Power Position!

[Anonymous]

Im realy interested in how you modelers set your Locomotives (Power).
Do you like Cab Forword,Back to Back,or do you like the NS Long Hood first?
With all the Wide Cabs of today I like my Power Back to Back.
Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Interesting question. I have often wondered what the prototype is. I am from the UK and model US. Is there a right and a wrong way as far as the prototype goes?

[johncolley]

It depended on the railroad. Several of the railroads originally ('40's-'50's) ran their road switchers long end front for protection of the crew in case of collision. The engineers and firemen were used to looking down the length of the boiler on most steam engines except the SP cab-forwards. I know Great Northern was one. They eventually changed to cab end front for the added visibility probably about the time they started phasing out the covered wagons ('70's) in favor of the road switchers and SD's.

[Anonymous]

I run long nose front, course I run steam, so except for SP cab forwards, everythings long nose. [:P]

[ndbprr]

Au Contrare! Early engines didn't mate well with other makes or other models. The F units underwent continuous improvements especially in the area of traction motors between the F3 and the F7 and when coupled the F3 ad to be the lead engine so the hogger wouldn't burn up its inferior traction motors. The PRR kept models separate nearly to the end of its existence. My personal taste when running them on my model railroad is to keep same models together and run them elephant style rather than bidirectional. I like the look and it is a subtle prompt which way the train is running. My opinion on early diesels being long hood forward with nothing factual to support it is the first engines replicated what was being done with steam engines with the boiler sticking out in front. It would be a logical decision by the crews to want them that way.

[Junctionfan]

I prefer back to back so I don't have to worry about turning power.

[Anonymous]

The reason I was asking this here was to see how (YOU) Modelers Position your power on your Layouts to get in idea of how many Modelers realy run there Power!

[jwar]

Every railroad had its preference. Some were long nose to front and other roads wanted the cab in front.

If the cab was to normaly run forward, the letter F was close to eye level just behind the front (cab) step. The reverser switch inside the cab on the controll stand would slide towards the front for forward and towards the long end for reverse.

If the unit was to normally run long end first, the letter F would be at the long end step. The reverser swich when running forward would be slid towards the long end of the unit and when in reverse it would be positioned or slid in the direction of the cab end, which in this case was the back of the engine.

The Letter F was to let the crew or shop inspectors set the control panel so that when MUed these two units would not pull against each other if the cabs were both facing in the same direction.

The letter F was a fed regulation desigating which way was to normaly run forward, so that the electric controls in the cab could be swiched so that the MUed units would pull in the same direction. Also for the engine crew operating a diferent road engine.

Has be a few years and the best I can remember is that the electric controll panel had a rotary type swich, desiganing , Lead long end forward, cab forward, dead in transit, trail long end forward, cab forward.
When we had a foreign roads engine, this was what we looked for, before getting on the engine to set the selectors.
Good detailing on engines have the F in a contrasting color. It was a fed regulation to have, I dont remember if it was 3 or 4 inches in height.

[johncolley]

Remember, too, that depending on the order which way was forward, the control stand and engineer's seat were ALWAYS on the right hand facing forward.

[Dayliner]

I limit my trains to one unit each to keep them short (I've worked out an arbitrary tonnage table for each unit to determine how many each of loads and empties it can pull), and I have no turning facilities on my layout. So, it's short hood forward in one direction, long hood forward in the other, just like the big boys do if they have to. I run first generation Geeps, so that works fine for now; when I finally break down and get an F unit, things will get interesting.

Another thing to think about is how you position your yard switchers. Visibility is a huge issue for yard crews, and I run my switchers so that the engineer is always on the outside of the ladder track so he can see the men on the ground and the position of the switch targets.