Remore control SD45s...

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

>As the esteemed Mr. Bundy reported

>"On Oct. 25, 1967, N&W operated a 450-car coal train.  According to

>my source, it had three engines on the head end and five units pushing.

>Thought I'd heard that they had a pusher in the middle also. "

>

>This was an era of attempts at record setting, there were reports of

>a Russian record train, so N&W set out to better the record. It was

>also the time to try and run longer and longer trains. The N&W

>Magazine of November 20, 1967 had a report of the 450 car train,

>which was powered by 3 SD45s at the head end and five more remote

>controlled SD45s near the middle of the train. It was nearly 3.5

>miles long running from Iaeger to Williamson. In the same magazine,

>on the facing page is a story about running remote controlled long

>heavy coal trains of up to 189 car, 189,000 ton train on the

>Shenandoah Division.

>

>On November 15, 1967 the railroad ran a 500 car, 48,170 ton train

>between Iaeger and Portsmouth, Ohio. It was powered by 3 SD45s on the

>head end, and three more SD45s as remote control units about 300 cars

>back. I seems that there was an extensive discussion on this list

>about a year or so ago about these big trains.

>

>Ken Miller



It is my understanding that only the Shenandoah train was run using remote 
control (Locotrol), and that it was a poor experience.  I did not think the 
N&W used remotes on the record breaking trains...
Take care
Robb Fisher