Bank engine
Encyclopedia
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
) is a railway locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
that temporarily assists a train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
that requires additional power or traction
Tractive effort
As used in mechanical engineering, the term tractive force is the pulling or pushing force exerted by a vehicle on another vehicle or object. The term tractive effort is synonymous with tractive force, and is often used in railway engineering to describe the pulling or pushing capability of a...
to climb a grade (or bank). Helpers/bankers are most commonly found in mountain divisions (called "helper districts" in the U.S.), where the ruling grade may demand the use of substantially greater motive power than that required for other grades within the division.
Historic practice
Helpers/bankers were most widely used during the age of steamSteam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
, especially in the American West, where significant grades are common and trains are long. The development of advanced braking systems
Brake (railway)
Brakes are used on the cars of railway trains to enable deceleration, control acceleration or to keep them standing when parked. While the basic principle is familiar from road vehicle usage, operational features are more complex because of the need to control multiple linked carriages and to be...
and diesel-electric
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
or electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s has eliminated the everyday need for bankers/helpers in all but a few locations.
Bankers or helpers were historically positioned at the rear of the train, in which case they also protected against wagons or coaches breaking away from the train and running back downhill. Also, in a pusher role, it was possible for the helper/banker to easily separate once the train had crested the grade. Once separated, the banker would return to a siding
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
or stub so as to clear the mainline and get ready for the next train. A common practice with knuckle couplers was to remove the knuckle from the front coupler. The locomotive would be brought up behind the last car of the train while the train was moving slowly. The air brake hose would not be coupled. When the train no longer required assistance, the helper/pusher would slow, then reverse and coast back down the grade to its siding at the bottom of the grade. This practice was outlawed in North America after the end of the steam era.
Special heavily constructed caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
s were sometimes used in helper areas. Ordinary cabooses were built as lightly as practical and might be crushed by the helper/pusher's force, which could be as much as 90 tons. The heavy cabooses allowed crews to avoid the time-consuming procedure of splitting the train just ahead of the caboose.
Pushers/helpers were commonly designed to provide extreme power for very short runs; as a result they could not push at full power for very far before steam pressure dropped. But if it could push enough to get the train to the top of the grade, then it could build up pressure while coasting back down and while waiting for the next train to come along.
Since it was not possible to remotely control a steam locomotive, each helper had to have a full crew on board. Careful coordination was required between engine crews to assure that all locomotives were operated in a consistent manner. Standard whistle signals were employed to tell the helper crew when to apply power, drift or brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
. A misunderstanding of signals by a pusher locomotive crew could result in a major wreck if the lead locomotive applied brakes while the bank engine was still applying power. The usual result was that the train would experience a violent run-in (an abrupt bunching of train slack), resulting in the derailment
Derailment
A derailment is an accident on a railway or tramway in which a rail vehicle, or part or all of a train, leaves the tracks on which it is travelling, with consequent damage and in many cases injury and/or death....
of part or all of the train.
The town of Helper, Utah
Helper, Utah
Helper is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States about 120 miles southeast of Salt Lake City and northwest of the city of Price. It is also known as the "Hub of Carbon County". The population was 2,025 at the 2000 census....
was named after these engines, as it was where helper engines were kept to assist on the climb to Soldier Summit
Soldier Summit, Utah
Soldier Summit is the name of both a mountain pass in the Wasatch Mountains in Utah and a ghost town located at the pass. Soldier Summit has been an important transportation route between the Wasatch Front and Price, Utah since the area was settled by the Mormon pioneers. It is on the route of both...
.
Modern practice
Nowadays helpers/bankers are often controlled by coded radio signals from the locomotive at the head end of the train, allowing one engineer (driver) to simultaneously control the helper(s) and the train being helped. If radio operation is not possible, electrical control might be used, by way of cables running the length of the train (especially in case of passenger trains), or else the helpers are manually controlled, which is still the usual for bank engines at the end of freight trains in Europe.At the front
In the UK, an engine that was temporarily attached to the front of a train to assist with the ascent of an incline was called a pilot locomotive. This differentiated it from the train engine(s) which was provided to power the train to its destination. A train with one or more helper locomotives attached to the front may be referred to as a "double header", "triple header", etc., depending on the number of helpers/bankers. These terms gradually fell out of general usage as diesel locomotiveDiesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s replaced steam power
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
.
Mid-train
In countries where buffers-and-chain couplers are used, bank engines often cannot be added to the front of the train due to the limited strength of the couplers; In the case of standard UICInternational Union of Railways
The UIC , or International Union of Railways, is an international rail transport industry body.- Brief history :The railways of Europe originated as separate concerns. There were many border changes after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the...
couplers and a maximum grade of 28‰ (which is common e.g. for lines through the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
), the limit is a train weight of 1400 tons; if a train is heavier, bank engines have to be added in the middle or to the end of the train in order not to exceed the maximum load for any coupler.
Adding locomotives in the middle of the train has the distinct advantage of applying the helper power to only part of the train, thus limiting the maximum drawbar pull applied to the first car of the train to a safe level. The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
, in particular, used "swing helpers," which meant the helper locomotives were placed mid-train at a point where they were pushing and pulling an approximately equal amount of tonnage, said location being referred to as the train's "swing point". This was also done to balance out the "slack" in the train between the locomotives, the swing helpers, and the end train helpers just in front of the caboose. However, this arrangement requires splitting the train in order to add or remove the helper engine(s), which can be a time-consuming maneuver. However on some American railroads it was necessary to an extent because operating rules required end of train helpers to be added at the end of the train, but in front of the caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
. This was done for the safety of the train crew riding inside the caboose.
End of the train
To be able to add and remove helper locomotives quickly, which is especially important in Europe due to the high traffic density, they are usually added to the end of the train. Normally they are coupled and the air hoses are connected, which is necessary for the air brake to work correctly e.g. in emergency situations, but in special cases trains are banked with uncoupled locomotives, which can be added or removed "in-flight". In the UK it was a usual practice for banking locomotives to follow and buffer-up to a slow-moving assisted freight train without coupling (as demonstrated in archive films of banking on the Lickey InclineLickey Incline
The Lickey Incline is the steepest sustained main-line railway incline in Great Britain and is situated south of Birmingham, in England. The climb is a gradient of 1-in-37.7 for a continuous distance of two miles ....
) before applying more power, thus avoiding a standing start. This procedure is not performed in North America as it would violate Canadian and US safety regulations.
New South Wales
- Willow Tree - Ardglen - 2.5% (1 in 40)
- Murrurundi - Ardglen - 2.5% (1 in 40)
- Cowan bankCowan Bank-Overview:The Cowan Bank is a 8.6 km double-track section of standard gauge railway line between Cowan railway station 48.8 km north of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and Hawkesbury River railway station 57.4 km north of Sydney...
- 2.5% (1 in 40) (double track) (4 tunnels) - Georges Plains - Wimbledon - 2.5% (1 in 40)
- TumullaTumulla railway station, New South Wales-Overview:The loop opened in 1910, and was signalled for Up and Down Working. The loop was about 400m long.Because of the steep grades, there was a safety siding at the down hill end of the up loop in case of runaways....
- crossing loop on 2.5% (1 in 40)
- Tumulla
- Fassifern - 2.5% (1 in 40) - bank engine key interlocked with bank engine siding. (double track)
- BathurstBathurst, New South Wales-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
- KelsoKelso, New South WalesKelso is a suburb of Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, in the Bathurst Regional Council area.-History:Kelso was the original European settlement in the area. In 1816, the initial settlement of Bathurst was established on the eastern banks of the Macquarie River, in current-day Kelso...
- 2.0% (1 in 50) (double track) - Lawrence Road - 2.0% (1 in 50)
- Lithgow - Zig ZagZig zagZigzag is a jagged, regular pattern.Zig zag, Zig Zag, Zigzag, or Zig-zag may also refer to:- Animals :* Several types of salamander living in the U.S.:** Southern Zigzag Salamander** Northern Zigzag Salamander...
- 2.4% (1 in 42) (double track) - Valley Heights - Katoomba - 3.0% (1 in 33)
- Molong - OrangeOrange, New South WalesOrange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
- 2.5% (1 in 40) - Picton Mittagong Loop Line - 3.0% (1 in 33)
Canada
- Crowsnest PassCrowsnest PassCrowsnest Pass is a high mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies on the Alberta/British Columbia border.-Geography:...
– Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001... - Eagle Pass – Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
- Kicking Horse PassKicking Horse PassKicking Horse Pass is a high mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Americas of the Canadian Rockies on the Alberta/British Columbia border, and lying within Yoho and Banff National Parks...
– Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001... - Rogers PassRogers PassRogers Pass is a high mountain pass through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia used by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway. The pass is a shortcut across the "Big Bend" of the Columbia River from Revelstoke on the west to Donald, near Golden, on the east...
– Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001... - SquamishSquamish, British ColumbiaSquamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
, BC to Prince GeorgePrince George, British ColumbiaPrince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
, BC; essentially the entire mainline – British Columbia Railway – notable for use of mid-train helper locomotives and helpers on the rear, all operated by radio control from the leading locomotives.
Belgium
- Liège-Guillemins - Frequent banking of passenger trains heading towards BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
France/Italy
- Maurienne Valley line, the main line from France to Italy through the AlpsAlpsThe Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
- Frequent electric banking services for freight trains - 30‰ .
Germany
- SpessartSpessartThe Spessart is a low mountain range in northwestern Bavaria and southern Hesse, Germany. It is bordered on three sides by the Main River. The two most important towns located at the foot of the Spessart are Aschaffenburg and Würzburg....
between Aschaffenburg and Würzburg in northern Bavaria - Schiefe EbeneSchiefe EbeneThe Schiefe Ebene is a steep railway incline on the course of the Ludwig South-North Railway from Bamberg to Hof in the region of Upper Franconia, in Bavaria, Germany....
between Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg and Marktschorgast in Northern Bavaria
The Royal Bavarian Railways developed special 0-8-8-0 mallet banking locomotives: series Gt 2 x 4/4
- Geislinger SteigeGeislinger SteigeThe Geislinger Steige is an old trade route over the low mountain range of the Swabian Jura in southern Germany. It links Geislingen an der Steige with Amstetten and is one of the most famous ascents in the Jura...
on the line Stuttgart-Ulm in Württemberg - ErkrathErkrathErkrath is a town in the district of Mettmann, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany-Geography:Erkrath is situated on the Düssel river, directly east of Düsseldorf and west of Wuppertal, close to the famous Neandertal....
- Hochdahl on the line Düsseldorf - Wuppertal
India
- KarjatKarjatKarjat is a city, a Municipal Council, a Tahsil and a sub-district in Raigad district, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra.-Geography:...
towards Lonavala in Western GhatsWestern GhatsThe Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. - Kasara towards IgatpuriIgatpuriIgatpuri is a city and a Hill Station municipal council in Nashik District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is located in the Western Ghats. The station lies in Nashik District between Mumbai and Nashik Road on the Central Railway. Igatpuri is known for its Buddhist Pagoda for Meditation...
in Western GhatsWestern GhatsThe Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
.
Italy
- Opicina TramwayOpicina TramwayThe Opicina Tramway is an unusual hybrid tramway and funicular railway in the city of Trieste, Italy. It links Piazza Oberdan, on the northern edge of the city centre, with the village of Villa Opicina in the hills above....
in TriesteTriesteTrieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
- specially built remote-controlled bankers on a 26‰ section of the line.
Japan
- "Senohachi" section (Seno - Hachihommatsu) of Sanyo Main Line - Dedicated EF67 electric locomotives assist heavy freight trains.
- Usui PassUsui PassThe is a mountain pass that lies between Nagano and Gunma Prefectures in Japan. It has served as one of the major transportation routes in central Japan since at least the eighth century.- Road :...
on the Shinetsu Line - The maximum grade of 66.7‰ (1 in 15) necessitated the use of helper locomotives on all trains, including EMUElectric multiple unitAn electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s, both uphill and downhill (for added braking ability). A pair of JNR Class EF63JNR Class EF63The JNR Class EF63 is a class of 1,500 V DC electric locomotives formerly operating in Japan.-History:A total of 25 Class EF63 locomotives were built between 1962 and 1976 exclusively for use as bankers on the steeply-graded Usui Pass section of the Shinetsu Main Line between Yokokawa and Karuizawa...
electric locomotives were connected to the downhill side of every train. This segment was closed upon the opening of the Nagano ShinkansenNagano ShinkansenThe is a Shinkansen high-speed rail line operated by East Japan Railway Company between Takasaki and Nagano in Japan. It opened on 1 October 1997, connecting Tokyo and Nagano in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano...
in 1997.
New Zealand
- Reefton saddle on the Stillwater - Westport LineStillwater - Westport LineThe Stillwater Ngakawau Line , formerly the Stillwater - Westport Line and the Ngakawau Branch, is a secondary main line, part of New Zealand's national rail network. It runs between Stillwater and Ngakawau via Westport on the West Coast of the South Island...
- Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company between WellingtonWellingtonWellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and PaekakarikiPaekakarikiPaekakariki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It is 22 km north of Porirua and 45 km north-east of Wellington, the nation's capital city.... - North Island Main Trunk between TaumarunuiTaumarunuiTaumarunui is a town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on State Highway 4 and the North Island Main Trunk Railway....
and TaihapeTaihapeTaihape is the Northern gateway town of the Rangitikei District, located near the middle of the North Island of New Zealand. It services a large rural community and lies on State Highway 1, which runs through the centre of the North Island.- Economy :... - Otira TunnelOtira TunnelThe Otira Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Midland Line in the South Island of New Zealand between Otira and Arthur's Pass. It runs under the Southern Alps from Arthur's Pass to Otira - a length of over . The gradient is mainly 1 in 33, and the Otira end of the tunnel is over lower than the...
, between Arthur's PassArthur's PassArthur's Pass is a mountain pass in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand. It marks part of the boundary between the West Coast and Canterbury regions, 140 km from Christchurch and 95 km from Greymouth. The pass lies in a saddle between the valleys of the Otira River, a...
and OtiraOtiraOtira is a small township seven kilometres north of Arthur's Pass in the central South Island of New Zealand. It is on the western approach to the pass, a saddle between the Otira and Bealey Rivers high in the Southern Alps...
on the Midland LineMidland Line, New ZealandThe Midland line is a 212 km section of railway between Rolleston and Greymouth in the South Island of New Zealand. The line features five major bridges, five viaducts and 17 tunnels, the longest of which is the Otira tunnel.-Freight services:...
- 30‰ (1 in 33)
Banking by diesel-electric locomotives is also used on all steam train excursions that travel between Tauranga and Matamata on the East Coast Main Trunk, Featherston and Upper Hutt on the Wairarapa Line
Wairarapa Line
The Wairarapa Line is a secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city of Wellington with the Wairarapa region. The line ends at Woodville, where it joins the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line...
, and Arthur's Pass and Otira on the Midland Line
Midland Line, New Zealand
The Midland line is a 212 km section of railway between Rolleston and Greymouth in the South Island of New Zealand. The line features five major bridges, five viaducts and 17 tunnels, the longest of which is the Otira tunnel.-Freight services:...
. This is due to steam operation being too dangerous within the confinements of tunnels on those sections of line.
Pakistan
- Bolan Pass Railway between Aab-i-Gum and KolpurKolpurKolpur is town and union council of Bolan District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is located at 29°53'60N 67°7'60E and has an altitude of 2087 metres ....
- Khyber Pass Railway
Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka RailwaysSri Lanka RailwaysSri Lanka Railway Department, branded "Sri Lanka Railways", is a key department of the Sri Lankan Government under the Ministry of Transport with a history that begins in 1858...
- Upcountry line - To climb 1:44 ratio incline between Rambukkana to KadugannawaKadugannawaKadugannawa is a town in Kandy District in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is located along the A1 road west of Peradeniya. The town is served by Kadugannawa Railway Station and has the Kadugannawa Central College.-References:...
and from NawalapitiyaNawalapitiyaNawalapitiya is a town in the country of Sri Lanka. It is in the Kandy administrative district, 38 kilometers away from Kandy. The town is near Mahaweli Ganga. Nawalapitiya is a one of the well planned towns of SriLanka.It is well connected to all nearby important places by Bus...
to Pattipola. when returning BadullaBadullaBadulla , is the capital of Uva Province, Sri Lanka. Badulla is located 60 km southeast of Kandy, almost encircled by the Badulu Oya River, about 680 metres above sea level and is surrounded by picturesque hills and mountains, most of which have tea plantations.-Geography:It is located on the...
to Pattipola, for Night Mail train
Switzerland
- Gotthard lineGotthardbahnGotthardbahn was the name of a private Swiss railway company which operated the railway line from Immensee to Chiasso . Nowadays this term usually does not refer to that company, but to the railway line itself...
- 27‰. Frequent electric banking services for freight trains, SBB-CFF-FFSSBB-CFF-FFSSwiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
and others - Lötschberg line - 27‰. Frequent electric banking services until the opening of the Lötschberg Base TunnelLötschberg Base TunnelThe Lötschberg Base Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the BLS Lötschbergbahn's Lötschberg Line cutting through the Alps of Switzerland some below the existing Lötschberg Tunnel. It is currently the world's longest land tunnel and accommodates passenger and freight trains. It runs between Frutigen,...
in June 2007; now most of heavy trains use the base tunnel (maximum 15‰ on northern approach) and bank engines are less frequently used; BLSBLSAs an acronym, BLS may stand for:*BLS *Bachelor of Library Science*Bare lymphocyte syndrome*Basic life support, an emergency medical protocol*BellSouth, ticker symbol for the United States telephone company...
, SBB-CFF-FFSSBB-CFF-FFSSwiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
and others - SüdostbahnSüdostbahnThe Südostbahn – commonly abbreviated to SOB – is a railway company and network in Switzerland.- Structure :...
between Pfäffikon SZ and Arth-Goldau - 52‰. Electric banking services (using locomotives or EMUs) often necessary when the Voralpenexpress has additional coaches - Monte Ceneri PassMonte Ceneri PassMonte Ceneri Pass is a mountain pass in the Alps in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.It connects the Magadino plain and the Vedeggio valley....
line (part of the Gotthard lineGotthardbahnGotthardbahn was the name of a private Swiss railway company which operated the railway line from Immensee to Chiasso . Nowadays this term usually does not refer to that company, but to the railway line itself...
) - 28‰ northern ramp, 20‰ southern ramp. Frequent electric banking services, SBB-CFF-FFSSBB-CFF-FFSSwiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
and others
United Kingdom
- The 'Long Drag' to Ais Gill Summit on the former Midland RailwayMidland RailwayThe Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
Settle-CarlisleSettle-Carlisle RailwayThe Settle–Carlisle Line is a long main railway line in northern England. It is also known as the Settle and Carlisle. It is a part of the National Rail network and was constructed in the 1870s...
Line required the use of pilot engines in both directions during the steam era. - Beattock Bank on the former Caledonian RailwayCaledonian RailwayThe Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
section of the West Coast Main LineWest Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
. Prior to electrification banking engines were required for northbound trains (from BeattockBeattockThe village of Beattock is located in the southern lowlands of Scotland, and lies within the administrative area of Dumfries and Galloway. It is surrounded by the parish of Kirkpatrick Juxta. It was an important stabling point for horses in the olden days with a coach house at one end of the village...
station to Beattock SummitBeattock SummitBeattock Summit is a high point of the West Coast Main Line railway and of the A74 motorway as they cross from Dumfries and Galloway to South Lanarkshire in south west Scotland.- Railway history :...
). - Cowlairs Bank, outside Glasgow Queen Street stationGlasgow Queen Street railway stationGlasgow Queen Street is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland, the smaller of the city's two main line railway termini and the third-busiest station in Scotland. It is between George Street to the south and Cathedral Street Bridge to the north, at the northern end of Queen Street adjacent to...
is short but steep (2.4%, or 1 in 42), and much of it is in a tunnel. Cable workedCable railwayA cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
until 1909, the use of banking locomotives finally ended in the 1980s. - Druimuachdar Summit on the Highland Main LineHighland Main LineThe Highland Main Line is a railway line in Scotland. It is long and runs through the Scottish Highlands linking a series of small towns and villages with Perth at one end and Inverness at the other. Today, services between Inverness and Edinburgh, Glasgow and London use the line...
- Ilfracombe branch lineIlfracombe Branch LineThe Ilfracombe Branch of the London & South Western Railway , ran between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe in North Devon. The branch opened as a single-track line in 1874, but was sufficiently popular that it needed to be upgraded to double-track in 1889....
(2.8%, or 1-in-36) – Steam until 1964 - FalahillFalahillFalahill is a village in the Scottish Borders, in the Moorfoot Hills, at , in the Parish of Heriot, and close to the border with Midlothian.Nearby are Gilston, the Heriot Water, Oxton, Scottish Borders, Soutra Hill, and Torquhan.-External links:****...
Bank on the northern part of the former North British RailwayNorth British RailwayThe North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...
'Waverley Route' (closed in 1969, but scheduled to reopen). Banking engines were required for southbound trains (from Hardengreen Junction, near DalkeithDalkeithDalkeith is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the River North Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540...
, to Falahill Summit) - Lickey InclineLickey InclineThe Lickey Incline is the steepest sustained main-line railway incline in Great Britain and is situated south of Birmingham, in England. The climb is a gradient of 1-in-37.7 for a continuous distance of two miles ....
, where banking of goods trains by EWS class 66 locomotivesBritish Rail Class 66The Class 66 is a six axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the British Rail Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies...
still occurs. - Peak ForestPeak ForestPeak Forest is a small village on the main road the from Chapel-en-le-Frith to Chesterfield in England.The village grew from the earlier settlement of Dam at the conjunction of Perrydale and Damdale. There is an inn, a village shop and a Primary School...
, DerbyshireDerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
– SteamSteam locomotiveA steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
then dieselDiesel locomotiveA diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
until late 1980s - The Buxton LineBuxton LineThe Buxton Line is a railway line in northern England, connecting Manchester with Buxton in Derbyshire. Passenger services on the line are currently operated by Northern Rail and most continue through Manchester from Blackpool North.-History:...
in DerbyshireDerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx... - Slochd Summit on the Highland Main Line
- Whiteball Bank, SomersetSomersetThe ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
- WhitropeWhitropeWhitrope is a densely forested area, high in the Southern Upland hills managed by the Forestry Commission in the south central Scottish Borders of Scotland, in the former Roxburghshire....
Summit on the former North British Railway 'Waverley Route' (closed in 1969). Banking engines were employed in both the southbound direction (from HawickHawickHawick is a town in the Scottish Borders of south east Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-southeast of Selkirk. It is one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and the biggest town in the former county of Roxburghshire. Hawick's architecture is...
), and northbound (from NewcastletonNewcastletonNewcastleton, or Copshaw Holm is a village in the Scottish Borders, a few miles from the border of Scotland with England. The village is in Liddesdale and is on the Liddel Water, and is the site of Hermitage Castle.-History:...
) - Worsbrough Bank (also known as the Wentworth Incline), South YorkshireSouth YorkshireSouth Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, on the Worsborough branch of the Woodhead LineWoodhead LineThe Woodhead Line was a railway line linking Sheffield, Penistone and Manchester in the north of England. A key feature of the route is the passage under the high moorlands of the northern Peak District through the Woodhead Tunnels...
– Steam until 1953 then electricManchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railwayThe Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railway was an early electrification scheme on British railways. The route featured long ascents on both sides of the Pennines with the long Woodhead Tunnel at its central summit close to the Woodhead pass...
until 1981 - nominally 2.5% (1 in 40) but steeper in parts due to colliery subsidence - ShapShapShap is a linear village and civil parish located amongst fells and isolated dales in Eden district, Cumbria, England. The village lies along the A6 road and the West Coast Main Line, and is near to the M6 motorway...
on the former London and North Western RailwayLondon and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
section of the West Coast Main Line, required banking of northbound trains in the steam era - On the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway, southbound trains were banked from Bath to the summit at Combe Down Tunnel, also from Radstock to Masbury Summit, while northbound trains were banked from Evercreech Junction to Binegar.
United States
- Byron Hill - Canadian National, ex-Wisconsin Central Limited, originally Soo LineSoo Line RailroadThe Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , controlled through the Soo Line Corporation, and one of seven U.S. Class I railroads. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste...
- Cajon PassCajon PassCajon Pass is a moderate-elevation mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California in the United States. It was created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault...
– BNSF RailwayBNSF RailwayThe BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
, ex-Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe - Cowan, TennesseeCowan, TennesseeCowan is a city in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,737 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, Cumberland Mountain Tunnel, CSX, ex-Seaboard System, ex-L&N, originallyN.C.&St.L. - Crawford Hill, Nebraska- BNSF's Nebraska helper district climb with twin horseshoeHorseshoeA horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...
curves. Helpers are based in the nearby town of CrawfordCrawford, NebraskaCrawford is a city in Dawes County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 997 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1886 and was named for the late Captain Emmet Crawford who had previously been stationed at nearby Fort Robinson.-Geography:...
. - Cuesta Grade – Union Pacific, ex-Southern Pacific
- Donner PassDonner PassDonner Pass is a mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, located above Donner Lake about nine miles west of Truckee, California. It has a steep approach from the east and a gradual approach from the west....
– Union Pacific, ex-Southern Pacific - Gallitzin SummitGallitzin TunnelThe Gallitzin Tunnels in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, formed the Pennsylvania Railroad's passage through the Allegheny Mountains in western Pennsylvania. Ownership of the tunnels has been successively transferred from the Pennsylvania Railroad to Penn Central Transportation Company, then to Conrail...
– Norfolk Southern, ex-Conrail, ex-Penn Central, ex-Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.... - Marias PassMarias PassMarias Pass is a high mountain pass near Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana in the United States.The pass traverses the continental divide in the Lewis Range, along the boundary between the Lewis and Clark National Forest and the Flathead National Forest...
– BNSF Railway Company, ex-Burlington Northern, originally Great Northern - Moffat Tunnel LineMoffat TunnelThe Moffat Tunnel is a railroad and water tunnel that cuts through the Continental Divide in north-central Colorado. Named after Colorado railroad pioneer David Moffat, the tunnel's first railroad traffic passed through in February 1928....
– Union Pacific, ex-Denver and Rio Grande Western - Mullen Pass – Montana Rail Link, ex-Burlington Northern, originally Northern Pacific,
- Raton PassRaton PassRaton Pass is a mountain pass on the Santa Fe Trail along the Colorado-New Mexico border in the United States. Raton Pass is a federally designated National Historic Landmark...
– BNSF Railway Company, ex-Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe - Saluda GradeSaluda GradeSaluda Grade is the steepest standard-gauge mainline railway grade in the United States. Owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway as part of its W Line, the Saluda Grade in Polk County, North Carolina consists of a three-mile section of track that rises over in elevation with a highest official...
– Norfolk Southern, ex-Southern Railway. The steepest grade in North America at 5.03%. Currently out of service. The trailing end of a three car passenger train would be completely above the locomotive. - Sand Patch GradeSand Patch GradeSand Patch Grade is a ~100 mile length of railroad track known for its steep grades and curves through the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and Maryland. The line is part of the Keystone Subdivision, an East-West main line operated by CSX Transportation...
– CSX TransportationCSX TransportationCSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, ex-Chessie SystemChessie SystemChessie System, Inc. was a holding company that owned the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway , the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , the Western Maryland Railway , and several smaller carriers. It was incorporated in Virginia on February 26, 1973, and it acquired the C&O on June 15...
, originally Baltimore & Ohio, - San Gorgonio PassSan Gorgonio PassThe San Gorgonio Pass el. cuts between the San Bernardino Mountains on the north and the San Jacinto Mountains to the south. Like the Cajon Pass to the northwest, it was also created by the San Andreas Fault...
– Union Pacific, ex-Southern Pacific - Snoqualmie PassSnoqualmie PassSnoqualmie Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 through the Cascade Range in the U.S. State of Washington. The elevation of the pass summit is , and is on the county line between Kittitas County and King County...
– Milwaukee RoadChicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific RailroadThe Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names... - Soldier SummitSoldier Summit, UtahSoldier Summit is the name of both a mountain pass in the Wasatch Mountains in Utah and a ghost town located at the pass. Soldier Summit has been an important transportation route between the Wasatch Front and Price, Utah since the area was settled by the Mormon pioneers. It is on the route of both...
– Union Pacific, ex-Denver and Rio Grande Western - Stevens PassStevens PassStevens Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Mountains located at the border of King County and Chelan County in Washington, United States....
– BNSF Railway, ex-Burlington Northern, ex-Great Northern - Tehachapi LoopTehachapi LoopThe Tehachapi Loop is a long 'spiral', or helix, on The Union Pacific Railroad through Tehachapi Pass, in south central California. The railroad line connects Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley to Mojave in the Antelope Valley. The loop takes its name from the circuitous route it takes, in...
– Union Pacific, ex-Southern Pacific - Tennessee PassTennessee Pass (Colorado)Tennessee Pass elevation is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States.The pass traverses the continental divide north of Leadville in a gap between the northern end of the Sawatch Range to the west and the northern end of the Mosquito Range to the east...
– Union Pacific, ex-Denver and Rio Grande Western - Thayer North Sub – BNSF Railway helpers out of Springfield, MO
External links
- Ghost Depot's entry for Soldier Summit. This page has a photo of a 4-header train with rear helper on the western approach to Soldier Summit