Double Header or Helper Loco in consist

[Lynn Taubeneck]

I am not a railroad man but enjoy watching all the videos and touring the USA and Europe riding the rails. Actually I am an aviation guy flying the skies from one railroad trip to another. Anyhow, here is my question. When the locomotives are hooked up in a double header or a pusher locomotive is added to the consist how does the second engineer know how much throttle to use? Can they feel the pushing or pulling? It just seems to me that unless the locomotives are completely identical one would be pushing or pulling the other along or the train could be damaged.

Thanks for the good answers.

Lynn Taubeneck

[Pete Dahlberg]

I am not a railroad man but enjoy watching all the videos and touring the USA and Europe riding the rails. Actually I am an aviation guy flying the skies from one railroad trip to another. Anyhow, here is my question. When the locomotives are hooked up in a double header or a pusher locomotive is added to the consist how does the second engineer know how much throttle to use? Can they feel the pushing or pulling? It just seems to me that unless the locomotives are completely identical one would be pushing or pulling the other along or the train could be damaged.

Thanks for the good answers.

Lynn Taubeneck

The answer is that it is a combination of factors. First the engineers are communicating via radio and/or whistle signals. Second, with experience, you can feel the weight of the train and how it is reacting and adjust the throttle appropriately. It's an art.

[Lynn Taubeneck]

Thanks Pete. You can't be too far from me, we live in Hurst along the Trinity river.

[Jason Rose]

Hey, that's cool. Fellow Texans!

I live north of Houston, but this morning I'm out in your neck of the woods near Bridgeport.

[Pete Dahlberg]

Thanks Pete. You can't be too far from me, we live in Hurst along the Trinity river.

Southwest Arlington

[Larry Sullivan]

Way too many dang Texans on here!!!!!

[Jason Rose]

Way too many dang Texans on here!!!!!

Ya know... at one time Chama and Durango were IN Texas. Silverton almost was. Missed it by about 4 miles.

[Lynn Taubeneck]

I did live in Seattle at one time.

[Rich Murray]

I did live in Seattle at one time.

I never lived in Texas but I did spend a lot of nights in motels there.