What IS a Railroad Slug?
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- čas přidán 11. 03. 2022
- Today's video is a pretty simple one seeking to answer a single question, what are those weird cab-less things that are often found in shunting yards?
Sources: www.oregonpacificrr.com/locomo...
www.trains.com/trn/train-basi...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slug_(r...)
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I'd say the Class 13 is closer to a permanently coupled B-Unit than a slug. That class had the two prime movers, after-all.
Very true my man, I honestly think it’s pretty interesting how many different variations there are to what could be considered the same sort of unit. They’re all so different but also so similar I’ve found?
I this seems to me like a us version of a UK brake tender. Very informative and it is very interesting learning about us and it her railways!
Pet the slug
@@West_Coast_Mainline not my preferred pet but I sure would!
Brake tenders dont have power
@@the_retag I know that but the concept of pulling/pushing a heavy load is similar
@@thestandardfour0699 not really
The brake tender is just as wagon full of concrete and given brakes to help early BR diesels stop in a time of no vac / air brakes In wagons
Has no traction motor's and no electricity what so ever and just helps brake.
I've seen 2 slugs and their mother units while I visited Portland. The numbers of the slugs are Union Pacific 3002 & 3004, with the mother units being 3001 & 3003
That's so weird I live 30 minutes from Portland and I'm been around there my entire life I've never seen one that's so funny xD
Slugs are like those additional “option” ships you can collect in old space shooter video games.
Similarly, there are units called snails, which has a prime mover but no traction motors.
So it’s entirely possibly to hook a snail and a slug together to make one locomotive
lmfao when ya *really* short on locos
A snail with a slug on each end is a garratt
When your axle loading is basically non-exsistent:
I love these things. US rail yards don't really use hump slugs though, just more yard slugs. B units aren't common anymore either, in fact most of these aren't really used anymore except Yard Slugs, and maybe a road slug but those are hard to differentiate from normal units. Now this is coming from experience on the east coast, and it may be different in the West. But all I can tell you is we don't really have anything but yard slugs over here because most units are just upgraded to a new edition if possible or auctioned off to smaller railroads.
I actually reckon that B-units would be handy for the larger heritage steam loco operators. Purely as a hypothetical, I doubt any have the kind of funds or willpower necessary for to give life to such a concept.
Apparently running a combination of diesel and steam in the right way really compliments each other, where you let the steam loco do the bulk of the work and use the diesel to help with starting off and going uphill. Back in the 90s/early00s there was an Australian company called West Coast Railway which ran two specially modified steam locomotives with a diesel behind them in that fashion, using a single crew by way of having a diesel control stand in the steam locos cab and from what I've heard they had quite a bit of success with it from an operational perspective. The company did fold in 2005 but from what I understand that was more down to the founder passing away, very-expensive-to-fix problems with the basic frames popping up in their workhorse diesels and the government changing legislation around passenger train travel that added more extra costs.
I don’t see slugs a lot since all the yards near me are either Amtrak coaster or Metrolink,and most the B units were faced out when EMD shut down F and E units. What I can clam I saw was a BNSF passenger train !? Can someone back me up or I’m I going of the rails Ba Dun Chink, but seriously has anyone else seen this?
@@eugeniawelch3646 Yeah BNSF does run passenger trains for either executives and such, or they run radars and other track monitoring equipment in passenger cars.
You can tell a road slug apart from a regular unit by looking for the exhaust vents. The slug won't have them. And as for B-units, they were never really all that common to begin with, but they're definitely still around and they are definitely still in revenue service on the Class 1s.
That foamer part made me chuckle
Same
I believe the name comes from their low speed, low slung shape, and their purpose of helping locomotives better “stick” to the rails on heavy trains
what is your profile picture of
I like these videos that tell you about unusual railroad equipment!
me too! I'm excited for more
Yeah :) I like it
I have a train that passes through my town a few times a week lead by a slug. You couldnt tell at a glance. An interesting fact about slugs is that ones with cabs are usually the ones crews use to control trains due to the lack of a prime mover in the engine. It makes a smoother, and quieter ride!
Usually just see them add extra engines instead. But these are kinda neat. Train watching is fun :)
Never thought I’d hear Trainboy call anyone a dirty Foamer. Well played, Trainboy. Well played... I guess that’s to get everyone back for thinking slugs, B units, and the class 13 were all the same thing lol.
The mother unit provides support for her young. Love to see it.
Still love to come back to the video and watch it again
I love that you are branching out into sharing esoteric knowledge! Keep up the good work!
We called them diesel or brake tenders and were used on long unfitted coal trains in the coal yards and most commonly seen around the Tyne and Sunderland area. What it does is gives the engine more braking effort but also more "grip" on the rails thus creating more braking effort, this was in an era where the only other braking was via the brake van at the back and the guard in the brake van would at certain points of gradient add some brake to the wheels and loco engine drivers had a series of toots on the horn for emergencies. It had to be done carefully as well as those unfitted coal wagons would if not tended correctly start to concertina upwards and outwards so the guard would apply brake first and when the drag was felt the driver could apply his main brakes without worry the "troublesome trucks" (unfitted coal wagons were the inspiration for the wagons in Thomas) were going to splash all over the line. Many of these were converted steam tenders from ancient stock and exceptionally dense hence why you never saw these coal trains going that fast. Now the 9F 2-10-0 steam engine could match any double headed British diesel of that era and only need a brake van at back of huge coal consists with only limited guard brake applications needed as the engine had superior braking too and so heavy wheel slip on braking was rare.
Yes but really I've never seen a Brake -tender just the ones on the Greasely bogies
So if you give these slugs a cab does it makes them a snail?
In my eyes, yes 🤣
@@ItsTrainBoy so you like my joke?
If you give him a hangar on roof, he will turn into a snail.
😃 lol. I guess so.
Afaik a snail is the opposite of the slug, a prime mover but no traction motors. If i remember correctly union Pacific uses them for rotary snowplows
Wow these videos are really mind-blowing.
I am learning so much about trains stuff.
Really love these educative series. Keep up the good work, TB!
Your an awesome teacher TrainBro
Really liking these irl train vids. Learning quite a bit from these.
So far in my railfanning "career", I've caught UP CCRCLs, CSX and NS yard slugs, former hump slugs (at the NS DeButts yard in Chattanooga, which was converted to a flat-switching yard), and on NS and CSX: road slugs.
1:12 My favourite type of locomotive, plus nice use or the Mario music in the background
Looks similar to a Break Tender in the UK which is used as extra breaking power for the diesel's goods train.
To my understanding they’re pretty similar too; I don’t believe a Brake Tender can add any horsepower or traction as much but braking power and look wise they’re pretty alike. I kinda wanna make a video on those now 🤣
@@ItsTrainBoy do it mate for us Brits
Awesome video. Thanks for all the knowledge I must make a slug for my G scale layout 👍😎
I like to refer to Locomotive & Slug units as “Mother” & “Calf” style power consists by the way they appear as a big loco with a small power assistant tender😅
Interesting video. Norfolk Southern 3004 is a nice engine.
In my area, the CRANDIC (Cedar Rapids AND Iowa City) railroad uses slugs on all their engines. The Iowa Northern uses them too, so they are a very common sight for me. Another name I've heard is the main unit is the "Cow" and the slug is called its "Calf"
These slugs look cool, great video!
Hi Trainboy big fan of the channel! The line not far from me owns some road slugs of their own for the passenger services. I have a few videos of them on my channel along with other trainspotting videos.
Thank you for going over the slug, just what I needed. I can only think the term 'slug' was used as these units offer little personality as compared to the prime mover.
The answer I’ve been waiting for
So, a bit I remember, is Pug in a certain Scottish dialect, is a translation of Monkey. Many industrial shunters were called Pugs, translating to Monkey. It was a kind of way of calling the small shunter ugly, so they were called Pug. I think of that occasionally when I think of Slug units, because the slimy alive Slugs are ugly, so maybe it was a term used to call the Steel Rail Slugs ugly due to their awkward appearance.
Could make a good use for a contemporary battery powered brake/regen tender.
I never thought I would hear "dirty foamer" come out of trainboy's mouth, i was caught so off guard.
Thank you for the info !!!
I saw A CSX Slug yesterday CSX 2370, originally A B&O GP40 and Wore Chessie paint until becoming A slug.
I noticed some have ditch lights & horn's but I haven't seen them in uesd at Railroad Crossings I haven't seen none in person weird locomotives cool video.
Never knew these existed, hope I get see one someday in the future
You should do a video on B-Units. Nice Video on the Slug units.
It’s an accessory for American locomotives pretty much
Basically; and I want to see a Gucci one as soon as possible 😤🤣
The term slug comes from the “slug” of concrete that replaces the prime mover in most units. Although the diesel engine is sometimes abandoned in place if it is damaged and lacks value.
going back to the enthralling engines topic Could you make a video on the three Bord na Mona steam engines built to run on peat from Ireland as it will be st Patrick's day pretty soon and I'm from Ireland
There isn't much to say on Pat to be honest. Be more to say bout the Guinness adapter wagons for 3ft to 5ft 3in.
Well, what you might find interesting is that one of the Bord Na Móna steam engines, Irish Pete, now works on the Talyllyn Railway, in the form of Tom Rolt.
hi, more of this please :)))))))))))
these guys are really to catch your eye 😂
I had a bad idea: why not some of the ballast of a slug be a battery bank or a diesel tender? Batteries for efficiency or diesel for long hauling ( although it runs into the garratt issue of being too light after using up stuff )
I’ve yet to see a slug of any type in person. I live right next to the CSX yard and never seen one.
Interesting rail vehicles to say the least.
By the way what's that SMW overworld theme remix?
I saw a ECO NS slug in PA once
aww!! a mother train and her child!!!
omg i dont remember putting this comment lol
Seen some when I went past bellvue ohio ns yard and ns Chattanooga yard
I thought my Switch was playing up as all I could hear was the theme from the level I was playing earlier... caught me right out O.o
It spreads the electric power generated in the locomotive diesel engines over more axles with electric traction motors.
More contact with the track with extra weight, hopefully more tractive effort. The traction motors are not overloaded and so they run cooler.
It will be much slower, same power, double the traction motors, hence it's a 'slug'.
Went to a train show and got a small yard switcher from Baltimore and Ohio for $15 maybe do a video on those
Very kool 🚂😎👍👍👍👍
woah, the image of a mother unit and two slugs at 2:13 was a bit confusing. anybody have any ideas about that one?
Yard slugs are just full sized model trains 💀
I just saw a CSX mother slug set on a mainline freight train
CRANDIC (Cedar Rapids AND Iowa City) Railroad regularly uses slugs in their operations.
Finally I learn what a slug actually is
Hey trainboy hope you respond but if you remember a video you made about a wierd train safety video I found another train safety video it's not wierd but educational
It's called "sly fox and birdie bird railroad safety"hope you make a video about it from
cat schow
I did not no about the slugs very interesting
Can somebody please explain to me what a foamer is im so confused
Can you please make a video on Indian trian.
0:31 I didn't know SP made railslugs
1 people, this ain't nothing like a brake tender
Slug=extra power
Brake tender=brakes
2not like class 13 shunter, it was 2 diesel shunters (ie two engines) permanent coupled and was controlled by the 'master' while the 'slave' had its cab removed.
I did alot of train spotting before the pandemic and I never heard the word former used before, what does that mean?
foamer? It means some dummy who gets excited for trains.
@@lopwr1212 well that was me when I was a kid till I was 13 cause I had no friends so watching the trains go by and the engineer wave at me always got me excited.the only time I've been excited about a train was when I saw my first caboose and break train running on the tracks about 3 or 4 years ago as I thought all railroads stopped using those type of equipment so I was shocked I was able to catch it moving along the track and recorded it for my second channel lol
unidentified rolling brick, or "urb"
Pov: mom I want a pet slug mom: we have a slug at home. The slug at home:
I didn't know American Railroads had brake tenders. And I friggin live here.
It's not a brake tender. It's a slug. Two totally different things.
We don't use the word "shunting" on US railroads, unless you're referring to track occupancy and or signaling systems
I’ve heard it a bit but true it’s not something that’s really common, more my British interest side of things peaking out 🤣
@@ItsTrainBoy it’s all good. We call it “switching” in the US.
I’ve also heard “shuffling” but it’s been awhile personally. Is there any other term besides the two that I should be on the look out for?
@@ItsTrainBoy well, at the railroad we just call it “work” 😂. But I don’t think I’ve ever heard yard work referred to as anything other than switching or shunting. I’ve also heard it called “marshaling” in some European circles.
@@sd80mac yes marshaling is only realy for a bigger scale such as tinsley marshaling yard
Well now I know two different types of Metal Slugs.
sooo, its an optional tender?
Man, a nearby shortline is absolutely INFESTED with road slugs.
if it had a cab it would be a railroad snail
Can you talk about a brazillian locomotive next? A vintage brazillian locomotive?
before watching the video i would guess that railroad slugs are locomotive that are incredibly slow and very long, probably diesel powered mabye narrow guage and heavy goods locomotives now to see if i was right!
24 second in, i was already completely wrong
Ballast or scrap metal were used in the slugs
Everyone says they are called slugs because of their speed, but honestly it’s more because of their long, short shape for me.
I saw a yard slug today
I wonder what a British version of one of these would look like. Maybe a class 08 with the top half cut off? Hmm
13
1:28
i had to click on the video the thumbnail was too good
A Railroad Slug at the back of a diesel kinda looks like a diesel engine's version of a tender
The reaps I saw for why they’re called slugs is because they’re “good at they do, at slow speeds”
am I the only one who noticed the 2 CONRAIL units at 2:15?
A slug has traction motors only and a Snail has only a prime mover
DO MORE ADOWT VIDEOS!!!
It's sad what Norfolk Southern did to ns 1594
Diesel:we don't need tenders to make us important
Gordon:then,what are those
Diesel:what is wha....
A slug and a B unit are Beside diesel
Diesel:WHAT THE FUCK ARE THOOSE DOING HERE
Diesel pushese then away into a siding and then the slug and B-unit derails and diesel comes back breathing heavy
Gordon:pathetic(then he leaves)
Talk about diesel brake tenders
No
Awesome
Basically, *a tender for American diesels*
No, not at all. A tender provides fuel and/or water to a locomotive and provides no tractive effort. A Slug has traction motors.
IHB Slug Is the most ghettoist out of all of the other slugs.
If you seen some photos the MP15DC's Smoke more then a Alco C636 Lol
snail
look at these lil guys. love em
Slug moment
i made this video reach 30k :D
Slugs? they're called Slugs cause they Mainly move around the railyards like well slugs. And even though they can move without mother units if they do it's very slowly like a slug. Another root for the name is they're used to Slug railcars into there place. Reason that the term is hard to trace origin point is cause around the time they first appeared the jokes were thrown around and the nickname became official. very much like the Name Big boy.
So it's a UK brake tender.
No
@@class_31clag kinda
@@onetrackmind3558 bettet
A brake tender with electricity basicly
Sorta