question about hauling engines....

so im benching at the local yard and the train thats comming in has 2 Indiana Railroad engines pulling it, okay that typical for this area, but attached to the end of the 50 car train were 2 HCLX engines. what are the two end engines for?? i dont think they provide pushing power do they?? id figured they were just along for the ride. the CSX yard here is used for storage of empties for a few local buisnesses and industries, its not too big, and its never really that full anymore. CSX leases the engines from INRD, but ive never seen the HCLX engines en route to the yard before, ive just seen them on campus passing through. just wondering why the two foreign engines were tacked on the back of the train.

this summer i saw about 3 csx engines 1 conrail and 2 hlcx's pulling this really tiny line of about 10 cars i was wondering why and i hadn't seen any hclx engines going through there before.

This is just random shit. Engines are bought and sold, moved from one place that doesn't need power to another that does. Some engines are sent far for repairs. I seriously doubt those engines were running.

You'll see oddities once in a while if you watch trains long enough.

cracked is right if you watch long enough you are bound to catch som e thing to ponder over. o yea has anyone ever painted an ashley drew and nothern box before? i see them around all old and rusted and i know their history. just wondering if anyone hit them befroe.;)

Originally posted by sectorTVA

i dont think they provide pushing power do they??

don't be so sure, for steep grades railroads often use pushers. they are often based close to the grade with local crews. if you don't see them regularly, i don't think that is the case, but were they manned, if so it probably was power. i have read of alternate configurations (other than head engines), but not for a sixty car train. if you do see them regularly, be careful around them.