CSX Train Confused

©2008 Joe Hacker(CSXJoe)

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[barneyejohnson]

This video was shot in Cowan, TN. The train is stopping so a manned pusher can come out of the north end of the west number 2 siding and get behind the train push the train over Cumberland mountain.

The train was so long he had to foul the crossing at the south end of the small yard to clear the switch at the north end. After the pusher locomotives came out at the north end and positioned themselves behind the train the engineer backed up off the crossing to allow traffic to cross.

[CSXJoe]

@barneyejohnson Yes, I know this.

[barneyejohnson]

You had referred to the pusher as a DPU earlier. The pusher is manned with an engineer and a conductor. A Distributed Power Unit (DPU) is unmanned and controlled by a radio link. CSX does not operate in DPU mode on this route because of the communication problems when going through the tunnel.

The only DPU equipped train on this route that I know of is a run through coal train off of the UP. The single DPU loco is located close to mid-train and the manned pusher is on the end to push.

[CSXJoe]

@barneyejohnson I know this. I live in cowan. Ive gotten a cab ride in the pushers.

[barneyejohnson]

You may know all of this but I doubt that anyone else that has posted here does. My posts are for their benefit. BTW, I think I've met you at the pusher shack.

I've spent many days there in Cowan. I am a contractor that does work for the AAR, EMD and GE and as such I also ride the pushers and the road trains on the Chattanooga sub. plus other CSX and NS routes in the south.

[CSXJoe]

@barneyejohnson You might have. Ive been up to the shack a few times. But yeah Alot of people dont know that the pushers are manned.

[csxcond]

I agree you can't just back up without someone watching the rear. This is a serious rule violation. I also would assume they are switching at an industry. But is impossible to tell from seeing a 3 minute video.

[csxcond]

That was suppose to be a response to Superduty7979's comment but is currently showing out of order.

I was aying I doubt they ran a signal or where backing up just to get off the crossing. That would have been just as bad as running a red if someone was not at the rear.

Conductor was probably at the rear switching cars and since this looks like a mainline I would assume they are working an industry.

[prodigy2k7]

@CSXJoe You dont sound like you know anything, just sayin... All you say is "I know this" when you are corrected or whatever, and the title of this movie is "Confused" when hes clearly not...

[StarWarsTrains]

@barneyejohnson Yep! And the foamers call US true railfans foamers!

[Indyrail]

It's not a problem in nuclear physics.

It's only a railroad known as Sissyx.

[shininghappyperson7]

lol

[barneyejohnson]

@FranklinDisco

Yep. Also probably wanted to get high of the signal again. He passed the south Cowan signal and knocked it down when he fouled the crossing. The crew wanted to have a clear signal so the could run at track speed instead of having to run at restricted speed all the way to Rockledge. By backing high of the south Cowan signal the dispatcher was able to realign the move with a clear.

You still running that line?

[barneyejohnson]

@dscripto

AMEN! After 20 years of working in conjunction with several rail related task nothing amazes me except the amount of BS and crap generated by the foamers. :)

[barneyejohnson]

@robertgift

Probably about 10 minutes. If the pusher was ready to go and the brake test had been completed then they would have just proceeded. There must have been a good many cars at the crossing since it was in the daytime or a delay with the pusher or brake test. The road crew decided to let the traffic clear before they reblocked the crossing.

[robertgift]

@barneyejohnson Thank you for the explanation. Drivers were probably angry that he blocked the grade crossing. How long was it blocked, since I see a break in the video? Did he back just to let traffic proceed? Then the train proceeded?

[awfulguitarplucker]

yo dawg we juts put a stoned train cab in your stoned train cab so you can stone your ride while you stone your ride

[MONTGOMERYSaApBt]

@Tex5x5 Just stop...We do not need to move by truck, The only thing they are good for is intermodal shipping...