CMV

To all other railfans. It looks like the elusive Catenary Maint. Vehicle will be out and about in the next few days. It's now parked outside at shops yard. This is only the 2nd time I've seen it outside so it's got to be going somewhere.

I saw it monday nigth just west of beverly shores from US12. A guy was in the bucket with a flashlight checking on catenary, just ahead of a regular train and a deadhead 4-car, all three eastbound. It's not as classy as 1100, but it gets the job done and keeps our interurban running.

Yes, it was out that way today also, due to a train on monday afternoon taking about 5 miles of wire down. train 102 was bussed around the area to dune park but I believe all the wire's up again by now. We had about 10 cars stuck on the chicago side of the break and we used for a couple of the morning trains until the wire was out of the way.

Can't 1001 be fitted with a Tomlinson adapter to tow a few more cars around or thru the gap? I can't believe that busses are even semi-effective.

Yes, the NICTD 1000 or any other engine could move the cars thru the gap, an adapter knuckle is placed inside the coupler on the nictd cars and air lines hooked up, the only problem is that we'd have no power to the cars as none of our locos have hep, and even that isnt mu'able to our cars. I suppose in an emergency they could do that. Last I heard they had a section of wire repaired in the middle of the downed wire and they coasted thru the gap with pans down.

Just like the Yellow Line in the good olde days.

As a frequent train rider, I'd rather have ten minutes in the dark with a geep pulling me than having to de-board with my things, ride a smelly bus (don't care if it's new, all busses are smelly), then re-board on the other side.

Keep in mind that it's difficult or impossible for crews to replace the wire (especially if a rail vehicle like the CMV is used) when trains are running through the affected area -- regardless of whether they are coasting or being pulled by a locomotive. Busing is typically only used when it is necessary to expedite the return to normal service.

Mike makes a good point, but I still just really hate busses. Besides, in my line of work if the cranes have to run, you fix 'em at night. Of course my employees hate me then...

From what I heard it's also not good on the traction motors when being towed by a diesel locomotive.

A diesel loco has traction motors.

They could pull them but as mentioned, better to bus around while the work gets done.

I meant the traction motors on the passenger cars. I don't think they have a "neutral" setting, and wear out faster when not being used under their own power.

Don't they have an isolation setting so the crew can cut out the truck if there is a problem? I notice the hiliners and El trains have lables on the bottom of the carbody noting a "truck cutout switch" or something similar.

Not sure what LJL061 means by a "neutral setting" -- these are traction motors, not gearboxes -- but if the car is dead it won't hurt anything to tow it with a locomotive. And yes, Tadman, the NICTD cars have motor cutouts just like other electric MU cars.

When towing some old electric equipment, it was sometimes necessary to throw the reverser by hand using the lever under the car to ensure the reverser was set in the direction of travel. This was because if it was set the opposite way, the traction motors would develop dynamic braking effort at speed and resist the motion of the train. New stuff is isolated better, though, and doesn't suffer this problem. And it's certainly not an issue with the AC equipment since reversing is controlled electronically by the traction inverter.

I would assume then in towing 1100 like CSS recently did it had to be manually reversed as it is the oldest MU around?