November 21st- 58cars and 5 locomotive units- a New Record...

Post date: Dec 02, 2013 12:41:43 AM

It was just one of those nights when just about anything could happen, and it did.

The first train called was a special fifty-eight car monster with five units in the locomotive consist.

Veteran Sue Line member, Mose Crews (above) was at the throttle.

Initially as seen in Brandon, all five locomotives where on the head end (above)

they included a pair of KCS SD-50's, a pair of GP-38's (BNSF and NS) and an SP GP35.

The special train left Brandon with the

consist as noted above, but.....

After pulling into Robinson, the consist was changed.

Initially, the two KCS units were on the front of the train.

About one-third of the way back, the SP unit was added.

The BNSF and the NS were then placed on the rear of the train.

Later during the run one of the KCS units was matched with the BNSF on the front.

The SP was left in the forward one-third of the train, and

The other KCS unit and the NS were added on the end of the consist.

A BIG THANK YOU TO RING ENGINEERING AND RAILPRO

This weeks monster train would not have been possible except for the folks at Ring Engineering. Using their LM-1 locomotive modules and a HC-1 Hand held controller, the units were simply MU'ed using a single "button" on the screen of the HC-1 and the icons for the locomotives were simply touched in the order the units were in the train. The units were then "phased" or made sure that they were in the same direction on the HC-1 that they were physical in the train. This is again simply set touching a direction icon for each unit. There was no setting of CV's. In fact no special settings of any kind, other than noted above.  When it came time to change the order of the locomotive in the train the MU was undone with a single push of a "button" on the screen of the HC-1. If you have not tried this system, I strongly suggest that you do before Santa get here. For more info click->RailPro  be sure and watch their videos.

The locomotives used were from Athern, Kato, and Atlas and that RailPro is different from DCC because the locomotives use Radio Technology to communicate with each other and they actually share load. They are not speed based like the DCC systems. Te HC-1 communicates to the LM-1 in the lead unit which communicates with the LM-1 of the second units and so on.

Running behind the monster train was a southbound grain train.

It looks like some new road work is being done in Robert's Crossing.

Here we see the southbound grain train about to leave Maryville.

The southbound grain train is crossing Great Bridge.

The southbound grain train is now leaving Jeauxville.