6(7) Stopped behind crippled freght

[RichardWSnow]

I am on 6(7), and we've been stopped (for about 90 minutes now) behind a freight train on single track about 50 miles northeast of Reno, NV. The conductor announced that the freight has a "broken draw bar". I don't know what that is, but it must be fixed before the freight can move (he said). He implied we may be stopped for quite some time. He didn't give an estimate, but I gathered from his tone that if may be several hours.

 

[RichardWSnow]

The conductor just announced that the draw bar has been repaired. As of 7:15pm PT, we are on the move again.

 

[KnightRail]

Draw bar is essentially the shaft of the coupler that connects it the the body of the freight car. When one is broken, espically in single track territory, nothing is moving until it's replaced and the cars can be recoupled. Good to hear movement has resumed. Safe travels.

 

[Acela150]

If it was a drawbar, you'd be there for hours. I'm guessing it was just a knuckle. Those can be replaced easily.

 

[BuffaloBoy]

A very heavy 75lb knuckle is an awful load for a conductor to carry. It is one of the things that I hated the most when I worked the Buffalo/Cleveland runs. It took a couple of hours if you had a decent service road to walk on, but much longer if you had to walk the ballast or snow. When a drawbar goes to hell, forget it, there is no traincrew fix.

 

[John Bobinyec]

If the drawbar on the trailing end of a car is pulled out, then the head end of the train can be pulled ahead and the damaged car set out at the first available trailing point switch. The head end of the train is then backed up so it can pick up the rest of its train.

If the drawbar on the leading end of a car is pulled out, it's a real mess. If a heavy chain is available, then it might be possible to connect to the damaged car using the chain. Using the front part of the train, the damaged car is cut away from the rest of the train. The damaged car is then set out as in the previous paragraph. The head end of the train then goes back to pick up the rear of the train. The easier method is if there's a mechanical trouble truck available that can deal with the problem right where it happened. But, of course, you have to wait for them to get there.

In any case, if the damaged drawbar is fouling the track, it must be moved before the train can be moved. Back in the day when you had at least a four-man crew, they could do that by hand. These days, with often only a two-man crew, you'd have to wait for help to arrive.

jb

 

[Thirdrail7]

Another great explanation from John Bobinyec. :hi: When you have a trailing drawbar, it basically amounts to how long it takes for the mechanical trouble truck to arrive at the scene or how long it take for a crew to come behind the train. Sometimes they will execute both plans and whichever one finishes quicker is chosen.

 

[KmH]

Does she have her hand on the knuckle, which is attached to the drawbar?

http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/bizns/building-trains-andopportunity/_jcr_content/mainpar/textimage_1/image.img.jpg/1426868645205.jpg

 

[Thirdrail7]

Does she have her hand on the knuckle, which is attached to the drawbar?

http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/bizns/building-trains-andopportunity/_jcr_content/mainpar/textimage_1/image.img.jpg/1426868645205.jpg

Yes. Here's a broken drawbar:

 

[Acela150]

A very heavy 75lb knuckle is an awful load for a conductor to carry. It is one of the things that I hated the most when I worked the Buffalo/Cleveland runs. It took a couple of hours if you had a decent service road to walk on, but much longer if you had to walk the ballast or snow. When a drawbar goes to hell, forget it, there is no traincrew fix.

In my time in Train Service I found that a knuckle is about 60 pounds. It's just awkward to carry. One thing I was taught is to have your engineer drop a knuckle on the ground pull up to it, load it on the car you're riding, shove back to the break and replace it there.

 

[Thirdrail7]

In my time in Train Service I found that a knuckle is about 60 pounds. It's just awkward to carry. One thing I was taught is to have your engineer drop a knuckle on the ground pull up to it, load it on the car you're riding, shove back to the break and replace it there.

In multiple track territory, you can have an opposing train ferry you.

 

[Acela150]

In my time in Train Service I found that a knuckle is about 60 pounds. It's just awkward to carry. One thing I was taught is to have your engineer drop a knuckle on the ground pull up to it, load it on the car you're riding, shove back to the break and replace it there.

In multiple track territory, you can have an opposing train ferry you.

True, but that's if you have a train coming your way.