Been seeing some engines in the middle of long UP trains here in Nebraska, had heard about it before, but they usually have some in front and one or two in the back. One today had two engines in the middle and none in the rear.
Jerry these locomotives are called Distributed Power Units or DPU’s. These independently operated locomotives are used where trains can be made longer if intermediate locomotives are inserted in the train. They are remotely controled from the lead locomotive in the train by the engineer. These locomotives can also be positioned on the rear of the train. The CN experimented with DPU’s out of Memphis, TN. to Jackson, MS. several times a week. The only problem with extra long trains is that every train it meets has to take the siding because of its length. I saw one of the CN’s super trains run through Greenwood, MS. on a Friday night several months. Amtrak had to take the siding also and was late into Greenwood. The train had 238 cars and one DPU 80 cars from the rear of the train.
Jerry,
Around here - it isn’t exactly flat 
- that is more or less the rule. Here’s a sample heading East from Kamloops into the mountains. There are more Intermodal trains in the CP album.
238 cars. WOW! That would make it hard to hook up the batteries. :lol:
Did I say that out loud?
They do something like that out here, saw out by Cabazon Grade container trains, 2 units in front, one bringing up the rear and that was common on all the container trains rolling through there.
Also saw along I-10 in Rialto literally 2 miles long of stored locomotives coupled together, says alot about the economy
Victor Smith said:I saw several miles of cars stored down in Myrtle Beach,SC. Several miles of locomotives represents a lot of idled trains. Somebody needs to pass the information along to the speculators who keep running the price of oil up based on the "good news" of the economy. Ralph
Also saw along I-10 in Rialto [b]literally[/b] 2 miles long of stored locomotives coupled together, says alot about the economy