Re: PC: Helpers on the B&A, early PC era

["Charles J. French Jr." <PennCentral@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Dave,

YES, mid train helpers were used on the B&A but were stopped around  
the time that I hired out. Seems that a train was picking up cars at  
Pittsfield, MA (50 miles east of Selkirk) and the middle helpers  
released the brakes on the train on the hill coming west into  
Pittsfield. That was the end of the remote control slave engines on  
the B&A.

As far as the helpers were concerned, yes they were used often on the  
B&A. Eventually they had 2 helpers around the clock, 24/7. These were  
called every 10 hours with the 2 helpers being 2 hours apart. This  
way they could have one on each side of the Berkshire mountain. We  
pushed with every type of engine imaginable including old RS 3's. The  
regular engines were usually 6 axles. This included any of the 6000  
series SD-35, SD-40, SD-45 and GE 6500 series engines. The engines of  
choice were the SD-45's

Hope this helps,

Chuck


On Feb 26, 2007, at 10:57 PM, zootowerprr -AT- webtv.net wrote:

> Greetings..
>
>       Any one ever see photos of six axels (SD40/45, C630,636) in  
> helper
> service on the B&A in 1968 or 1969?
>       Chuck, maybe you would know the answer since that was your
> territory. Were trains on the B&A using all four axel Geeps and GEs on
> those trains? What kinds of tonnage were you guys running?
>        I have on article about PC running U25Bs as mid train  
> helpers on
> the B&A about 1969. They may have been remote control slaves. Seems  
> like
> an unlikely type for mid train. Any info?
>
> Dave
>
>
>


Chuck

PennCentral -AT- Taconic.Net