almo Wrote:
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> I remember the "robot" cars on CP coal trains.
> This was a blue boxcar that housed some RC
> equipment. I guess the electronics were big and
> bulky to justify a seperate car for them. I also
> guess that the technology in use today is just as
> bulky as way back then?

Same line of thinking. The "robot" cars received input commands from the "Master" locomotive at the head end of the train and converted the commands to output to control the "Slave" locomotive the "robot" was M.U.ed to. Southern Railway was a big user of it. BN and Santa Fe also used it. L&N tried a version of it (L&N's four SDP35s were specifically purchased to be the original "Masters" for their program).

> I would of assumed that the same stuff needed to
> do it today would be about the size of a backpack.
> If it were, then wouldn't it be useful to lay it
> on the front walkway and plug it in to the MU
> terminal of any locomotive? Oh, to
> dream............

That exact technology is currently available and in use, mostly on shortlines and industrials. The CCRCL program has it's advantage to the UP in that one merely needs to M.U. the CCRCL to any locomotive, making it an instant RCL. The so-called "portable" RC sets really aren't all that portable. Plus, UP had a lot of retired GE's that made excellent, cheap CCRCL "platforms."