Re: 4014 will drag a diesel to Boone July 15
Author: Nudge
Date: 06-01-2019 - 20:36
It was Atk, many years ago that started the blended brake. They had all their "new" engines equipped with it BUT forgot to tell a lot of engineers about it. (That was when SP supplied the hogheads on a lot of trains.)
The first time I discovered it was when I was on 12 & 13, SLO to SBA and return. As usual on No.12, you would brake from 60-70 down to 35 at West Santa Barb. Then you would bring the power back up to 50 mph until the curve just before Santa Barb proper.
There you would hold onto a little set and drag them to a stop at the depot.
Well, when I discovered the "new" Atk set up, I had shut the throttle to idle. Well all of a sudden the engine changed from power to DB without me doing anything.
After that, when I slowed for the curve from the 50, I just let it do its own thing and came to a stop at the depot with the train bunched.
It all depends on how EMD or GE installed the controls. I think the 4449 had its diesel controls installed in La Grande at EMD. I am sure someone knows the date. I don't even know if their controls had DB or it was just power.
Nudge