Very briefly, the 'mother' loco can generate lots of power, but at slow yard speeds its not able to apply it all to tractive effort. What the slug does is tak some of that extra power and converts it to extra tractive effort, helping the mother loco at slow speed.
@Kathleen Shaw So, what you are saying is if the mother has to rev up a bit, those extra amps can also go to the Slug, rather than extra power wasted? It has a voltage regulator type device like in a car to switch or connect voltage to the Slug traction motors above certain RPMs?
@Kathleen Shaw OK, so just like connecting a string of light bulbs or resistors in a series circuit, the applied voltage will divide across each motor, and the total inductive reactance will limit the current enough to prevent current from overheating and melting the insulation?
@xheralt OK, so the motors are connected in parallel... I have seen pictures of those cables on another TH-cam. About as thick as an air hose line... P.S. @Kathleen Shaw must have been a Bot? Acted all smarty pants then bounced! LOL
Did anyone notice the slug which was originally an ALCO RSD-12 has had its trucks replaced with flexicoil trucks built by EMD? Flexicoil trucks are cheaper to maintain than ALCO type C trucks.
The blinking lights and the steady throttling up would say it was remoted and the crew member was there to watch the movement when it would go that direction for any possible hazards along the way.
A logical cost effective method of moving cars in large switching yards. One is my old neighborhood, belt railroad clearing district Bedford pk. and Chicago yard. They use slugs, but before slugs they used old school duel stack duel engines. One control and one slave, the slave does not have a control room.
+JT The Railfan A slug is an unpowered (former locomotive) that has had the prime mover removed. They are very useful at low speed when the active locomotive that they are attached to has more engine power but it needs traction. The slug is powered by electric cable from the locomotive. The slug adds 4 or 6 axles of traction without burning more diesel fuel. an SD slug is relatively rare. The lump on the back of the slug is a concrete block that gives the slug more downforce on the rails by adding weight.
+epistte If I understand your answer correctly, under all that cowling of 862 are blocks of concrete sitting over traction motors on the axles, and that there are no diesel motors in 862.
+hughvane You are correct. You can see all of the power cables at 4:44. 6199 provides all of the power for the traction motors on 862 as well as the controls.
@Gage NS leaves the full hood on many of their recent slug conversions. You can only tell that they are a slug because the fan grills are welded over. I personally think that instead of concrete blocks they should put batteries/capicators because it would add weight but it would also save fuel as well as to make the unit more responsive due to the fact that the traction motors would have electricity instantly instead of having to wait for the diesel engine to rev up from idle.
@Gage GE tried a hybrid locomotive but I heard that there were problems with the batteries overheating, so there is still much more development to be done.
Look I see all you ameture rail fans that have no clue of anything the first engine blinking is a remote controlled engine it is unoccupied there's a guy walking around the yard with a box that has controls on it that controls the locomotive I railfan the Allentown Yard a lot
Wow,,love hearing that engine pouring its heart out working that train. Sounds awesome. Thanks for a great video.
Very briefly, the 'mother' loco can generate lots of power, but at slow yard speeds its not able to apply it all to tractive effort. What the slug does is tak some of that extra power and converts it to extra tractive effort, helping the mother loco at slow speed.
Thanks for the explanation. Very interesting. So it has no DG just the traction motors?
@Kathleen Shaw So, what you are saying is if the mother has to rev up a bit, those extra amps can also go to the Slug, rather than extra power wasted? It has a voltage regulator type device like in a car to switch or connect voltage to the Slug traction motors above certain RPMs?
@Kathleen Shaw OK, so just like connecting a string of light bulbs or resistors in a series circuit, the applied voltage will divide across each motor, and the total inductive reactance will limit the current enough to prevent current from overheating and melting the insulation?
@xheralt OK, so the motors are connected in parallel... I have seen pictures of those cables on another TH-cam. About as thick as an air hose line... P.S. @Kathleen Shaw must have been a Bot? Acted all smarty pants then bounced! LOL
@@JungleYT was the horn coming from the locomotive?
I love Yard Slugs!
I,v never seen a slug before .good video too White Rose
Did anyone notice the slug which was originally an ALCO RSD-12 has had its trucks replaced with flexicoil trucks built by EMD? Flexicoil trucks are cheaper to maintain than ALCO type C trucks.
It's a ex. CR
I think we have one of these as the local switcher in Debutts Yard here in Chattanooga
EMD=music to my ears!!
lol that horn made you wiggle a bit xD sok though, i would have done the same :) great vid!
The blinking lights and the steady throttling up would say it was remoted and the crew member was there to watch the movement when it would go that direction for any possible hazards along the way.
A logical cost effective method of moving cars in large switching yards. One is my old neighborhood, belt railroad clearing district Bedford pk. and Chicago yard. They use slugs, but before slugs they used old school duel stack duel engines. One control and one slave, the slave does not have a control room.
I like the striped ‘plows’ on the hump locomotives, wish it was on more
Truth is Im 30 and haven't seen slugs on trains since I was probably 3 or 4. I also remember them looking smaller
Justin Ratcliffe I remember seeing a slug as a kid and wondering why is that locomotive so small 😂😂
Nice video!
Where were you standing
How is the horn on the slug sounded if there is no control stand is they a switch in the mother unit for horn operation on trailing units or slugs?
*Ain't nothing like the sound of an SD40-2... Sweeet - **4:25*
I want to know how one of those yard slugs work
+JT The Railfan A slug is an unpowered (former locomotive) that has had the prime mover removed. They are very useful at low speed when the active locomotive that they are attached to has more engine power but it needs traction. The slug is powered by electric cable from the locomotive. The slug adds 4 or 6 axles of traction without burning more diesel fuel. an SD slug is relatively rare. The lump on the back of the slug is a concrete block that gives the slug more downforce on the rails by adding weight.
+epistte If I understand your answer correctly, under all that cowling of 862 are blocks of concrete sitting over traction motors on the axles, and that there are no diesel motors in 862.
+hughvane You are correct. You can see all of the power cables at 4:44. 6199 provides all of the power for the traction motors on 862 as well as the controls.
@Gage NS leaves the full hood on many of their recent slug conversions. You can only tell that they are a slug because the fan grills are welded over. I personally think that instead of concrete blocks they should put batteries/capicators because it would add weight but it would also save fuel as well as to make the unit more responsive due to the fact that the traction motors would have electricity instantly instead of having to wait for the diesel engine to rev up from idle.
@Gage GE tried a hybrid locomotive but I heard that there were problems with the batteries overheating, so there is still much more development to be done.
Now I'm a fan of not only the BNSF, and Norfolk Southern!
How a Yard slug works?
great video. That blooper was funny. Was there an engineer operating the slug set or was it a remote job?
Early in the video as the train passes the camera,it looks like you can see an engineer in the main locomotive..
OMG that's the NS slug train
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? ALEN TOWN?!? I WENT THERE BEFORE wow
white rose hobbies!... where are u located?
how you drive a yard slug
👍
You know that thing might have started as an N&W trainmaster
Nope. PRR Alco RSD-14. The N&W train masters were scrapped a few years ago. Less 1 owned by Reading Tech now
Former CR slug, right?
Yep, original a PRR Alco RSD-14
railroad slug
Awoop jumpscare 5:32
Like
Look I see all you ameture rail fans that have no clue of anything the first engine blinking is a remote controlled engine it is unoccupied there's a guy walking around the yard with a box that has controls on it that controls the locomotive I railfan the Allentown Yard a lot
+Norfolk Southern Lehigh Valley Railfan I see your fucking blind because if you look in the cab you see it is occupied...
Kirkville Locomotive Works Dude I never see people in that locomotive man
Well why is a man there?
@@boomy776 maybe it's just an inflated doll