RCL Remote Control Locomotives

[adamwest]

Hi all

The Jackson Yard just south of were I work has one track used just for RCL operations. Was wondering if there are any yards in your area that use the RCL locomotives? RCL would be one great model train set.

Look, Listen and Live!!!!!!


Adam

 

[KCS]

Well, I know one of the UP yard's over here in Shreveport (west side of town) run's 2 RCL's with strobe warning light's on the roof's. The entrance to the yard is marked with a warning sign about RCL's. This yard is a pretty good size and handles just about every thing but mostly autoracks for the GM plant. I'm not sure if KCS is running any in Deramus yard or not all though I have seen an SW 1500 with the same type of strobe light setup as the UP has but not sure if that's what they are being used for.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Most of the industrial switching in So Cal. on the U.P. has been signed with warnigs of rcl's operating in the area. The advantage for the railroad is that one man walking along side the train with a remote can act as switchman and engineer instead of needing an engineer to run the locomotive and a switchman to throw the switches and uncouple cars or hook up air hoses on cars being coupled. I don't think any major yards or hump yards would have rcl's because it is too dangerous having people working on the ground with cars being sorted by momentum or gravity.

 

[KCS]

I'm surprised I didn't get in trouble today at work because they opened up one of the rail dock doors and they were switching cars at the plant I didn't know it until I saw two guy's wearing safety vest's were standing there talking to the guy who had hired me and I saw the sitch list laying on his desk when I first started. Only two guy's on the train and both of them had remote controls hooked to their vests and no one in the plant wears safety vests so then I knew what was going on. Both of the guy's were turned around facing towards me talking to the other guy while the train was hauling butt in reverse and then it slowed down and stopped after one of them looked back real kwik. The locomotive was parked at the door and they exchanged paper work and conversation then they both walked off the side of the dock onto the locomotives. One guy walked across the coupler and was standing on the draft gear box while the other was going down the steps to uncouple. The one guy up on the car walked back onto the locomotive and the other guy got back up on the steps and they left. Pretty damn neat watching something like that. First time I've ever seen RCL's used up close.

 

[Greg Elems]

Most of the industrial switching in So Cal. on the U.P. has been signed with warnigs of rcl's operating in the area. The advantage for the railroad is that one man walking along side the train with a remote can act as switchman and engineer instead of needing an engineer to run the locomotive and a switchman to throw the switches and uncouple cars or hook up air hoses on cars being coupled. I don't think any major yards or hump yards would have rcl's because it is too dangerous having people working on the ground with cars being sorted by momentum or gravity.

Not quite true. UP uses RCL on the Roseville hump. RCL belt packs make it tougher for the operator to do the things you listed. Also it leaves the back up moves unprotected if the operator is down where the coupling and switching is. With an engineer he can watch who and what is around or in the way when they back up. The switchman not having to wear the belt packs is less restricted in his movement to do the buckling of air hoses and so on. The RR industry is inherently dangerous and RCL in many cases hasn't made it easier or safer. It has successfully cut the number of men on the job. It also has increased the number of jobs needed to get the work done.

Greg

 

[hooknlad]

train97​

The Port Reading NJ Conrail Yard uses total RCL. it is pretty wild seeing a engineerless loco runnning by itself. Careful driving around this yard, signage all over the place.