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Great shot! Slugs in this (and 500 class) class are designated as TEBU4= Tractive Effort Booster Unit 4 = 4 axles.
The CN noodle on the slug is a nice touch.
So they paint IC units in CN colours and have to put out bulletins explaining to crews to still call them IC’, and now they add a couple CN units that are painted to look like IC’….. No potential confusion there.
@mattwatson. The colours of a locomotive have nothing to do with the crews calling the designation of the unit. If a unit says CN and has no sub letters IE GTW, IC, WC then it is known as a CN locomotive . It might say CN on the long hood, but its the sub lettering that matters. The sub lettering is because CN has more than one unit with the same numbers IE 3100 GP40-2R’s(IC) and ET44AC’s , GP38-2′s 95/9600 class (IC ) GP40-2W’s . The designation is extremely important for train crews calling Rule 42′s and for the RTC’s.
@ngineered4u….
Where’s the sub letters on this 7601? Surely that CN logo can’t count as sublettering. It’s a logo. While we’re at it, where’s the sublettering on the heritage units? The little CNipo sticker better not be the sublettering? The cndr on 101 the other day called himself EJE 3023 west to a rule 42 foreman. Not good!
Also… can you reference where you found the “TEBU4” information? All of CN’s blue cards show them as YBU-4 or HBU-4. (Yard Braking Unit and Hump Braking Unit). I can’t seem to find a blue card for the 600 or 601 yet.
@Tim..7601 should/would be called IC7601. If I was calling a 42 I would use IC not CN. As you say the logo would not count as sub lettering. Those CNipo stickers would not count as sub lettering as you said. The conductor on 101 is indeed correct in identifying hims train as EJE 3032 west. Even if there was a huge CN logo on the side of 3032 it would still be designated EJE by train crews. I assume the WC, IC BCR units all use their designation as I see no sub lettering. Whenever we have a IC 2697-2726 class units we use IC for 42′s or TGBO’s
As for the TEBU4′s I was lucky enough to get CN technical data sheets from the Master Mechanic at Mac Yard. I have drawings and schematics from locomotives as far back as F3′s up to the then brand new SD60F’s! The TEBU4 was on the master drawings. Of course they could now carry a different designation
@ngineered4u. Based on my own experience as an engineer and conductor at CN, I can tell you that the confusion is quite real. Perhaps in a perfect word where all involved are of the ought most competence, a statement like “The colours of a locomotive have nothing to do with the crews calling the designation of the unit” would be true, such is not the case. Some examples from my own experience that jump to mind are, a 30 minute argument between the Saskatoon OM and a Melville cndr about an IC 2700 not being an IC. The cause was the sub letters were illegible on the cndr side of the unit do to accumulation of dirt/grime. A WC painted unit with CN written in sharpie above the numbers inside the cab and no journal to compare it to since it was a yard assignment that needed to go out on the main at Chetwynd, the train master would not confirm what type of unit it was without first consulting higher powers. As you well know, most railroaders don’t have an encyclopedic memory of locomotive information. Another similar example that pops to mind is where a green RTC tried to give us a clearance addressed to “CN WC 2004″ after we’d asked for a clearance to the ‘WC 2004″, his reasoning was that this was CN we were working at… throw in the guys who show up to work, call the RTC from the station, grab a clearance, then walk out to the shop track only to find that the unit they got a clearance for isn’t even in town (seen that more than once). All I’m saying is don’t under-estimate the potential confusion a different colour unit can cause.
@mattwatson. Hey Matt, i don’t doubt your experiences in any way. I can only go by what I have seen or done on my years as engineer at CN. Thanks for your examples, I can’t honestly say in my neck of the woods here in Toronto, South Western Ontario or my times spent in Michigan or New York State that I have ever experienced these situations . LOL i have no doubt about the trainmaster seeking higher power to determine a unit number or name. I agree about railroaders not having a clue when it comes to locomotives in many ways. Most don’t care about their power, as long as its comfortable and can get the train over the road.