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Top and tail

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A top-and-tail railway train has locomotives at both ends, for ease of changing direction. This is a British term. It is normal for only the leading locomotive to power the train when in top-and-tail mode, cf push pull operation with both locomotives powering.

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It is properly distinct from a push-pull train, which has a locomotive at one end and a control cab at the other end.

Trains going up zig zags of the Khyber Pass are top-and-tailed, although Pakistan Railways calls this by a different term.

In Japan, the term "push-pull" is confusingly used to describe trains top-and-tailed with a locomotive at either end. (True push-pull operation with a locomotive at one end is not seen on Japanese mainline railways.)

United States

  • Amtrak's Vermonter - train reverses direction at Palmer, Massachusetts
  • Atlantic City Express Service - uses a diesel locomotive for part of the route and electric for the remainder with the switch taking place at Frankford Junction, Pennsylvania
  • Amtrak Acela - has power cars at both ends. Only the seats are flipped for the reverse direction.

    • Australia

  • Minto Inland Port - no run round
  • Tahmoor colliery - balloon loop now faces wrong way.
  • Macquarie Generation - operates coal trains on spot market where balloon loops and sidings often face the wrong way.
  • Grain trains loading at the Brabhams loader just west of Temora now usually work top and tail between Temora yard and the loader.
  • Rail Transport Museum of New South Wales operates trains between Sydney and Thirlmere with a steam engine at one end and a diesel engine at the other. The steam engine is at the front whenever passengers are on board.

    • New Zealand

  • EA class used in a six-carriage train to supplement Wellington electric multiple units until arrival of the Matangi electric multiple units.

    • References

    Top and tail Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA