sw4400 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 Bare with me... I have never ridden Metra, so I'm not sure how this system works. I was waiting for a Addison Brown Line train and while waiting a Metra train headed North on the (insert line here). What caught my eye was the train had two Locomotives and eight cars. I've never seen two Locomotives pulling a Metra Train before. Is this common on occasion, or is this train pulling an extra/dead Locomotive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busfan2847 Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 Bare with me... I have never ridden Metra, so I'm not sure how this system works. I was waiting for a Addison Brown Line train and while waiting a Metra train headed North on the (insert line here). What caught my eye was the train had two Locomotives and eight cars. I've never seen two Locomotives pulling a Metra Train before. Is this common on occasion, or is this train pulling an extra/dead Locomotive? Two locomotives on Metra trains is rare but not totally unusual. On UP-NW the 15:45 always has two locos and the 17:16 often has - both locos are running. These are both ten car express trains. The 15:45 returns from Harvard the same evening, the 17:16 the next morning. I thought overnight it was to provide a spare loco at the outer terminus in case of mechanical failure. I am not sure I have seen a regular one on the UP-N and for eight cars there would be no need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted January 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 The line that parallels Addison and Irving Park, the UP-North, I believe... has it ever ran Freight in the past couple years? I remember once seeing what looked like a short Freight Train(15-40 cars tops) running on the tracks a few years ago. All the cars were bright colored, like a yellowish/greenish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DevalDragon Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 Metra will run run 2 engines on trains when an engine has been released from the shop to break it in and make sure it is running OK. That way if something malfunctions, they can shut it down and the train is not dead in the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railwaymodeler Posted January 29, 2011 Report Share Posted January 29, 2011 Funny this thread should come up. I was considering posting a query why, for the first time, I saw a double header at the Waukegan Metra Station. MU cables were connected and everything. This was seen this past Thursday. Attached is a pic. My camera didn't take the best pics at low light, and to boot, it is dead now as I dropped it this morning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman8119 Posted January 29, 2011 Report Share Posted January 29, 2011 Busfan and DevalDragon are both correct. Each line will have extra power as a spare should something go dead overnight. So, for example, the UPNW will have an extra in Crystal Lake and one in Mc Henry. The UPW will have one in La Fox, the UPN in Waukegan (and probably in Kenosha). The MDW in Elgin, the MDN in Fox Lake. The Rock Island has one in Joliet and one in Blue Island. The SWS in Orland Park and the NCS in Antioch, BNSF in Aurora. Usually the last train out of the yard (or close to it) will have the protector engine on it. If it is not on the specific designated train, then something crapped out and it was moved where needed. Obviously, it would be on a designated outbound train nightly so that it would be available in the morning at the outlying point. It will generally be assigned to a long train (8-9-10 cars). Each downtown terminal will also have a protector parked in the station overnight for the same reason for equipment coming in that would go back out on another trip. As for running as protection for repaired equipment, that would only be on the Rock Island, since the overhaul shop for all Metra Engines is at 47th Street. Once they come out of there (no matter where assigned), it will run there as part of an MU for a few days and then returned to where it is assigned. Also, when in service, both will be on line providing motive power, but only one will have the HEP active providing power to all the cars of the train. You will notice that one engine will be louder and the other will have an ideling sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted January 29, 2011 Report Share Posted January 29, 2011 When the 400s first came, I would see a 100 in front of a 400 on the MilwN. That looked strange because it was the back engine that was streamlined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman8119 Posted January 29, 2011 Report Share Posted January 29, 2011 When the 400s first came, I would see a 100 in front of a 400 on the MilwN. That looked strange because it was the back engine that was streamlined. This would make sense since the 400s were a constant problem when they arrived. The computers were always going out and there was always one or more that were crapping out in the yard...so it was quite common to see an older unit 100 protector moved on top of the newer 400. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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