As far as I know NS will still ship locomotives without self aligning couplers. As I said, the derailment on CSX was in the last month or so. Until that time they too would ship locomotives with the blocks as you describe. That is how our CF 7 was moving when it got stopped after the derailment. Eventually CSX shipped the unit on to Aberdeen but we are now told that in the future the couplers and pockets will have to be changed out to full aligning couplers. That is an expensive proposition. If they took a stance like this every time a boxcar or covered hopper hit the ground imagine the delays to freight traffic this policy would cause.

Am I the only one who thinks it may be a good idea to teach engineer trainees on the simulator to operate the locomotive and handle the train properly by removing the independent and dynamic brake handles at the start? After the student has proven they know how to handle the train this way give them the other toys and teach them how to use those to assist in handling the train.

I also wonder if it is possible train handling has suffered since the removal of the caboose from the rear of the train. After all, there are no longer humans back there to complain about train handling or get hurt by poor train handling.

John Bohon