Before radio control, how were multiple engines controlled?

How were two or more locomotives, even in the early days of steam and the first double-headers, per train kept in sync?

Sure you could have an engineer in the cab of each engine at the controls but how would the lead engine communicate with the helper to add more steam or add more brake?

On a racing boat, a shell, one has a leader or coxswain to call cadence to keep all the rowers in sync. On a multiple-unit train, the goal is to have engines working together
and not against one another.

The different crews used the whistle to signal each other.

So five short blows could mean increase the throttle lever to position FIVE or something like that? A long whistle could mean stop in a hurry, hit the emergency brake?

I think one loco could control all the brakes on the rest of the train since they are all interconnected via pipeline. I suspect there was a leader, a chief engineer or conductor, telling the drivers of the various engines what to do and when to do it just as on a large ship the captain or one of his officers has to tell the helmsman, the engineer and other crewman in remote areas what to do to keep ship operations coordinated. I think before electronics communications, the coxswain blew a whistle or rang a bell to command various crewmen to do various things.

In Victoria, Australia, a "cock crow" was the whistle signal used to call up the guard.
Graeme

Fortunately you need not sync locos in Trainz

cascaderailroad said:

Fortunately you need not sync locos in Trainz

Click to expand...

at least a human doesn't have to do the syncing

2 tin cans and a piece of string ?

Skilled hoggers could listen to the loco straining sounds, and they knew each and every inch of the grade, and knew how to feel for the slack and strain, and watch exhaust smoke, and the ammeter, and apply more or less power, while listening for the lead loco whistle communication sounds

Can't talk about out side but when I worked in an U/G coal mine we used up to 4 locos for heavy loads
Our pit was downhill going in uphill comming out with loads leading loco the way in & trailing locos comming out so drivers were always on the high side behind the weight in case of runaway so the diver was not infront of a runaway
The lead loco was the end one depending on direction of travel
only 2 commands were used go or stop
The driver of each loco was responsible to gauge the state of the lead loco by coupling movement as to whether its powering , breaking or coasting as well as the smell of brakes in use
After awhile it's just instinct as you know when & what to do by the feel of the loco you are in
You also knew when to bail and wave good bye and wait for the bang at the next catch points if things didn't go well

Skilled engineers would watch the air gauge. The lead engine would make a set and this was a signal to start backing off the throttle. Helper engines 50-75 cars back might not be able to see or hear whistles from the head end.

Lots of good stories from the "Railroad" magazine.

:wave: Enjoy hearing these type stories......

You look at today's mechanization and Computerization to the max, and back then when we lived a much simpler time. How things have really changed in our world?

Some for great, some? Ah not so great changes.........



The Engineers of Old did some marvelous work their Trains, under the most adverse situations.....I hold true respect for them.........

Dropping a link here that might have some interesting things to read about.........

https://www.google.com/search?q=Train+Control+in+early+1900's&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1

https://qz.com/1161093/what-is-posi...being-used-in-the-amtrak-cascades-derailment/

And the one above here, has to be causing a great deal of angst as what folks I used to work with, said more than 10 yrs ago, this is going to be a hard fit for some railroads, and don't be surprised if they need time extensions.