Well, MOW Me Down
Jan. 17th, 2024 04:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kevin_standleeOn my way home from Reno yesterday, I noticed some specialty rail equipment parked on the maintenance-of-way (MOW) pocket on Thisbe siding about ten miles east of Fernley. Lisa asked if we could go out and take pictures of it (assuming it was still there) after I got off work today.
Here's the equipment: UP958400MW at the head of a short train of MOW equipment. While it looks like a boxy locomotive, officially it is a self-powered maintenance-of-way power car. What's the difference? Well, if it was a locomotive, it would require an engineer and a conductor whenever the train of equipment was in use; however, as self-powered MOW, it can be operated by maintenance-of-way employees, saving on crew costs. This is apparently a sort spot between the union representing the engineers and conductors and the one representing the MOW crafts.
Some of you may recall that we've taken pictures of this equipment when it was parked at Hazen and that I discussed the technical distinction about it then. We are eventually planning to do an episode of Railway Legends, Myths, and Stories about this equipment as well.
We got the photos taken, but what you can't tell from the still photos is that the wind was howling and by the time we were done I was shivering and staggering. I headed back to the RV as quickly as I could and started it up so I could get some heat back into my fingers.
Here's the equipment: UP958400MW at the head of a short train of MOW equipment. While it looks like a boxy locomotive, officially it is a self-powered maintenance-of-way power car. What's the difference? Well, if it was a locomotive, it would require an engineer and a conductor whenever the train of equipment was in use; however, as self-powered MOW, it can be operated by maintenance-of-way employees, saving on crew costs. This is apparently a sort spot between the union representing the engineers and conductors and the one representing the MOW crafts.
Some of you may recall that we've taken pictures of this equipment when it was parked at Hazen and that I discussed the technical distinction about it then. We are eventually planning to do an episode of Railway Legends, Myths, and Stories about this equipment as well.
We got the photos taken, but what you can't tell from the still photos is that the wind was howling and by the time we were done I was shivering and staggering. I headed back to the RV as quickly as I could and started it up so I could get some heat back into my fingers.
