Lash-up - Radio Control - Remote Control -

1611mac

- - . -
Can someone explain differences in:
- Lash-up
- Radio Controlled
- Remote Controlled

I believe I understand differences but some discussion would perhaps help confirm.

Why label "Remote Controlled" this way? So people know there is no one on board? The loco shown below was #2 in two engine lash-up.

Photo credit: Virtual Railfan, La Plata MO east cam.

remote-control.jpg
 
Remote Controlled dose not have to be radio controlled, Radio Controlled dose have to have a radio, Lash-up is just a train.
 
RE: Lash-up is just a train

But even when "just a train" the second loco must be controlled. Is this by "hard wire," "radio," ??? Obviously if power is not physically connected to lead power (middle power or pusher) it has to be radio?

Does remote control communicate by satellite, radio? Why a Remote Control unit lashed up as #2 power in photo? Remote Control unit on a main line?

etc etc etc ??????
 
I can't guarantee that I'm right, but here's my opinion:
A lash-up is the locomotives connected to each other, such as those on the front of the train
Radio-Controlled is a locomotive controlled by radio from one locomotive to another that are not connected to each other, such as a Distributed Power Unit, a DPU
Remote-Controlled means it is controlled literally by a remote control. You can identify a remote controlled locomotive because they tend to have strobe lights on top of the cab. I've seen this used in hump yards, where the remote controlled locomotive is pushing the cars over the hump and the engineer is walking along side the locomotive controlling it
I'm not 100% certain what Radio Controlled means. It could be that a railroad calls a locomotive radio-controlled while another railroad might call the same locomotive remote-controlled.
 
That was pretty much my thinking too from what I've read. It's amazing that you can read articles but they are so generic (not identifying loco postition such as lash up or pusher for example) they "talk" but they are not really explaining detail. It's like "what is a radio" Answer: "Something that receives radio waves."

I was just really surprised to see "Radio Controlled" power as #2 on a lash-up on a main line as photo shows.

Thanks for responding. I guess I'm weird. I just enjoy details and understanding things....
 
My guess is that the loco pictured is equipped to be remote controlled ( as in by someone outside the cab, usually in yards) but is either being moved to a different yard to work there, or was available and they really needed some extra power.
 
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