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What's the most locomotives you've seen at the head end of a train?
Yesterday, on the main Tampa/Jacksonville line one went by with 10! A mixture of CSX and a couple of leasing companies. It was only pulling 64 cars (the power made me expect more) so obviously some of the locos were deadheading.
Not restricting to the head end, I once saw 6 "out west" -- 2 at each end and 2 in the middle but I gather that's fairly routine.
While we're at it, the most cars I've ever seen in one train is 122. That's certainly not a record, but a good start here.
What's your record sighting?
MPALMER Member # 125
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In Jan. '97 I was in the Knoxville, TN area. A couple of times I saw southbound Norfolk Southern freights with 8 solid black NS engines. This was on the line between Knoxville and Chattanooga.
It's been many years since I have counted cars so I don't have any numbers for that.
Eric Member # 674
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I've seen 13 on a BNSF merchandise freight. I have a picture of it, but no way to post it. Trains with 8-10 come through occasionally. The strangest I've seen was 8 locomotives with only about 20 "pigs." I think they call it a "dinky." There have been some with quite a few cars, but I don't have numbers on it, either. I love all those units- you can hear the train coming from several miles away!
[This message has been edited by Eric (edited 10-19-2002).]
atsf3751 Member # 1538
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Out here near LA BNSF occasionally does light engine movements between LA and San Bernardino or Barstow to balance the power assignments. The most I've seen in one move was 14 units, but only the lead two were doing the work. These trains often have a huge assortment of engines, everything from DASH 9's to GP7's. Sometimes they put them together on a bare table train, in which case the most I've seen on one is 12, but again, most of the engines are idle. I do remember once seeing the SP's Tank Train coming through Mojave with four on the point, four in midtrain, and four on the rear and all of them were working. The longest train I've ever seen is about 140 or so cars, as BNSF occasionally runs ultra-long double stacks out of LA. Usually these trains get three units on the point and two remote control units on the rear, which stay on for most of the trip.
[This message has been edited by atsf3751 (edited 10-19-2002).]
conrailkid Member # 1898
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we frequently get 160 hoppers on coal trains in and out of baltimore, sometimes more empties due to outshopped straglers, i've seen as many as 177. number of engines depends on company policy. csx limits the number of working axles to 27 (figuring ac units as 9 traction motors each). we can haul up to 15, typically no more than 4 will be on line. as far as midtrain helpers go, we don't do that, and rear end helpers are limited to 12 powered axles.
AMTK271 Member # 1778
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The most engines I've seen on a train was 9 on NS, solid black and ex-Cons. The most cars I've seen on a train was 202, only powered by 2 locomotives! I think that was back in the end of Conrails days -Paul
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Trains with 8-10 come through occasionally. The strangest I've seen was 8 locomotives with only about 20 "pigs." I think they call it a "dinky."