An often-asked question is about the large numbers on locomotives. Are those the train numbers? Why are they all over the engine? Why are they so big. Here's what I found out.
I was telling my grown son that I dearly love trains. Something he didn't know about me🙂 He pulls out his phone and says, " you need to follow Distant Signal" So I pull out my phone and show him my subscription to your channel. Nice laugh between us and we have a new topic to chat about. Love having my grown sons as my friends too!
Im a newer railfanner i share my hobby with my grandson. He loves trains. Hes autistic so we watch from in my truck mainly but sometimes we watch from the side. Usuallly if there are not a lot of people around.
Mr. Harmon does an excellent job carefully describing every aspect of the topic he’s presenting. I’m learning a lot, as well as being entertained. Thank you, sir! 😊
Amtrak is 50. Happy Birthday Amtrak. As a none driver, I appreciate how important good public transport is. Here in the UK it's 50 years of the Merseyrail brand. It brought together various commuter lines around Liverpool into one brand. It is now part of Merseytravel. It is the busiest commuter network in the UK outside of London. Not bad for a city region with a population of just 1.4m compared to London. The key being frequent and affordable trains, every 15 or 20 minutes, more frequent where two destinations share a common route, with 30 on a Sunday, and all the stations are staffed all day, everyday.
There is a UP 4555, a BNSF 4555, a CSX 4555 a KCS 4555. Dispatchers look at both the number AND the locomotive owners initials. This is how the same numbers are kept in order by who owns what.
@@D.O.T.D. true!! Weird that NS still doesn't have that number. Maybe if they rebuild more Dash 9s into AC44CMs then they should be able to get up to 4555.
@@qwertyTRiG most of the time yes, they renumber the locomotive however sometimes theyll keep the original number but change the locomotive initials to the new RR.
At night, the identifying engine’s number boards are to be the only ones lit on the consist. This can sometimes get overlooked by the engineer. Also, I work for a different Class 1, but whenever we get a CSX engine, there is discussion as to whether it’s id is CSX or CSXT. The blue card in the cab is supposed to be the proper id, and it usually says CSXT, even though the outside of the engine always says CSX.
We used the same basic practice on the Santa Fe. However, we added the Railroad and the engine number. OS I believe you said "on station" and out west, OS was "on Sheet" meaning that it was recorded in the train register by the op when the train passed. Good video.
Ah, so that’s how you were able to easily recognize what hazardous materials were in those tank cars, making a note of the 4 digit UN numbers on the placards
There are resources to identify any UN number you encounter, the ERG (Emergency Response Guidebook) being, in my opinion, the best. I have a free .pdf version on my phone, and have referenced it numerous times. I only hope I never need it for its intended purpose..
Engine numbers are still regularly used for Track Warrants (or Track Authorities if you're on CN's US lines) on GCOR railroads to grant authority to run on mainline track. It works great, since while there may be more than one section of U789 out there at the same time, there will only ever be one CN 2031at any given time. I actually have an old track authority that fell from a passing train, addressed to BLE 903 North
Danny; I’m a retired road locomotive engineer off of the UP, via Texas & Pacific, then via Missouri Pacific through mergers. My home terminal for my whole career was New Orleans, Louisiana. I always ran trains over the same territory, which was most of Louisiana. On our railroad the preferred ID locomotive was the lead unit, and was about 97% of the time. But it could be the rear unit in a multi unit consist. If so only the rear units number boards would be lit up. If it was one of the mid units it’s number board would be lit up. All the rest should have their number board lights turned off. Also the company reporting mark, UP, KCS, CSX, GATX, etc, etc, is part of the trains ID. The reporting mark would precede the number on train orders, track warrants, clearances, etc, etc. In most cases like this the engineer would tell trains they were meeting or passing, that the rear or mid unit was their ID unit. I’m not positive about all railroads but most of them worked under the same rule. I’m not sure if the DPU on the rear of a train could be used for the ID. I never worked with DPUs. This situation happened quite often on locals that turned during the same tour of duty. The dispatcher would sometimes use the same unit number for the return trip which would make it the rear unit on the return trip. Also to make sure the whole train was there, there must be something to indicate the rear car is there. Like a caboose, flag, or FRED.
For railfans who grew up railroading around Florida between 1993-1996, the only time you'd see AMTK 160's paint scheme on Amtrak's DASH 8'S was when they were pulling the SUNSET LIMITED between Los Angeles, CA - Miami, FL three days a week in both directions.
I don't come here to watch trains, I come to hear Danny talk. Danny Harmon and Mike Rowe, two of the best and most recognizable voices in broadcasting.
Oh, now...that's a crazy nice compliment! Mike Rowe is one of the best voiceover narrators ever. He and Will Lyman are my all time favorites, along with Art Gilmore and Robert Montgomery.
Interesting information Danny. In early 1900s on Vancouver Island there were many railroads, some privately owned logging and coal mining operations and one public one which shared portions of the same tracks. Two of these railroads had a locomotive with the same number. One lousy, rainy, foggy winter day the switch master in a track side tower saw a south bound locomotive go by showing the number 13. Thinking it was the expected passenger train he called the section clear and let a north bound coal train proceed up the track where it promptly had a head on collision with the real south bound #13 passenger train. A number of people were killed in the worst train collision in the history of Vancouver Island. The train he had seen was an extra coal mine train which had a locomotive also numbered #13. As the operator of the public railroad and the mining railroad were the same, the liveries were very similar. Just the names on the side were different. After that accident the coal mine locomotives underwent a number change (they added a 1 in front of the existing numbers) and they changed the colour of their liveries. Just an example of what can happen when two locomotives on the same system share the same number.
I can also say from Personal experience that locomotive numbers are crucial for keeping tabs on the locomotives for all maintenance and performance needs from the builder, as Wabtec/formerly GE Transport has their own systems and maintenance programs that are issued through contract for servicing and rebuilding the engines and other components.
Great video :) For anyone interested: Here in Germany DB Engines have a 6 digit number. The firsrt number classifies the type of engine: 1 for electric engines 2 for Diesel engines 3 for small engines (shunters) 4 for EMUs 5 For battery EMUs 6 For DMUs this is followed by 2 or some times three numbers specifying the engine model and the rest counting up the units in the fleet. So basicly Class + #in fleet. So 182 010 is a BR 182 (Siemens ES64 U2) and the 10th unit in the fleet.
@@thomream1888 EMU stands for electric multiple unit (i.e the Bombardier Talent 2), a DMU is a diesel multiple unit (i.e the Siemens Desiro Classic) and a Battery EMU is a Normal EMU with batteries to cover on parts of track without catenaries (i.e the Siemens Mireo +B)
@@robinmorgenstern9927 Thank you, Robin for the quick response, and the education. One of the benefits of watching a class guy like Danny is the good people that watch him! I appreciate you taking the time to help me understand more of the German way of doing things. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!
Another S O L I D video DH! That 160 sure is purdy! You and I saw the same train that day cause 17 was in trail. I started to pick up how railroads group their locomotives when I started railfanning the CSX, the 3300 were ET44AH mixed with ES44AHs, the 100-600 are AC44CW, 700-900 are ES44AHs as well, 7300 were ExConrail Dash 8s and so forth. It’s very helpful! Thanks for the great video!!
I'm a railfan neophyte and I greatly appreciate your tutorial videos! I'm getting better and better at spotting something and thinking, Hey, I know what that means!
Danny, you are THE MAN when it comes to the world of railfanning. I find it funny that when I railfan the Union Pacific line through Ontario Oregon, the police dont know what it is we do out here. It's all for the love of the trains. Keep up the good work.
As a novice rail fan I have found your videos to be incomparably the best produced and informative rail videos online. I well understand these productions aren’t nearly as easy as they might seem to achieve this level of production values. Thanks for your dedication and commitment to your railroad and media passions!
6:43 “let’s gooo toooo tampaaaaa ova” I absolutely love that Amtrak crews always seem to be having a blast. When I took a train to NYC each crew seemed to have a lot of fun. I went to the last car on that trip, where the crew was hanging around, and they all had a bunch of fun with me.
I work in Downtown Tampa, And on the way home, I walk past Union Station with an Amtrak at the station. You can always hear them blowing their horns as they approach the station and leave the station. Everyday
It's everything. The voice, the accessible presentation, the great views and shots, the information and details, and the professionalism. We ❤Mr. Danny Harmon!!
I grew up in a division point on the UP. My grandfather, my dad, and two uncles all worked for the UP. When I went to work on the railroad, I ended up on the Santa Fe. Needless to say, I subscribed before I got around to hitting the like button! LOL!
Awesome Job Danny! Thanks for emailing me back. It’s been a pleasure watching your documentaries. I hope I see you one time in Northwest Georgia if you happen to come back up. Keep up the awesome work!
Another fantastic video Danny! For us horn lovers, numbers are very important, and we all have certain locomotive numbers memorized that have good or special horns. Some of us also like to make note of how many times we've seen a certain locomotive. The railroads are full of numbers, so it's always fun to analyze every aspect of them.
The genuine love for this hobby is never ending from Danny and his channel. I look forward to every video. I love watching and chasing trains but I’m nowhere near as prepared for it. I kinda know what runs when but I don’t have a radio or anything like that. I usually railfan between Roseville yard and Colfax California. We have some really cool mountain spots out here.
I'm surprised you don't have way more followers Danny, you're content is the best narrated I've seen, im glad I have my notifications set to all for your channel.
I discovered your channel recently. Since I retired a month ago, I've spent a lot of time watching various railroad videos. My granddad was the station master for UP out in Ellsworth Kansas when I was growing up. I spent plenty of time playing in the back of the depot and watching the trains go through town. I haven't ridden in decades, but look forward to getting out on the rails during my retirement. Keep up the great work. It sounds like you have experience in broadcasting, that's my old line of work.
In addition to locomotive numbers, I like (to read) the numbers off the freight cars. The numbers on the trains represent the characteristics of each locomotive and railcar, like the personality of a person. I have had the likings of the numbers, especially the 4-digit numbers on the New York City subway cars since I was a youngster. This was a nice show. I enjoyed it a bit more than the other railroad channels I have watched on TH-cam.
In the UK, we used to run the train headcode (the full train's number, not the locomotive number) in lit panels on the front of the lead unit (be it locomotive or multiple unit driving car). That practice died out in the 60's/70's. UK trains obviously still run with identifying numbers for the specific unit, but it to my knowledge the unit number is not used in radio transmission to assist in identifying a particular train on the network. It probably helps that much of our network is electronically tracked, so signallers will always know where a train is.
Enjoy your very informative Train Videos. I live in Michigan, we have a few main lines, but sadly many R.R. have become Trails for Bikes, Horses and Walker's, etc. I suppose they consider it Consolidation, but unless you live in the right in place, the only Train you might see is the one you ride on.
Interesting. I am a recently retired airline pilot and we had similar tail-number groupings by aircraft type at my airline (American). The train order sounds a lot like a flight release we were issued. A release is a flight plan plus a whole bunch of other stuff. The release is specific to the tail-number, date, time and flight number. We also had "see and avoid" as primary, even though we always flew on an Instrument Flight Rules flight plan and mostly in positive control airspace.
Think some other countries' aircraft/airlines do the same e.g. Singapore Airlines' A359s have tail numbers beginning with 9V-SM while A388s begin with 9V-SK
Excellent explanation of engine numbers! I continue to enjoy my education on railroading :) BTW - I was listening to a show on MotorTrend TV and I kept listening to the voice over - after a minute I said - Yes! That is Danny Harmon's voice! Kudos to Danny - you have such an excellent voice and I am glad the folks on that show found you!
Don't know if I complimented you on your narration of the 4501 documentary: it was outstanding!! Your own videos display your skill and professionalism in all the areas one must master to produce successful content. You're so comfortable in front of the camera, very welcoming to the viewer, and your commentary is clear and concise. Plus, you don't make things up. If you don't know something, you say so. That's so refreshing! I have watched too many documentary-style videos on YT and TV that are riddled with factual errors, most of which wouldn't have been made if a little time had been taken researching the topic a little more thoroughly. One example: I saw a British-produced doc on the Saturn V rocket that stated there were jet engines used in the upper stages (I jokingly commented on Amazon that their next offering would be about the D-Day invasions on the beaches of Portugal). It's sad and frustrating that some people who claim to be educating others, especially young people, don't care or take pride to be accurate. Thanks for taking the time and putting in the effort to make such wonderful videos. God bless and happy railfanning!
Thanks Gus for such a nice comment!! Yeah, I had a mentor when I first got into the business who would read my scripts and take his big black pencil and make a giant mark and loudly shout out "FACT ERROR! 50 PERCENT OFF YOUR GRADE!". It was a callback to his days in journalism school. I never went to J school, but neither have I ever forgotten his lesson. Plus, it's so easy to find information today. Please let me know if you ever hear any fact errors in my work. I know I make them occasionally, but try hard not to. Thanks again.
@@distantsignal I doubt that will ever happen; I firmly believe it's not in your nature to do shoddy work. Are you planning to ride Brightline when they get the Orlando line fully opened?
The diesel shop website is an invaluable website for someone like me who likes to see what kind of power the trains are carrying. It's got different sections, which might be made up of other websites based off of different railroads, but it gives valuable information like its road number, grouped by model designation, when it was built (or at least in the case of Norfolk Southern, rebuilt) the order number from said manufacturer, and in some cases, what paint scheme they're carrying. I'm a constant visitor on that site.
Danny - excellent - chock full of interesting information- the contents of the freight train cars - so detailed . You are truly one of the best TH-cam authors I have viewed . Keep the good stuff coming !
Awesome video Danny! My grandpas neighbor gave out train orders between 1948 and 1979 on the southern up here at Sheffield AL, my grandpa knew him forever since he worked on the southern and later NS between 1971 and 2011 as a MOW worker. We’re glad to have his neighbor with some information from when they didn’t have radios or other modern things we take for granted in the 40s and 50s
Thanks Jacob. It would have been awesome to have a neighbor like that... though after a while he probably would get tired of all my questions and turn out the lights and close the curtains when he saw me coming. Ha!
Found your channel a few months ago..love it. I've seen each video at least 2x. So much to learn and some I watch multiple times and catch the information I missed the first couple passes. I wish I could spend a day on the road with you.
It’s so hard to railfan when your channel gives so much enjoyment to watch and I have no clue what frequency to listen to to even know when the lines I want to watch are expecting a drive by
Fascinating video! Locomotive numbers have always been puzzling...until now. Where things get confusing is renumbering, e.g., a former Conrail unit moving the CSX, or old Pennsy, NYC and NHRR units to Penn Central. The radio chatter sounds like a foreign language to my ears, being so fast. Thank you for demystifying it! And your voice! Radio worthy!
I recently joined, and have been really enjoying your videos. Your channel is one of the best and most informative ones out there. Thanks for the entertainment!
Today is a fantastic day, I'm eating lunch with America's Favorite Railfan, I saw a train today, and the weather up here in Upstate New York is perfect.
Thanks for getting through the work day. Quiet up here at the jetport in Portland Maine. Big big storm blowing in. Always great to learn Something along the way as well! Can’t wait for the next video!!
After another busy 24 hours at the fire station yesterday, it is great to come home and sit down with cup of coffee number 3 of the morning and watch a new Distant Signal video, THANKS for a great start to the day and thanks for the education Danny, great video as always.
Another awesome video Danny! My 5 year old son and I have been watching your videos for a couple of years and we thank you for being an awesome producer and providing amazing content! Thank you so much and see you out on the High Iron! (we love that part!)
-Kindly old man with a genuine passion for what he's making -Informative but inviting videos with little overhead and no kitschy music -Sometimes shows us his lunch (and some good hole-in-the-wall places to check out in central Florida) This channel has it all!
Great video Danny!! Always been curious about Locomotive numbers and their purpose and groupings. You answered my curiosity and did it very well. Now I understand how it works. Stay safe and hope to see you on the "high iron" soon !
I’m glad I found this channel some time ago. I enjoy your videos and I certainly learn a lot. Explain if you will the “high iron”. I like your sign off using that phrase. Keep ‘em coming Danny.
I always enjoy your videos as they are very informative. Grew up in L&N country now CSX. Live now about a mile from NS Crescent Corridor in NE Tennessee. Serenaded by train horns several times per day. Hope to see you sometime on the high iron "up this 'away".
While listening to your two videos on NW Georgia yesterday, all the sounds you hear from squealing in turns to car defects (flat wheels) to the air pressure relieving came to mind. All these sounds are part of what makes train watching (or listening) so interesting. It might be interesting to do a video on all these sounds, many of which I have never been able to identify.
Thanks so much. Really enjoy your videos. I like the explanations of what's happenng with the train, as well as your educational videos line this one. Keep up the good work. I look forward to it!
Hey there, Danny! Me and my dad have been watching your videos for about 3 months now, and enjoy them together anytime we can, kinda like how you said you and your son watched deadliest catch, we watch you religiously! Thank you for the time and effort you put into these videos just for our viewing pleasure, and answering everyone’s questions. Speaking of questions, I have one myself. What is PTC? What difference does it make and why do railroads basically require it in engines to allow them to run?
Yeah the FEC does that. I hear it all the time on the radio like “FEC train 105 lead engine 805 has permission to pass traditional stop milepost 261.43. No additional restrictions track is clear you may proceed over.”
You have one of the greatest rail shows on youtube in my opinion, from the cinematography to your radio voice etc, this channel is awesome!!! In fact my Wife and I decided to start a small channel of our own after watching yours for a couple years now.
We enjoyed this video Danny and appreciate all the time and effort you put into them. We will meet you some day in Folkston . Can't way to see you. Always learning something new with each video you share with us. Thanks.
I was telling my grown son that I dearly love trains. Something he didn't know about me🙂 He pulls out his phone and says, " you need to follow Distant Signal" So I pull out my phone and show him my subscription to your channel. Nice laugh between us and we have a new topic to chat about. Love having my grown sons as my friends too!
Wow! That's a crazy coincidence. Many thanks to you both!
@@distantsignal Just shows that we know good stuff when we see it. Thanks for your great channel.
Awwww 🥰
Im a newer railfanner i share my hobby with my grandson. He loves trains. Hes autistic so we watch from in my truck mainly but sometimes we watch from the side. Usuallly if there are not a lot of people around.
Mr. Harmon does an excellent job carefully describing every aspect of the topic he’s presenting.
I’m learning a lot, as well as being entertained. Thank you, sir! 😊
Danny: “Hello again railfans…”
*everyone liked that*
I also liked your comment. That too.
relatable
csx
@@vlogarchives702 I appreciated this reply.
that's how i know i'm in a good place.
A mid day, mid week posting by the best rail enthusiast ever… My day has been made!
Agree 100%
Absolutely!
Mine too!
Amtrak is 50.
Happy Birthday Amtrak.
As a none driver, I appreciate how important good public transport is.
Here in the UK it's 50 years of the Merseyrail brand. It brought together various commuter lines around Liverpool into one brand. It is now part of Merseytravel. It is the busiest commuter network in the UK outside of London. Not bad for a city region with a population of just 1.4m compared to London. The key being frequent and affordable trains, every 15 or 20 minutes, more frequent where two destinations share a common route, with 30 on a Sunday, and all the stations are staffed all day, everyday.
Literally just landed in LAX with an hour sit. Thanks for planning this out Danny.
Happy traveling, Brandon. Let's go! 🙃
"Let's go Brandon"😁.
There is a UP 4555, a BNSF 4555, a CSX 4555 a KCS 4555. Dispatchers look at both the number AND the locomotive owners initials. This is how the same numbers are kept in order by who owns what.
There's even an FXE 4555 lol
But that's an interesting fact
@@D.O.T.D. true!! Weird that NS still doesn't have that number. Maybe if they rebuild more Dash 9s into AC44CMs then they should be able to get up to 4555.
So if companies merge, they have to either renumber their locomotives or retain the separate prefixes?
@@AbelG8781 NS 4555 will be a thing in 2022!
@@qwertyTRiG most of the time yes, they renumber the locomotive however sometimes theyll keep the original number but change the locomotive initials to the new RR.
At night, the identifying engine’s number boards are to be the only ones lit on the consist. This can sometimes get overlooked by the engineer. Also, I work for a different Class 1, but whenever we get a CSX engine, there is discussion as to whether it’s id is CSX or CSXT. The blue card in the cab is supposed to be the proper id, and it usually says CSXT, even though the outside of the engine always says CSX.
We used the same basic practice on the Santa Fe. However, we added the Railroad and the engine number. OS I believe you said "on station" and out west, OS was "on Sheet" meaning that it was recorded in the train register by the op when the train passed. Good video.
Thanks. Yes, I think it was "on Station" with some railroads. "On Sheet" with others. Have heard it both ways.
Ah, so that’s how you were able to easily recognize what hazardous materials were in those tank cars, making a note of the 4 digit UN numbers on the placards
There are resources to identify any UN number you encounter, the ERG (Emergency Response Guidebook) being, in my opinion, the best. I have a free .pdf version on my phone, and have referenced it numerous times. I only hope I never need it for its intended purpose..
haz mat tankers are some of the FEW railcars that have the commodity they haul stenciled on it
Engine numbers are still regularly used for Track Warrants (or Track Authorities if you're on CN's US lines) on GCOR railroads to grant authority to run on mainline track. It works great, since while there may be more than one section of U789 out there at the same time, there will only ever be one CN 2031at any given time.
I actually have an old track authority that fell from a passing train, addressed to BLE 903 North
Danny; I’m a retired road locomotive engineer off of the UP, via Texas & Pacific, then via Missouri Pacific through mergers. My home terminal for my whole career was New Orleans, Louisiana. I always ran trains over the same territory, which was most of Louisiana.
On our railroad the preferred ID locomotive was the lead unit, and was about 97% of the time. But it could be the rear unit in a multi unit consist. If so only the rear units number boards would be lit up. If it was one of the mid units it’s number board would be lit up. All the rest should have their number board lights turned off. Also the company reporting mark, UP, KCS, CSX, GATX, etc, etc, is part of the trains ID. The reporting mark would precede the number on train orders, track warrants, clearances, etc, etc.
In most cases like this the engineer would tell trains they were meeting or passing, that the rear or mid unit was their ID unit. I’m not positive about all railroads but most of them worked under the same rule. I’m not sure if the DPU on the rear of a train could be used for the ID. I never worked with DPUs.
This situation happened quite often on locals that turned during the same tour of duty. The dispatcher would sometimes use the same unit number for the return trip which would make it the rear unit on the return trip.
Also to make sure the whole train was there, there must be something to indicate the rear car is there. Like a caboose, flag, or FRED.
For railfans who grew up railroading around Florida between 1993-1996, the only time you'd see AMTK 160's paint scheme on Amtrak's DASH 8'S was when they were pulling the SUNSET LIMITED between Los Angeles, CA - Miami, FL three days a week in both directions.
I don't come here to watch trains, I come to hear Danny talk. Danny Harmon and Mike Rowe, two of the best and most recognizable voices in broadcasting.
Oh, now...that's a crazy nice compliment! Mike Rowe is one of the best voiceover narrators ever. He and Will Lyman are my all time favorites, along with Art Gilmore and Robert Montgomery.
Ready to learn
Interesting information Danny. In early 1900s on Vancouver Island there were many railroads, some privately owned logging and coal mining operations and one public one which shared portions of the same tracks. Two of these railroads had a locomotive with the same number.
One lousy, rainy, foggy winter day the switch master in a track side tower saw a south bound locomotive go by showing the number 13. Thinking it was the expected passenger train he called the section clear and let a north bound coal train proceed up the track where it promptly had a head on collision with the real south bound #13 passenger train. A number of people were killed in the worst train collision in the history of Vancouver Island.
The train he had seen was an extra coal mine train which had a locomotive also numbered #13. As the operator of the public railroad and the mining railroad were the same, the liveries were very similar. Just the names on the side were different.
After that accident the coal mine locomotives underwent a number change (they added a 1 in front of the existing numbers) and they changed the colour of their liveries.
Just an example of what can happen when two locomotives on the same system share the same number.
This is like a bonus holiday gift from Danny.
I can also say from Personal experience that locomotive numbers are crucial for keeping tabs on the locomotives for all maintenance and performance needs from the builder, as Wabtec/formerly GE Transport has their own systems and maintenance programs that are issued through contract for servicing and rebuilding the engines and other components.
Great video :)
For anyone interested: Here in Germany DB Engines have a 6 digit number. The firsrt number classifies the type of engine:
1 for electric engines
2 for Diesel engines
3 for small engines (shunters)
4 for EMUs
5 For battery EMUs
6 For DMUs
this is followed by 2 or some times three numbers specifying the engine model and the rest counting up the units in the fleet.
So basicly Class + #in fleet.
So 182 010 is a BR 182 (Siemens ES64 U2) and the 10th unit in the fleet.
Hey Robin - hate to ask a dumb question, but what is an "EMU" vs a "DMU" vs a "Battery EMU"? Thanks for the info.
@@thomream1888 EMU stands for electric multiple unit (i.e the Bombardier Talent 2), a DMU is a diesel multiple unit (i.e the Siemens Desiro Classic) and a Battery EMU is a Normal EMU with batteries to cover on parts of track without catenaries (i.e the Siemens Mireo +B)
@@robinmorgenstern9927 Thank you, Robin for the quick response, and the education. One of the benefits of watching a class guy like Danny is the good people that watch him! I appreciate you taking the time to help me understand more of the German way of doing things. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!
Another S O L I D
video DH! That 160 sure is purdy! You and I saw the same train that day cause 17 was in trail. I started to pick up how railroads group their locomotives when I started railfanning the CSX, the 3300 were ET44AH mixed with ES44AHs, the 100-600 are AC44CW, 700-900 are ES44AHs as well, 7300 were ExConrail Dash 8s and so forth. It’s very helpful!
Thanks for the great video!!
And you confuse the hell out of me. But I love the enthusiasm.
I'm a railfan neophyte and I greatly appreciate your tutorial videos! I'm getting better and better at spotting something and thinking, Hey, I know what that means!
Excellent as always. DH and Distant Signal never disappoint. 👍👍
I was pleasantly surprised by how well-made and informative this video is, considering this is the first Distant Signal video I've ever watched.
Danny is the best.
Ayyy nice video Danny I was wondering if you caught 160 too. Seemed like everybody in Florida was out for that unit.
He sure did
Danny, you are THE MAN when it comes to the world of railfanning. I find it funny that when I railfan the Union Pacific line through Ontario Oregon, the police dont know what it is we do out here. It's all for the love of the trains. Keep up the good work.
Wow, thanks John!
As a novice rail fan I have found your videos to be incomparably the best produced and informative rail videos online. I well understand these productions aren’t nearly as easy as they might seem to achieve this level of production values. Thanks for your dedication and commitment to your railroad and media passions!
And you also get good lunch insights if you're in the area 😆
Rail fanning 101 withe Professor Harmon. Thank you Danny, you are an excellent teacher. I enjoy your videos so much. Always a learning experience.
The only class I don't mind remediating! I'm not even stressing about the final exam... I think.
Maybe do a Fallen Flags 🏳 🤔 test at the end of the year 🤔.
6:43 “let’s gooo toooo tampaaaaa ova” I absolutely love that Amtrak crews always seem to be having a blast. When I took a train to NYC each crew seemed to have a lot of fun. I went to the last car on that trip, where the crew was hanging around, and they all had a bunch of fun with me.
Just when we needed him most, he delivered. Thanks Danny!
I work in Downtown Tampa, And on the way home, I walk past Union Station with an Amtrak at the station. You can always hear them blowing their horns as they approach the station and leave the station. Everyday
Your voice is what makes this channel so enjoyable. Takes me back to a railroad show that was on RFDTV in the mid '90s, he sounds just like you.
Totally! I could listen all day
It's everything. The voice, the accessible presentation, the great views and shots, the information and details, and the professionalism.
We ❤Mr. Danny Harmon!!
@@jovetj you nailed it
I remember Trains and Locomotives on RFD TV in the early 2000s, I was a very little kid then lol
I grew up in a division point on the UP. My grandfather, my dad, and two uncles all worked for the UP. When I went to work on the railroad, I ended up on the Santa Fe. Needless to say, I subscribed before I got around to hitting the like button! LOL!
Made my day Danny. Great video!👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it
Awesome Job Danny! Thanks for emailing me back. It’s been a pleasure watching your documentaries. I hope I see you one time in Northwest Georgia if you happen to come back up. Keep up the awesome work!
Another fantastic video Danny! For us horn lovers, numbers are very important, and we all have certain locomotive numbers memorized that have good or special horns. Some of us also like to make note of how many times we've seen a certain locomotive. The railroads are full of numbers, so it's always fun to analyze every aspect of them.
The genuine love for this hobby is never ending from Danny and his channel. I look forward to every video. I love watching and chasing trains but I’m nowhere near as prepared for it. I kinda know what runs when but I don’t have a radio or anything like that. I usually railfan between Roseville yard and Colfax California. We have some really cool mountain spots out here.
I'm surprised you don't have way more followers Danny, you're content is the best narrated I've seen, im glad I have my notifications set to all for your channel.
Thanks very much!
I discovered your channel recently. Since I retired a month ago, I've spent a lot of time watching various railroad videos. My granddad was the station master for UP out in Ellsworth Kansas when I was growing up. I spent plenty of time playing in the back of the depot and watching the trains go through town. I haven't ridden in decades, but look forward to getting out on the rails during my retirement. Keep up the great work. It sounds like you have experience in broadcasting, that's my old line of work.
In addition to locomotive numbers, I like (to read) the numbers off the freight cars. The numbers on the trains represent the characteristics of each locomotive and railcar, like the personality of a person. I have had the likings of the numbers, especially the 4-digit numbers on the New York City subway cars since I was a youngster. This was a nice show. I enjoyed it a bit more than the other railroad channels I have watched on TH-cam.
Oh, my day just got better!
In the UK, we used to run the train headcode (the full train's number, not the locomotive number) in lit panels on the front of the lead unit (be it locomotive or multiple unit driving car). That practice died out in the 60's/70's.
UK trains obviously still run with identifying numbers for the specific unit, but it to my knowledge the unit number is not used in radio transmission to assist in identifying a particular train on the network. It probably helps that much of our network is electronically tracked, so signallers will always know where a train is.
My favorite railfan channel !
Enjoy your very informative Train Videos. I live in Michigan, we have a few main lines, but sadly many R.R. have become Trails for Bikes, Horses and Walker's, etc. I suppose they consider it Consolidation, but unless you live in the right in place, the only Train you might see is the one you ride on.
Locomotive numbers help make many railroad avoid confusion and delay, and can really make locomotives really useful. As Sir Topham Hat said.
Perfect timing! Now I can watch this while eating lunch!
You and your videos make railfanning more fun and informative!
Interesting. I am a recently retired airline pilot and we had similar tail-number groupings by aircraft type at my airline (American). The train order sounds a lot like a flight release we were issued. A release is a flight plan plus a whole bunch of other stuff. The release is specific to the tail-number, date, time and flight number. We also had "see and avoid" as primary, even though we always flew on an Instrument Flight Rules flight plan and mostly in positive control airspace.
Think some other countries' aircraft/airlines do the same e.g. Singapore Airlines' A359s have tail numbers beginning with 9V-SM while A388s begin with 9V-SK
Excellent explanation of engine numbers! I continue to enjoy my education on railroading :) BTW - I was listening to a show on MotorTrend TV and I kept listening to the voice over - after a minute I said - Yes! That is Danny Harmon's voice! Kudos to Danny - you have such an excellent voice and I am glad the folks on that show found you!
Danny, 2 videos this month...FANTASTIC!! Thank you very much, enjoy them All!!
Don't know if I complimented you on your narration of the 4501 documentary: it was outstanding!! Your own videos display your skill and professionalism in all the areas one must master to produce successful content. You're so comfortable in front of the camera, very welcoming to the viewer, and your commentary is clear and concise. Plus, you don't make things up. If you don't know something, you say so. That's so refreshing! I have watched too many documentary-style videos on YT and TV that are riddled with factual errors, most of which wouldn't have been made if a little time had been taken researching the topic a little more thoroughly. One example: I saw a British-produced doc on the Saturn V rocket that stated there were jet engines used in the upper stages (I jokingly commented on Amazon that their next offering would be about the D-Day invasions on the beaches of Portugal). It's sad and frustrating that some people who claim to be educating others, especially young people, don't care or take pride to be accurate. Thanks for taking the time and putting in the effort to make such wonderful videos.
God bless and happy railfanning!
Thanks Gus for such a nice comment!! Yeah, I had a mentor when I first got into the business who would read my scripts and take his big black pencil and make a giant mark and loudly shout out "FACT ERROR! 50 PERCENT OFF YOUR GRADE!". It was a callback to his days in journalism school. I never went to J school, but neither have I ever forgotten his lesson. Plus, it's so easy to find information today. Please let me know if you ever hear any fact errors in my work. I know I make them occasionally, but try hard not to. Thanks again.
@@distantsignal I doubt that will ever happen; I firmly believe it's not in your nature to do shoddy work. Are you planning to ride Brightline when they get the Orlando line fully opened?
The diesel shop website is an invaluable website for someone like me who likes to see what kind of power the trains are carrying. It's got different sections, which might be made up of other websites based off of different railroads, but it gives valuable information like its road number, grouped by model designation, when it was built (or at least in the case of Norfolk Southern, rebuilt) the order number from said manufacturer, and in some cases, what paint scheme they're carrying. I'm a constant visitor on that site.
Danny - excellent - chock full of interesting information- the contents of the freight train cars - so detailed . You are truly one of the best TH-cam authors I have viewed . Keep the good stuff coming !
*05:55* Same with the Northern Pacific's 4-8-4 steamers.
For example, their A-2 Northerns were numbered 2650-2659.
27.Oct.2021
Awesome video Danny! My grandpas neighbor gave out train orders between 1948 and 1979 on the southern up here at Sheffield AL, my grandpa knew him forever since he worked on the southern and later NS between 1971 and 2011 as a MOW worker. We’re glad to have his neighbor with some information from when they didn’t have radios or other modern things we take for granted in the 40s and 50s
Thanks Jacob. It would have been awesome to have a neighbor like that... though after a while he probably would get tired of all my questions and turn out the lights and close the curtains when he saw me coming. Ha!
Found your channel a few months ago..love it. I've seen each video at least 2x. So much to learn and some I watch multiple times and catch the information I missed the first couple passes. I wish I could spend a day on the road with you.
It’s so hard to railfan when your channel gives so much enjoyment to watch and I have no clue what frequency to listen to to even know when the lines I want to watch are expecting a drive by
Fascinating video! Locomotive numbers have always been puzzling...until now. Where things get confusing is renumbering, e.g., a former Conrail unit moving the CSX, or old Pennsy, NYC and NHRR units to Penn Central. The radio chatter sounds like a foreign language to my ears, being so fast. Thank you for demystifying it! And your voice! Radio worthy!
Always good to see a new post from you. Great as always Danny.
Thanks for what you do, DH. I love learning and I love the shots you get. Thank you!
Hey, Danny, thank you for another great video. Your knowledge and ways to convey your message are fantastic.
Thank you!!
Did not know that about engine numbers. Thanks for the info!
I recently joined, and have been really enjoying your videos. Your channel is one of the best and most informative ones out there. Thanks for the entertainment!
Glad you got one up this week. Always missing you.
Great video and take care.
You're the best Danny Harmon!! I'm always learning from your videos. You made my day!😊
Today is a fantastic day, I'm eating lunch with America's Favorite Railfan, I saw a train today, and the weather up here in Upstate New York is perfect.
This videos are so good and well narrated he could be saying anything and I’d believe it.
Great work.
Just in time for lunch break!
Thanks for getting through the work day. Quiet up here at the jetport in Portland Maine. Big big storm blowing in. Always great to learn
Something along the way as well! Can’t wait for the next video!!
After another busy 24 hours at the fire station yesterday, it is great to come home and sit down with cup of coffee number 3 of the morning and watch a new Distant Signal video, THANKS for a great start to the day and thanks for the education Danny, great video as always.
Another awesome video Danny! My 5 year old son and I have been watching your videos for a couple of years and we thank you for being an awesome producer and providing amazing content! Thank you so much and see you out on the High Iron! (we love that part!)
Enjoyed as usual. Good length. Not too long to lose me, make me skip or give up. Interesting inside info. I appreciate your efforts.
-Kindly old man with a genuine passion for what he's making
-Informative but inviting videos with little overhead and no kitschy music
-Sometimes shows us his lunch (and some good hole-in-the-wall places to check out in central Florida)
This channel has it all!
Great video Danny!! Always been curious about Locomotive numbers and their purpose and groupings. You answered my curiosity and did it very well. Now I understand how it works. Stay safe and hope to see you on the "high iron" soon !
It’s always a good day when you upload content.
I’m glad I found this channel some time ago. I enjoy your videos and I certainly learn a lot. Explain if you will the “high iron”. I like your sign off using that phrase. Keep ‘em coming Danny.
I always enjoy your videos as they are very informative. Grew up in L&N country now CSX. Live now about a mile from NS Crescent Corridor in NE Tennessee. Serenaded by train horns several times per day. Hope to see you sometime on the high iron "up this 'away".
Danny I love your videos. They never get old to this ole retired engineer. Thanks and keep them coming. 👍👍👍❤️
Thanks Don. That's much appreciated.
While listening to your two videos on NW Georgia yesterday, all the sounds you hear from squealing in turns to car defects (flat wheels) to the air pressure relieving came to mind. All these sounds are part of what makes train watching (or listening) so interesting. It might be interesting to do a video on all these sounds, many of which I have never been able to identify.
Excellent, detailed job Danny. Love the video.
Hello Danny! Your Voice is a Natural on these videos. You are Clear and the Details are Excellent.
Wooo Whoooo! Another awesome video! As always educational and fun!
This channel has by far the best sound quality of any of the railfan channels I've seen so far.
Thanks! I work in TV production and have learned a lot from sound guys over the years.
Really like this lesson. I new to rail fanning so appreciate your perspective.
Thanks, Danny. You're getting close to that 100,000K subscriber plaque!
Yeah, I inch a little closer all the time. Slow, though.
Awesome job as always thank you for your time and knowledge Danny always cool when you post a video. Can't wait for the next post.
I wish I had more thumbs to give your videos, awesome content, and great photography. Thanks Danny, I love your work.
Thanks so much. Really enjoy your videos. I like the explanations of what's happenng with the train, as well as your educational videos line this one. Keep up the good work. I look forward to it!
Hey there, Danny! Me and my dad have been watching your videos for about 3 months now, and enjoy them together anytime we can, kinda like how you said you and your son watched deadliest catch, we watch you religiously! Thank you for the time and effort you put into these videos just for our viewing pleasure, and answering everyone’s questions. Speaking of questions, I have one myself. What is PTC? What difference does it make and why do railroads basically require it in engines to allow them to run?
This really made my day, Thanks Danny
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks Danny for the info once again, keep up the good work and i'll keep watching
Greetings from Southern California. I just wanted to say that you have a real gift for presentation, and I hope you keep making videos.
Thank you David. That's much appreciated.
Another informative video. Thanks!
Weather looks good down there Autumn definitely here in central Maine. 45° & breezy.
Great as always. Thanks for the video Danny 👍.
Distant signal I have learned so much from you I am very grateful for you and your videos
Yeah the FEC does that. I hear it all the time on the radio like “FEC train 105 lead engine 805 has permission to pass traditional stop milepost 261.43. No additional restrictions track is clear you may proceed over.”
You have one of the greatest rail shows on youtube in my opinion, from the cinematography to your radio voice etc, this channel is awesome!!! In fact my Wife and I decided to start a small channel of our own after watching yours for a couple years now.
Thanks very much!
Wow I was a quart low of Danny's videos! Great timing. Thanks Danny
We enjoyed this video Danny and appreciate all the time and effort you put into them. We will meet you some day in Folkston . Can't way to see you. Always learning something new with each video you share with us. Thanks.
Yet another great job Sir Danny! Number 160 was looking good that day. Stay safe out there and keep em’ coming.
Very great explanation love the AMTK 160 catch
Love this channel great video I have always Loved trains and you have tough me things I didn't know. The Norfolk Southern runs by my house. Thank you.