REMOTE CONTROL Locomotives

Locomotives with no one in the cab are becoming a pretty common sight in rail yards and on monster freight trains. In this video, we'll look at the technology that makes this possible.
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[@IKARNIFEX]

When I worked for the railroad as a trainmaster I had to get certified as an remote control operator. The process was neat, took about 1 week of in-class training and 2 weeks of field training.

[@grrailfan]

So here’s a cool story I’ve had with the remote control. I was railfanning with my brother, in the GR Wyoming Yard. One of the one man crew conductors had spotted us and realized we were there for a while, and he walks over to us, and told me to hold down one of the knobs, which was the bell knob. Holding that knob down set the horn off, and I was pretty satisfied lol. Not everyday you get to blow a train horn with that sweet K5LA, but it was quite the experience!

[@v12productions]

Super cool!

[@alexnorfolksouthernmedia]

I had a similar experience. I have it on 'Remember Me' video. I will forever remember that moment. I was only 6 at the time.

[@Bluejackets70]

Another fantastic video and wonderful intro!

[@v12productions]

Thanks!!

[@larryreynolds8580]

I don't think you can get any better than this. Descriptive and informative and when professional viewers comments are added, wow the things we take for granted. Thank you V12 for sharing!

[@v12productions]

Thanks for watching!

[@jamess2052]

Hi Steakman here, Seattle area, is it possible to get a video made of how they convert or control mainline engines just fascinating your work thanks Steakman out for now

[@rickkearn7100]

Had no idea this tech has arrived. Coolness! Cheers.

[@Swindy1794]

I work for Wabtec (former GE Transportation) in Erie Pennsylvania and we make freight locomotives. The facility is huge, consisting of many very large buildings built way back in the early 1900’s. I’ve worked in several over the years and the old and new technology really is quite impressive, especially up close and personal. Not many people get to see what really goes into building such an incredible machine.

[@hoscaledelmarvasubdivision]

CSX also has remote control flatcars and some of the smaller railroads have remote control cabooses

[@charlesbellinBama]

Years ago I had a friend who was a remote operator on the Birmingham Southern Railroad which hauled ore from the nearby mines to the local steel plant. As you said, this early example was in the 1960s - 70s.

[@davidfarrow875]

From the UK : I asked a couple of days ago how DPUs are controlled and two days later this video pops up on my feed. Excellent explanation. Thank you. Here in the UK we don't have DPUs. What we do have are locos either top and tail, or on the rear of a passenger train with a driving trailer on the front. The locos are controlled from the front cab using wires that run through the whole train, with a system called time division multiplex. When British Rail initially started experimenting with this system, they connected it via either the lighting or the public address systems on the rolling stock. That had some very interesting effects when a driver in the front cab opened the power controller for the loco on the back and the train lights went out ! We also have a type of high speed diesel train called an HST, which has two identical locos, one each end, with up to ten coaches between. The prototype was built in 1972, but when they wired it together and coupled it all up, the driver opened the power controller and the two power cars set off in opposite directions....!! That would have a pretty spectacular effect on a train two miles long, methinks.

[@jwrailve3615]

They ran these at the Dow plant I grew up by for as long as I remember 20+ years at least. Former GCL, former mopac, leased gp7 rebuilt to gp9’s and one’s rotting away outside the yard.

[@Cnw8701]

Come to El Paso, we've got Dash 7 locomotive carcasses used as RCL platforms or "sleds"! I recently moved from Atlanta to El Paso and never had the chance to see Inman's RCL operations, but I do see the UP's daily RCL operations around the area.

[@Stoker58]

There are two types of remote systems that I’m aware of in popular use. The Beltpack system and Cattrons system. NS uses the Beltpack while CSX uses Cattron. They’re very similar systems I had to get qualified on both and off the top of my head I can’t make any significant differences.

[@mgr_video_productions]

The folks controlling the RC locomotives reminds of controlling a 1:1 scale DCC locomotive. LOL. Great video as always. I think SP, UP, and Santa Fe also had early experiments with DPUs as many EMD SD40-2s Santa Fe & UP got had longer snoot noses for the locotrol equipment. SP and SSW also had SD40T-2s with snoot noses as well.

[@matthewwilson5019]

Lol yea that is actually so true lol

[@NikkiTheOtter]

It's actually closer to an RC drone than a DCC. The power and control is all in the cab, not being fed through the track. (And since it IS all-electric aside from the engine, it can be computer controlled pretty easily. Then you have a hard-wired system and a wireless system, and you can get out of the cab to control the train.

[@SnorlaxDaCat]

I just really love how those types of slugs look, don't know why but I think they look really slick..... like kinda futuristic.

[@GeoHvl]

In the early 1980s, I work for the Harris Corp, Melbourne, Fl. At that time, they had an R&D for locomotive radio control. They had several miles of track with GE locomotives.

[@PowerTrain611]

At the Pine Creek Railroad museum where I used to volunteer, ex US Steel GE 55 tonner #46 (sister unit to the operational #45) is equipped with RC electronics. Being a steel mill engine, it was used on the "hot side" of the USS plant in Loraine Ohio. Good thing too. When we got it, the engineer's side of the cab appeared to have been mashed in by the heat.

[@danielrose1392]

In my area in Germany we often see remote controlled trains to drive "in reverse". The operator stands on the last car with the control in his hands for about 10 km between the main line and a factory. Apparently driving this way and not having to move the locomotive at the destination allows them to move all cars at once.

[@157RANDOM]

If I have one regret about transferring out of Toronto's MacMillan yard it would be that I transferred before I did my BeltPack qualification. But, I'm on the road more and make more money at my new terminal, so I'm happy with the change.

[@samallan6616]

The systems operate on 220MHz, a band that was taken from ham radio users about 20 years ago. It is a band that provides a reasonable compromise between range and reliability.

[@UPRailfan]

Well actually ham radio operators still have the 220 MHz band, from 222 to 225 MHz

[@samallan6616]

@@UPRailfan But they used to have 220-225MHz until UPS convinced the FCC to take 200-222MHz away from them (money wins). Then UPS lost interest in it. So now it is a band used for a variety of things, including remote control of locomotives.

[@UPRailfan]

@@samallan6616 ahh okay I see

[@lyricof3003]

I learned alot today about DPU and how they work

[@ragemonkey2418]

Pretty awesome equipment if you ask me. Where I grew up in Maine was right near the old Montreal Maine and Atlantic line and they used to have a remote control caboose they put either in between or behind other units and that’s how they used to switch using one man crews. The Lac-Megantic accident really killed the one man crews and the remote control caboose usage around here. Now Canadian pacific owns the old MMA line and uses GP-20 ecos for mostly everything here now.

[@Tuglife912]

I used to be a RCO ( Remote Control Operator ) when I worked at CSX Transportation in Miami, Florida at Hialeah Yard. I ran many awesome Remote Controlled Locomotives to include CSXT 6018 an EMD GP40-2, CSXT 6044 a EMD GP40-2 that was derated to a GP38-2S, CSXT 6552 and CSXT 6508 both EMD GP40-3s rebuilt from GP40-2s, CSXT 2023 a EMD GP38-2 rebuilt from a EMD GP38-2, and CSXT 6063 a EMD GP40-2 conventional locomotive MUed to the CSXT 9093 Remote Control Car Body “Sled” as we called it that could make any locomotive into a remote that was connected to it. I carried around the little green OCU ( Operator Control Unit ) Box that was secured by a 4 point reflective harness that I wore. Interesting thing about the rebuilt Dash 3s is the fact that you can apply the handbrake by holding both the left and right “Vigilance Switches” down for a few seconds. It will also release it the same way and the Locomotive will ring its bell twice to let you know that it’s released. Plus you can not only run the engine with the right hand throttle switch, but you also have the independent brake, train brake, horn, bell, headlights, and reverser all on the box. The outer two switches are the vigilance switches that you recover with and also use for the handbrake on the Dash 3s. The inboard switches have a few functions. The one on the left is the train brake and the other is Horn/Bell. To the right of the antenna is the reset switch that will give you a time delay for tilting the box and for toggling through different settings. The one to the right of that is the reverser that’s forward, neutral, and reverse. Once you put that reverser into center or neutral, the Three Step Protection feature is automatically engaged where the generator field is cut to the traction motors and stops the power flow. The engine throttle switch is on the right of the box and the Independent brake is on the left. The throttle will automatically modulate based on the number you select from couple, to 4, to 7, to 10, and to 15. The CSX boxes have 15 but stop at 10 so the top speed of the RCL in the yard will only be 10 mph which is yard speed. There are speed transponders bolted to the crossties in the yard and when the engine senses them they will automatically react to the speed limit of the transponder and you as a RCO are supposed to match it with the throttle. Once you reach the end of yard trackage it will hit a stop “puck” as we call them and automatically shoot the brakes into emergency to stop the engine from going out of the yard unless the manual override is performed by the RCO. The OCU box has a pair of Infrared sensors in the front of the box made to link it to the Locomotive Control Unit Computer on the Engine after you set the brakes into trail and use the air brake transfer valve to put the engines brakes into automatic mode controlled by the LCU. The amber strobe lights on the cab roof will blink once the engine is in remote mode. Also you have to perform your man down test and vigilance tests as well as standing and rolling locomotive brake tests with the OCU before performing work. The OCU also has a Pitch button on the front of the box to allow you to give primary control to a second RCO with his/her OCU. You push pitch while they hold a vigilance switch to lock in the command. Once you have secondary control you only have control of the horn/bell and the independent/emergency braking feature while the primary RCO has that and the remaining functions. The locomotive’s headlights automatically come on in the direction of travel as well if you forget to turn them on yourself manually. Once you shift into forward or reverse, the headlights match it. It’s a really fun job that i really miss. That PSR crap Hunter Harrison and Jim Foote brought in ruined the company and cut a ton of jobs to include the Y190/Y195 and Y290/295 Remote Switching jobs at Hialeah Yard in Miami. I was furloughed a bunch and because of my low seniority and disgust at the management of the company I decided to move on even though I loved the company and especially the locomotives and my job with them. I now work as a Deckhand and assistant Engineer aboard Moran Tugboats, some of which have EMD 645 and EMD 710 motors in them!! Awesome video! Love the footage of the Norfolk Southern EMD rebuilds and slugs!! 🚂

[@v12productions]

This is really interesting! I love learning about how stuff like this works. That does sound like a fun job. Thanks for watching!

[@johnbarfield3384]

Great explanation on RCL operation! I run an EMD SW1000 at work with a similar setup from Control Chief.

[@v12productions]

Thanks!

[@leethetraindude]

Nice new intro

[@shawnpowell5876]

Great video and tutorial of the Remote Control capabilities that trains have. It's just amazing to me that something so BIG can be controlled this way. Modern technology at its BEST to make this happen! The engineer has to be amused by this too especially standing next to it and having it couple up to a consist of cars. Thanks for sharing this interesting video with us along with your time and effort!

[@v12productions]

Thanks! More videos are on the way!

[@jacksonsdrones]

Nice Video! Thats Neat how they use RC Trains! And Just spectacular Shots and Angles! My Favorite shot is the time lapse with the yard in the Back!

[@v12productions]

Thanks!

[@hrrsncrawford14]

Pretty spot on explanation of the technology . I run the remote sets in Howell yard in Atlanta all the time with those SD40E3s .. pretty cool when they work right lol

[@JohnMuise]

Isn’t that the truth haha

[@v12productions]

Very cool!

[@danielh.5015]

Great video! I like RCO, it is pretty fun to do, especially when you get the hang of it.

[@SavSpdDemon]

Next generation of technology.

[@KandiKlover]

Previous generation actually

[@SavSpdDemon]

@@KandiKlover Really? I didn't know that.

[@railfanningrailproductions]

Love your Intro

[@BeginCTC]

Love the new into. Another great video as always too!

[@v12productions]

Thanks!

[@natejackson8213]

Good one

[@mohala016]

Great, cool and dangerous, I am currently working with remote controlled locomotives . Our operations were I work requires lots of rail transportation of material and production, doing my own shunting while driving. I really love what am doing

[@stephenkorab6456]

Great idea for a great video. Love the intro music, too!

[@v12productions]

Thanks!

[@EricSmith-ve7qi]

Very well Done!! Great Video!....

[@v12productions]

Thank you!

[@tairdudeusa7981]

What you did know was really good, thanks

[@freedomfan4272]

I watched a video several years on YT of a train switching locally with a NS high hood. It was pretty neat to watch

[@v12productions]

Thanks!

[@jeremyjohnson457]

Slug unit date back to the 1970s. Santa Fe was the first to have a full functioning remotely controlled unit made out of a f7b which was made in the 1970s. Southern Pacific second order of the tunnel Motors in the 40-2 series had locontrol which was essentially a remotely-controlled set of units at the rear of a train.

[@thomasbritton640]

Your videos are awesome very entertaining and informative 👍 keep them coming you should have at least 100k subscribers 😀 im 71 years old and have ridden freight trains in my youth and have been a rail fan my entire life thank you for your efforts

[@v12productions]

I really appreciate that, thanks!

[@williamgibb5557]

Glad to hear of the safety controls. Was wondering about a Deadman system, just in case!

[@the_1drummajor]

I think those exist too. Most basic control items could be found on the beltpack (throttle, independent brake, auto brake, reverser, sand, horn/bell, alerter, etc). Some configurations will have additional features or controls to meet the company's specifications (GF Disable, Pullback, etc). If you're into radio, you could even detect the presence of the beltpack signals too (either in the 450 MHz, 900 MHz, or 2.4 GHz band). I wouldn't try decoding any of the signals because there is just no easy way to do it as the manufacturers put their own encoding schemes on the RCL's. DPU's though for the most part, can be decoded with some special software, and they run on the same frequency bands as the EOTs.

[@Ozarkrailfanprod8098]

Great video! I just found your Channel and Subscribed! This was a Very interesting Topic. I have these Kind of units operating in my local Yard, and on the Road Freights. It’s always so cool to see a 400,000 Pound Locomotive go down the Tracks with no one In it.

[@v12productions]

Thanks!!

[@fastoutnotforkids7192]

I wish bachmann or something would start making rail slugs some with motors and others without but could still light up and stuff just like its cab train counterpart. Because any customs i see for sell are crazy expensive in some cases.

[@v12productions]

Yeah, I'd love to have a model mother/slug set.

[@shaunrobertson1857]

Should do a video in depth description of what the difference between signal types brands for different railroads and what the different aspects mean and look like

[@grizh4583]

I loved them when I ran them. We had a shack with AC, HEAT a microwave and bled cars. Back in the early days though it was rough. Coast Guard base across the river from us was testing something not sure what but it put our engine in FWD and held throttle up to 8. Ran off the end of our track still sitting there at 8 our remote wasn’t even on

[@grizh4583]

***I love them under like 20 cars or just coupling and shoving back over and over. Bigger than that I want to feel the train. Especially with these lengths and weight and balance seeming to be gone. Shoving in with empty intermodal and loads being pushed hit the right corner you can watch the car rise straight up off the track from the force and they fly when something finally gives.

[@AlanMullen-w1f]

Nice show 👍

[@kryptotransit]

at CN Macyard we usually have two man crews for our RCL assignments except the hump assignments which just 1 man crews.

[@n5ifi]

They used these remotes at Lone Star Steel during the 70's. T and N Railroad.

[@jamesmundt8563]

Very interesting. Thank you very much for that video.

[@v12productions]

Thanks for watching!

[@katsebua]

wondered how DPU failure is handled. Engine on downslope , DPU on upslope , and the radio fails. Seems like there would be a super stressed point at the peak.

[@IanR1205]

The DP will continue to operate at the last throttle or dynamic brake setting until communication is restored. If I recall my training correctly, it will do so for up to 90 minutes of comm loss. Or you can make a big brake pipe reduction and I think the DP will return to idle.

[@jason27swg]

Great video. I retired out of norris yard this past October. I ran from bham to atalanta daily. I can give you plenty of Info on how dpus work. Never messed with yard jobs

[@v12productions]

I've got plenty of questions about those!

[@jason27swg]

@@v12productions what's your email ans I'll do my best to answer your questions

[@v12productions]

@@jason27swg Thanks! I'm not sure if KZbin will let me post an email address here, but let's see if this works. v12productions at yahoo.com

[@TheTomar33]

Great video

[@railfanningthesoutheast8318]

nice video!

[@v12productions]

Thanks!

[@Med0sproductions]

put me in a norfolk southern rail yard with a remote control, a vest, and an EMD SD40-2. then my life size train set will be complete 😁

[@lillywho]

I hope that signal is properly encrypted... Imagine what those hardware hackers fooling with key fobs and other such stuff could do if they manage to override that signal... Most of the time these things aren't properly secured because "we didn't think anyone would mess with it"

[@wideslammer]

Another interesting video. Thanks.

[@v12productions]

Thanks for watching!

[@steviebettelyoun]

That's amazing

[@CHEATCODE-gavin]

A little kid will steal the controller thinking the train is a huge RC Car and control it and say “RC CAR YEYYYY” and just crash the train *yeesh*

[@JTTheRailfan]

There’s a class 2 railroad near where I live called The Finger Lakes Railway which is have some videos of on my channel. Anyway they use RC for most of there operations.

[@elijahsrailfanningproducti4845]

Nice

[@Noname_game672]

In GErmany there is an step further by the Operation in the Yard. Digital couplers. Automatik coupling operation between Lokomotive and Traincar

[@mr.minebloxdaylighttwinkle442]

I didn’t know these were a thing lol.

[@EpicThe112]

Excellent overview of the remote control locomotive AAR system this really beats the German & Austrian ÖBB system because an Alerter system is added to the remote control unit itself which is absent in the European version. Perhaps US Canada Railroad experts should bring this to Germany and Austria that way DB Baureihe 261 294 295 296 363 G6 & ÖBB Baureihe 2070 electric 1063 1064 & 1163 can be run like a Yard SD40-2 GP38-2 SD50 & GP60. Theirs need to have Sifa the German and Austrian ÖBB Alerter system on the remote

[@evanperdue7222]

Cool

[@sharkheadism]

One downside to remotes is that they're just not capable of switching as fast as a yard crew with an engineer in most cases. The company saves the wage of an engineer, but productivity declines.

[@Texan_red_panda]

So basically if they come up to a railroad crossing they can still press a button to blast the horn right?

[@Brandonvilches0721]

Basically a life size toy train

[@joshuapaul349]

The one for my stump grinder is about $4k USD, plus the progamming for it. I can only guess what that goes for.

[@abecoulter8550]

Be careful here in New Zealand one of those was driven into the sea at the docks

[@pezi1]

Dangerous and destructive. I know several people who were killed using rco's and countless accidents. Some of the smoothes yard tracks are burned up and pitted. All so the greedy railroads can kill manpower and cut jobs. In Selkirk NY there's always a wreck with these things and the railroad covers it all up. Personally I hate these things 😒

[@RFMCabooseNP1713]

Cool.

[@GuyjKite]

In some ways good idea some bad idea. Abolishing some ones job. Got did of the caboose. Pretty soon be able to operate a train by computer sitting at a desk in yard office. Dont get me wrong im for progress. My grandad gave southern railway 46 years. 20 of those years as a hostler and road engineer. He would flip if he saw how things were today.

[@youmadbro742]

Having used them they are nice sometimes. Climbing onto railcars with the pack you have to be careful not to press the uh oh button or sometimes at random loose connection and the train goes into emergency and you have to reset it. Unfortunately it does take the engineer out of the cab and out of the job and adds more to the operator (the conductor) but loram technologies aka GREX uses them on their TSO units while operating. I know because I used them and they come in clutch there because I would be the sole operator and have control while operating in reverse or shoving move and I dont have to keep giving car counts to an engineer because I am the operator.

[@kensingtonchapp4819]

One of the only good things BNSF is doing right now is eliminating RCO in some of their yards and putting engineers back in the seat.

[@hubertfitzgerald-u8z]

Let,s talk about all the derailments these remotes cause !

[@tonycoldtrain]

Super

[@gerry343]

What is the advantage? You still need a guy to contol the train, whether he's in the cab or using an OCU.

[@FFred-us9tw]

The advantage is the person operating the locomotive is also doing the work of a conductor as well lining switches and making hitches on cars. So a two person job becomes a one person job.

[@johnwick-d4d]

Now the only thing left is letting an ai control a train engine like that of tesla's. I am eagerly waiting to see it someday.

[@tigershark4469]

So you basically have an DCC locomotive but its 1:1 size xD

[@TheSimplex4903]

Pandemic: starts Train drivers:

[@jamesdaley3873]

Do you know or can you find out if they can run more than one DPU per train

[@IanR1205]

It’s possible to run more than one DPU consist. I ran a grain train with two just last month. I think it can go up to four total, but don’t quote me on that.

[@waynecarwile7486]

I just saw an empty coal train northbound on CSX, in Athens, Al. with 3 DPUs midtrain. Must have been three miles long!

[@Train_Master_4014]

Saw some slugs 🐌

[@liamwright3037]

We didn't get older. Our model trains got 10 times bigger

[@finalform_hexus9312]

if u ask me having something like this is pretty important

[@WillyMcCoy50]

In the wrong hands RC could stop emergency deliveries to municipalities that have "wrong think". In a country where your delivery infrastructure has been compromised with bad govt oversight and skyrocketing energy prices do you trust the technology to be a good tool?

[@aidenteszke9000]

There's a million other ways such a country could stop deliveries, especially by train.

[@snagletoothscott3729]

I still don't understand how the one man remote switchers get around the standing law of needing a crewman with a clear view at the point of direction, even in yards while switching. If the guy on the ground at the switch has a long enough cut, the head end is beyond his vision, quite often around a bend. While he's on tail end throwing switches and pulling ahead, the power just ran over someone or something because no one's there.

[@JohnMuise]

Maybe they get yard masters or someone else to watch the point via camera or have PPZs etc

[@sharkheadism]

Railroads established remote control zones in yards just to get around that. Often one RCO will ride the point while the other does the work, if it's a two-man job. The point still has to be protected in some form or another.

[@SFCRambo60]

Why don't the employees buy the company and eliminate 70% of the CEO's and anyone how can't do their boy and bring back employees. Safety is needed. CEO's and anyone that supervisor

[@TZrailfaning]

I think it’s a good idea but it can lose jobs like you said and it also does not seem that fun. Who wants a train with no engineer?

[@nickk7425]

I hate to say it, but i feel like train engineers may be out of work within the next few years because of automation

[@brooklynbest123]

I run a remote in a hump yard on pullback It sucks and is not fun

[@danielgouws1470]

This is going to cost a lot of life's it is dangerous thing.

[@4693-v1m]

In a yard situation, unless a RC operator is controlling more than one train, what is gained by all this?

[@Bendigo1]

1 less person to pay per train.

[@FFred-us9tw]

The RCO does the work of the Conductor as well. Two jobs become one.

[@danfielding1872]

Hi

[@B3rettaZ26]

This killed a woman in BUFFALO, NY!

[@jade-a7990]

2:41 bang

[@MatthewOnAMissionFromGod]

Sounds like something to be hacked and hijacked 🤔

[@jonredd650]

Scabs

[@csx2183]

you can see an operator using his to couple up to some cars at northfolk southerns industry yard in east point Georgia~ *WHAM*

[@olentangyriver1191]

More lost jobs

[@MAGronemeyer]

Pretty soon, the railroads won't need either an engineer or conductor in the cab to operate the locomotives. The A/I system will run the trains remotely, eliminating the human equation completely. It's all part of the transhumanism 4th industrial revolution.

[@jameswalden353]

They are ruining jobs which is so sad

[@chriswinter2725]

Technology has gone to far, plus if technology carries on every body will be out of work. To the people responsible for any of this so called technology, think again. What is the point.

[@beauusa11]

Just another job gone👎