Dead heading tow question

Just out of curiosity, if for whatever reason, a string of M3/M5's had to be towed back to Morris Park, what mode of power would be doing the towing? Let's say a yard diesel was summoned, would it matter if the shoes of the dead cars still had contact with the third rail?

Frankie

MP15AC is the only power the LIRR has that can do that.

frankie wrote:Just out of curiosity, if for whatever reason, a string of M3/M5's had to be towed back to Morris Park, what mode of power would be doing the towing? Let's say a yard diesel was summoned, would it matter if the shoes of the dead cars still had contact with the third rail?

Frankie

LIRR has M7s no M5s.

The shoes have no effect on a towing move, it keeps lights on in cars, but does nothing for propulsion or brakes.

Mp15's are not the only engines that the LIRR has that can pull them. The switchers can too.

Anything can pull them. And everything has. Unless there was a major electrical problem in the MU cars that caused a short circuit or ground on the high-voltage side of things, the shoes would have no effect on the move. If there was a problem, shoe fuses or main fuses and jumpers between the affected cars could be removed to isolate them from the third rail. The operation of the train's brakes would depend on the engine used and the air connections chosen. In most cases, the move would be made with only emergency brakes at reduced or restricted speed.

A railroad can use a "Compromise coupler" to tow MU's with a transit-style coupler behind a locomotive with a standard AAR coupler. I've noticed many MU's out east actually carry a compromise coupler on each car. They're especially visible on Arrow's and M8's. Out here in Chicago they're not carried around that often although Metra and South Shore have a few for emergency moves.

The M-7's have a device on them that can be switched with a socket wrench. One of the positions is tow. This allows the engineer on an engine to actually release and apply the brakes on an M-7 from a Locomotive in tow mode. Worked the roustabout a few times, and that's how we did it when we took them to arch street. Through Forest Park in 2004.

I saw a video on facebook of a train with DE or DMs and it was pulling 10 m7s behind it heading for KO

Crabman1130 wrote:I saw a video on facebook of a train with DE or DMs and it was pulling 10 m7s behind it heading for KO

Just saw that yesterday. A train consisting of a DE or DM on the head then apx 6 diesel coaches, then another DE or DM. Coupled to the rear diesel was 10 M7 cars in tow. The whole thing was moving at apx 10 mph east past Deer Park.