Prototypical Consisting Order?

[KB02]

Had a great night last night just playing with my trains. I set up a three engine consists to pull a longer freight with my three GP38-2's. (speed matching was interesting - otherwise identical Athearn Blue Box locos with top voltages set at 245, 130 and 95 to run at the same speed... that's just crazy...) Anyway, I set the running order to have the first two engine running forward and the third to run in reverse. That got me to thinking...

Is there a prototypical standard to the order/orientation of engines in a consist?

There almost always seems to be one or two engines (or more) running in the reverse direction, but is there a particular pattern to design to it?

 

[Ronzzr11]

If you run the third loco in reverse,then you don,t need to turn the loco consist around to be able to drive them forwards from the other end cab.
Ron

 

[santafewillie]

Real diesels don't care which direction they are running, it's all the same. Ron pretty much hit the nail on the head. The real railroads generally always had at least one diesel facing in the opposite direction so when the train got to its destination, they just used that loco for the lead loco on the return trip. While it was usually the last one, that wasn't always the case. Sometimes a little re-arranging was needed, but no turning (turntable or wye) was needed. On the Amtrak "Heartland Flyer" train between Oklahoma City and Ft Worth, there is a diesel on each end (facing opposite directions) of a three-car passenger train for this very reason. I don't know if the trailing one is powered or not when it is not the lead.

Willie

 

[Iron Horseman]

Is there a prototypical standard to the order/orientation of engines in a consist?

In addition to what ronzzr11 said, the CB&Q would often run their passenger E units elephant style (all facing forward) so that the train could be broken into different pieces through the route. One loco would take part of the train and head north, while another would take part of the train further west. Elephant style the locos didn't need to be turned for their continued assignment, only at the end of the line when they had to be serviced anyway.

So it all depends on the assignment of the train, its future assignments, and what makes the most efficient operation of the railroad.

 

[Ronzzr11]

For an idea how real railroads run their consists,go to Railpictures.net,where you can see just about every combination of loco imaginable,in pairs back to back,elephant style,or Southern style.