While I was in North Spokane the BNSF local that runs up north was on its way through town. I always like this train with its B units. Its made up of a GP39-3 on the front three GP60Bs and a final GP39-3 on the rear.

 

 

 

Twice a day through beautiful Deer Park.  I can hear the locomotives growl as it climbs the hill, and blows the crossing.

Huh, there aint no cabs on them there GP60Bs. It must be awfully difficult for the engineer of them to operate them.

 

Thanks, I didn't know that B units were still being made. I thought they stopped making them early on in the GP line.

Those units aren't anything new... At least 30 years old.
The good old Chewelah Turn! I didn't realize Steve that you were that close to the branch in Deer Park. I think the crew goes on duty at 18:00 everyday.

 

I detect one that can still be turned !

Craig Townsend said:
Those units aren't anything new... At least 30 years old. The good old Chewelah Turn! I didn't realize Steve that you were that close to the branch in Deer Park. I think the crew goes on duty at 18:00 everyday.

I'm about a mile and a half from the track.  The turn runs South through Deer Park around 0930, and North sometime after 1800. The latest I've noted was midnight.

These were coming through hillyard about 11:30.

From what I've read, the crew often dies on the law on their way home. Sounds about right for an on duty time of 1800 in Spokane if you hear them head north.

The GP60Bs were bought by the Santa Fe in the early 90s along with a large order of wide cab GP60s.  The 4 new units below were photographed in 1992, making them 25 years old.  They were intended to be used as A-B-B-A sets on the intermodal trains, replacing the rebuilt F45 (The Super Fleet) locomotives.  Pretty cool they are still in operation.

 

Very interesting!

 

How do these cab-less B units differ from a "slug"?

 

 

Ray,
A B unit or a slug has a prime mover and traction motors. Some b units even have cabs, but they can't be occupied, so they are labeled as b units.

Meanwhile a calf unit is a locomotive that has its prime mover removed and replaced with weight. All of its power comes from a cow unit, hence the name cow and calf. A calf can't be run alone but a slug or b unit can. Make sense?

A railroad slug is an accessory to a diesel-electric locomotive. It has trucks with traction motors but, unlike a B unit, is unable to move about under its own power, as it does not contain a prime mover to produce electricity, and there may or may not be a cab for an operator. Instead, it is connected to a locomotive, called the mother, which provides the needed electrical power to operate the traction motors, and the motor controls.

 

Sorry Craig but it is not self powered

 

I think the distinction is the cow and calf are bought as a matching pair (A and non-powered unit) where a slug is a re purposed unit that can be tied with any unit

Just to make it more fun.  Some slugs have cabs, that can be occupied.  

 

Chris

 

Dave,
The BN guys and gals here in the PNW have always called slugs and B units the same as I explained. Calfs are unpowered. Every single time this topic comes up and I explain how I was taught it as a railroader, I get corrected by a non railroader.. What Wikipedia calls it is what Wikipedia calls it. Show Devon's picture to a rail and he will say those are slugs. Show, Chris's picture and they will say calf.

Craig Townsend said:
Dave, The BN guys and gals here in the PNW have always called slugs and B units the same as I explained. Calfs are unpowered. Every single time this topic comes up and I explain how I was taught it as a railroader, I get corrected by a non railroader.. What Wikipedia calls it is what Wikipedia calls it. Show Devon's picture to a rail and he will say those are slugs. Show, Chris's picture and they will say calf.

Point well taken. The BL2 I modeled after Western Maryland's 81 was normally coupled to WM139 ( a re-purposed RS1 ) which was referred to as a slug. Close inspection and research show it is filled with cement/ballast for weight and gets all it's power from 81. Maybe an east west terminology but I defer to your statement. 

 Those B units are really cool.  I didn't know they had those.   There is a prototype for everything.

Those are BN hack jobs special built for yard use.  I watched one run the yard in KC, MO for some time, with a GP40 as it's power unit.   Last I knew it got a BNSF rattle can pant job and is still in use.

 

Chris

I've had several friends over my life time that were locomotive engineers, conductors, etc. All of them called railroad things different than I did as a rail fan. So the question is: Are the fanatic foamers correct or the guys that actually use the equipment. I'll go with the guys in the cabs.

I believe this is a yard slug

That thing looks like what a very wealthy "speeder" guy would own - with two seats and a canopy, of course. Run it with a snowblower engine. Wouldn't win any drag races, but the other guys would sure stay out of his way.

 

JackM