Horseshoe Curve Pusher Start - Part 2

[KThom885]

He's throttled out to help the head end pump up the air brakes. The air compressors are run off the engine shaft and by throttling up, he's building air faster. When the head end starts to pull, he throttles back, engages the traction motors and throttles back up to get the train moving.

[FastFlyingVirginian]

@KThom885 Makes sense, thanks!

[critter221]

@FastFlyingVirginian

There is alittle more to it, but KThom885 has it right for the most part.

Jim

[critter221]

@FastFlyingVirginian

Since this BS youtube only allows so many charactors, and will not allow links... I cant explain in detail the exact coarse of events that take place in such a situation.

Jim

[40ouncekneegrow]

Its all in the amps going to the motors

[40ouncekneegrow]

He probably let off to start over on his am-meter when they got some forward movement going under load

[FastFlyingVirginian]

@40ouncekneegrow I see. I've heard the same sort of momentary throttling back on many occasions; I've always wondered why they didn't just hold whatever notch they were in and throttle out from there.

[40ouncekneegrow]

The helpers were throttled a notch or two before moving to hold the train while the headend charged its lines. They can do this without redlining the Tms and when they get a release they notch those badboys out amazing video btw

[FastFlyingVirginian]

@40ouncekneegrow I figured that's what was going on, but I can only guess at why it sounds as if he throttles back before really opening it up. Any idea why they do that?

[tiddlywink100]

how long do the pushers need to maintain their throttles at full?

[FastFlyingVirginian]

@tiddlywink100 I think the general practice is that they shove at full throttle until the entire length of the train is over the summit, in order to keep the slack bunched in. Ultimately, when and how they throttle comes down to skill, familiarity with the line, and communication with the head-end crew.

[tiddlywink100]

Great video...I love when the locomotives engage the engines to the electric motors. the rpm's drop!

[FastFlyingVirginian]

@tiddlywink100 I believe what you hear there is actually throttle work on the part of the engineer once the brakes release. I think normal practice is for the pushers to start shoving before the head end throttles out, but for whatever reason the head end of this train pulled first, and as soon as he had some forward motion the pushers momentarily throttled back and then all the way out. They have to manage the slack in between the cars to avoid breaking couplers.

[FireCaptE9]

Wow! Outstanding EMD sound!

[tiddlywink100]

Fantastic video of man conquering the elements!

[pacirr]

Hard to beat the sure-footed SD40-2 !

[Snomoska]

oh wow fantastic sound !

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

You have any videos back of the straight 40's and SD45 helpers?

[FastFlyingVirginian]

@xxxDeath9572xxx I caught some footage in the late '90s of the SD45-2s puttering around the helper station at Cresson, but I only saw them in action on one brief trip in March '96. I've only captured one straight 40, as the trailing unit on a TV train in August of '94, not as a helper. The straight 45s were long gone by the time I ever got my hands on a video camera.

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

the 6660 - 6669 I believe were the only 45's that were helpers in the early 90's, by then they were gone.. I'm surprised by that, figured you'd have some dirt on me being and oldie moldie fan. Haha.

[FastFlyingVirginian]

@xxxDeath9572xxx The earliest VHS camcorders I remember ran in the range of $1500-2500, and there was little I could do to convince FFV The Elder to drop that kind of coin on one - we didn't even buy a VCR until they dropped below $400 or so. My friend bought one in the early '90s, and I relied on borrowing it until I bought my 8mm Handycam in 1996. I've got one or two old stills of Southern hi-nose SD45s in Charlotte, but that's about all I have as far as straight 45s go.

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

Boy O' Boy.. Sounds like me today.. I am pushing my P&S camera to the limits and need an SLR to continue, and my camcorder is aging, tripod is wearing down, scanner is about to bite the dust, still 15 and can't find a darn job. Boy do I wish I was alive back then and there..

[formidable38]

A fantastic sound!

[spiritomb]

I've never heard EMD's scream like that before.

[Learnin2Fly08]

Awesome power emd baby!!!! 5*

[patton303]

So what's the big deal about this hill and why is it famous? I live in Denver so don't know much about it. : )

[FastFlyingVirginian]

Completion of the all-rail Allegheny crossing between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in 1854, drastically cutting travel times and spurring development, with impressive engineering considering it was done in the era of pickaxes, shovels, and nothing stronger than black powder for explosives. That's it in a nutshell. An excellent book on the line is 'Triumph I' by Charles Roberts and David Messer.

[silverHawk1993]

the horseshoe curve was a target for Nazi's as it was so important for America and it cut a train time of 3 and a half days to just 12 hours! Pretty amazing engineering there i must saw

[2bad440]

BIG TIME RAIL ROADING...!PRR'scrossing of the Alleghenies was seldome silent..

[FastFlyingVirginian]

Those times when it WAS silent, you could cut the anticipation with a knife. I remember getting out there very early for this shot, and before this train and the Broadway Ltd. in part 1 showed up, all you could hear was crickets and birds. The sound of these helpers reverberated long after they had disappeared, and then it was back to the crickets and birds. It was a sharp contrast.

[bnsf7747]

I miss CONRAIL...

[ChanFram]

this must have been awesome to witness!