Pooled Power

[Ralph]

I like the idea of running pooled power with my two connecting roads, but despite some online reading I'm really not grasping the concept or understanding why railroads would do this. Can anyone give me a layman's explanation for why two roads would share power on a train?

Thanks!
Ralph

[BR60103]

One reason is hat it is nor "pooled" power, but rented or traded. The two railways may have traffic peaks at different times of the year and surplus locos will be lent to the other road. The second road will lend some power back later on.

[Charlie B]

Another reason is to keep the train moving, it is easier to change crew rather than power. As long as the power is compatible with the signals on another road the train can be left with the "foreign" power in the lead, if not a home road loco will be added. They keep track of the megawatt hours and that is how they keep even on it today.
I hear the term "run through power" more often today, and I am not sure if the meaning has remained the same over the years.
I see the consist left in tact quite often on CSX but seldom see foreign power on the point on NS around here.
Charlie

[Ralph]

Thanks guys. Those answers make sense to me!

[jwb]

"Pooled" or "run through" power typically is assigned to particular trains. As Charlie says, it speeds things up by allowing the power to remain on the train, especially if the whole consist is blocked (for instance) from Elkhart, IN to Kansas City, MO. So you would see it on particular priority trains, with predictable roads, in more or less predictable consists. In the 1970s, PC had run through power with Santa Fe, at least as far as Kansas City -- not sure how far east it ran. There were also run-through arrangements between NYC/PC and the Burlington, so that you frequently saw CB&Q units on the LS&MS or MC, again on particular trains. Cotton Belt originally ordered GP40s specifically to run through on PC, at least as far as Indianapolis. UP and CB&Q power ran though on PRR. Farther afield, in the early 1970s there was a run-through between Southern, MP, and UP at least along a Memphis-KC route -- don't know the end points here.

A KP&W-PC power consist might reflect the idea that KP&W was a closely held PC subsidiary, rather than that kind of run-through, more like P&LE or P-RSL. You often see P&LE "System" lettered locos in photos elsewhere on NYC.

I'm always thinking about how to add variety to my layout -- you might want to think about an auto parts train that could justify power from Western roads, for instance.

[Ralph]

That gets me thinking.... Originally the KP&W was intended to be a small shortline represented by one switcher that would move cars on and off the layout on a staging track and interchange with the PC. I started painting and lettering more and more equipment until the freelance bug had firmly taken hold..so now the Kings Port & Western is a railroad. Since that developed I've been uncertain how to explain its existence in the Penn Central scheme of things. I kind of like the idea that it is affiliated with the Penn Central...that would make it easier to explain why it has running rights on the PC's track and why units from both roads might form a consist.

Thanks for the idea!

Ralph

[jwb]

Or it could be a Conrail component, running PC power right after the merger.

[Mike Kieran]

Foreign power was often found on railroads because of lease or payback of horsepower hours - say the KP&W leased locomotives to the PC and the PC repays with giving the KP&W use of it's locomotives.

[Ralph]

Or it could be a Conrail component, running PC power right after the merger.

Bite your tongue!

[Ralph]

Foreign power was often found on railroads because of lease or payback of horsepower hours - say the KP&W leased locomotives to the PC and the PC repays with giving the KP&W use of it's locomotives.

Yeah. I'm gonna have to ponder which way I want to go with this. I sure like running them together like this at times.

[BR60103]

Or possibly the shortline rents power from its main connection when it runs short -- one of the fleet in the shop, say.