A consist manager for controlling a consist having a lead locomotive and at least one trailing locomotive. A graphical user interface displays a lead locomotive image and at least one trailing locomotive imagers. The graphical user interfaces allows a user to selectively identify train characteristics of each of the first and second locomotives. The consist manager receives a control command and determines a first power operating mode of the first locomotive and a second power operating mode of the second locomotive as a function of the control command and the identified train characteristics. The consist manager controls the first locomotive according to the first power operating mode and controls the second locomotive according to the second operating mode.