OK, I've been a good scout and taken my empty gravel train down Seligman hill with the train air, very successfully, I might add. Now can I use the dynamics?

Why anyone with two C420s with fully functioning dynamics would ever touch the 24RL on this lil ol hill is beyond this ol' hogger.

I thought the same thing. So I used them instead. No problems here.

Kerry

You mean I wasn't supposed to use the dynamics Guess I'm off the extra board...and on the carpet already.

Course, we all know that ol' Coonskin just wants to be sure we hoggers know how to use the air in case we need it, or in case we catch the 22 on that hill without the dynamics so it makes sense to do it, at least once, just to say ya did.

Dynamics sure do work sweet on those ALCOs though.

In my onboard experiences with the A&M, I don't ever recall the dynamics being used. Why? Because not all engines are equipped with them, and of those that were equipped, some of them didn't work (Decommissioned).

I seriously thought about taking them out of the eng files, but that would have left an inaccurate cabview behind, so, I left them in. Sheesh... ...and now all you new hires are takin' the sissy's way out.

I personally find it far more fun to railroad the A&O using air only. However, to each his own.

Andre

I wasn't sure if I could use Dynamics or not.

Alright Mr. A&O Chief Engineer, we need an official ruling on the field.

Are the engineers allowed to use the dynamic brakes???? Or Not????

I say use the best equipment available for the job. Sorry Andre, but they are there, why not use them. Heck, I don't want to kill myself coming down that hill with just air.......geez! Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know....I'm a wimp. That's ok, been called worse, but at least I am still here to talk about it and not a statistic on the A and O!

Why not run the activity BOTH ways. Use the dynamics one time, and the next, you have a note saying that the dynamics on your loco are out!

Man, I came down the hill to Freeman from B'ville with 18 loads of gravel last night, and was riding the toaster the whole way. It would be a LOT more difficult without the dynamics!

Kerry

The A&O's a whole different railroading experience without dynamics.

In retrospect, I wish I would have plucked 'em out of the eng files and MADE you use the air!

Bwhahahahahhahahahhaaa!! (Sinister laugh.)

Andre

Me thinks we had better watch Andre and any updates to the route to make sure he doesn't take away our dynamic brakes on us without our knowing it!!

Paul

Alright . . I'll go along with the plan . . . no dynamics on the A&O.

I may be the new guy on the board,
but no old-time hogger is gonna calll me a wimp sissy again!

That's right...we don't have to pay for the brake shoes. Burn 'em boys!

Hi y'all,

If ya'll really wan'na s'perience the real thang, try id fust without the 'dynamatics'. Once ya run the hills with jus' the train and engine brakes a time or two I rekon ya kin assume them shop boys got them dyna- whatevers worken an we kin get 'em down the hill with less chance 'a killen aw'selves.

Erik from I-oway

A favorite Road Foreman of Engines trick while reviewing an engineer on the line is to forbid him from using the dynamics. As one RF of E's was heard to say, "I said, 'Oh no you don't,' when he reached for the dynamics, 'You got to use the 26,' and right there and then you shoulda seen that boy's blood just froze!"

We'll consider Andre our RF of E's: the ghost of J.D. Locke ...

Don' matter none. Jus slap em in reverse and pop it out to run 3. Cain't burn a motor in MSTS! 'Sides, we don't have to fix em and if we burn em up ya just hit restart and do it agin!

Sorry about the poor spelling on my last post gentlemen. Speaking of Seligman hill.... ( I won't give out the details of which run-Ming's rule #1) I was faced with doubling the hill to get into town. When you set the hand brakes on the cars you're leaving behind...SET 'EM ALL. I watched in horror () as several loaded cars headed south with only 5 handbrakes set. I then had to explain to the four year old conductor what just happened. Mine as well have been on the carpet in Manager of Operating Practices (M.O.P.) Ming's office after the conductor was done with me...would have been easier to explain.

I've been making my runs with just air brakes and "stretch braking" because it's more fun to master a different technique than what's done on the Class 1 routes (Cajon and Tehachapi rules REQUIRE dynamics).

Here's a little story I ran across a while back on Al Krug's website...for those of you who haven't heard of him, Al's a BNSF engineer in Wyoming and has a website full of his "photo essays"...tons of great railroading stories there.

Check this one out:

Tales From The Krug

Scroll down to read about the "local".

Kurt

Nice find, Kurt! Did you read the account of Al running the SP&S 700? Nice steam tale!

He is quite detailed in explaining his operating procedures. Should be required reading by all of Coonskin's boys ...