I look and reset what I need to in the cab, I also reset the governor, and cranked it up…whew it does fire off. Now let’s see what the water and oil is doing. The water is sucking down the sight glass, normal for a GE of this era. We will see how it levels off at the idle mark. I check the lube oil, and its in range. The water is in range. A cranky governor?, yes, possible GE yeah…anything is possible …(GE’s were terrible locomotives early on…they are so much better now) I call the head end…”Its running I’ll get it on line soon…we good on signals?” …”Yeah kid…were going to be hitting the next step on the grade”.

Well I didn’t throw it online right away, why ?? Okay it’s restarted and fluid levels need to stabilize, or a sudden surge will act like a low level condition, which will shut it down again. When I do place it online, where is the throttle yep No. 8 and when the isolation switch is placed into run, that’s where that diesel is going right to notch 8. It starts to roar to life, and hoping it doesn’t shut down…stays on line…the amps start to increase, its making horsepower and holding …and its staying… YES !!

I call the head end, we’re all going back here…“Okay kid”. There was not anything to write home about after that. We crested the grade…got them down to the “Springs and over the flats to Pueblo. The operator at Pueblo was contacted around Colorado Springs to let the BN know they would need another engineer for the remote consist, since it was a Comanche..they’ll dead head the crew (s) after its unloaded. As we neared close to Pueblo, the Engineer says “Hey we’ll get yer grip Kid. Don’t worry!! . I ride the swings to the front of the yard office. I gave the outgoing engineer a count from Canon City Jct, to the change out, and I hop off and trade out with my counterpart. We tie up and get rest. My engineer says , ” Place an engineer’s ticket in Kid…they’ll decline it but the trainmaster will okay it”… Yep he was right they did…

CHRISTMAS EVE / CHRISTMAS DAY 1976
I was working the “Fireman’s board”…but anything could happen during this time period. I could be working a turn…or bumped up for a Locotrol Consist..or if they got short.. a setup Engineer turn…

The phone rings Christmas Eve … earlier than I thought…“We need you for a Comanche…your working as an Engineer… No other junior Fireman etc available”. Yeah, really I am the only rested Fireman ( promoted) on the board. I called my mother and said “Hey I won’t be there tomorrow..work around it ..Tell everyone Merry Christmas and I’ll talk to you all later on”. Yes life as a Railroader…this is how it works..Holidays , Birthdays, Anniversaries ..etc … The only time you’ll be there guaranteed is at your Funeral.

This was a 2230 or 1030 pm call for a Comanche.. The crew was also informed, upon tie up, to contact the yardmaster for instructions after our legal rest of 8 hours off. We report …I get picked up at the 7th Street Roundhouse and taken to the yard office.. The Yard office was always a different experience for me. Mainly being in engine service, you didn’t go there, you were always on the power, and you went on and off duty in a separate area. The yardmaster said, “They just traded off at 31st ST, and will be here in about 30 minutes”..

The BN switch crew stops in front, across from the yard office, for the change out..We’re there ahead of time, since the C&S Operator said, They just took the signal, out of the depot”. No delay on our account . The BN and the C&S loved to “blame” the Santa Fe crews if they thought they could, another story, but they ended up screwing themselves in the long run.

We traded off, and got the rear end on, and away we went. It was Locotrol, no fireman if there were problems, and we’ll deal with what we need to as it unfolds. An uneventful trip up the hill, never met anyone on the single track. We had the railroad to ourselves , a joy, but its Christmas Eve and minimal traffic. .

Topping, Bragdon Hill, about 5 miles outside of the Pueblo crew change an alarm bell. Was on the swings ( Locotrol mid consist ) ..We called for instructions and I said “We have an alarm back there..I’ll stay and correct” .. after a pause, the Yardmaster says..”They’ll deal with it at the Comanche utility”. Okay … works for me.
The train crew says , we’re going back to Denver, have Christmas, and come back.

Okay, no problem with me. I have Frank Kusulas’s car .. I have had the care of this old 55 Chrysler Clipper..for the last 2 weeks …My ride…I tie up..go to the motel get a room. It’s 630 am, nothings open period. Unlike today everything was closed in Pueblo, after 600 pm Christmas eve. Christmas Day another story, even 7/11 closed down..but!!!, The Best Western across the street has a restaurant that will be open from 1030 am till 600 pm.. I set the alarm, and was able to eat something . I call at 600 pm and I am told, you’re on duty at 800 pm..no problem, will be there.

I meet the crew and we’re told they are at Pueblo Jct ( 3 miles out ) change out front. I talk to the incoming engineer about the swings and the problems encountered. He told me, that a C&S SD-40-2 has a catastrophic engine failure, piston head liner assembly was out the engine bank. Ruptured a few car body doors, but they drained the water off and isolated the unit. They didn’t report the problem to their dispatcher. I told ours , and said the BN needs to know…

Was uneventful back, we met a load at Crews on the fly and five hours we were tied back up in Denver. Well the BN wasn’t happy about the new 900 series C&S SD-40-2 being broken down and the damage that resulted. Like someone was there to prevent it. Well it went back to EMD at La Grange, Illinois, was found that there were component failures that no one could prevent.. But as I said earlier if the Santa Fe could be blamed…so be it…

Merry Christmas …from the BN the C&S and the Santa Fe …

Last updated October 08, 2014