SW1200 with unusual feature

[n2mopac]

Well, since we have brought this back up, here is an update on the link to the picture to this switcher.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw134ajs.jpg

There is also a very good picture of this loco with this feature in the July '04 issue of Trains on page 60 in the article about Saginaw, TX

For a point of reference, here is a picture of a CN SW12000 that clearly does not have this little hood extension in front of the cab.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cn/cn1234ags.jpg

Thanks for your input.

Ron

[ericsp]

Rio Grande's SW1200s did not have dynamic brakes.

[n2mopac]

I can't believe someone dug this old topic of mine up, but since I never really found a solid answer, thanks. I am still planning to model this locomotive in N scale one day. I appreciate the info.

Ron

[Anonymous]

All I can tell you is that the box area was additional cooling as the three engines numbered
1201, 1202, 1203 were custom built with larger power plants to keep the wheight down while crossing bridges while taking a string of cars from Powers to Coos Bay . This was cheaper than building new bridges. I have photos of these engines as both my dad and grandfather worked on this logging line. hope this info isn't too late to help?

[n2mopac]

Here is one last attempt. Does anyone know what the protrusion in the angled part of the hood just in fron of the cab is on thei SW12000? Here is a link to the pic.
http://gelwood.railfan.net/other/drgw/drgw134ajs.jpg
Thanks all.
Ron

[CHESSIEMIKE]

I'm still looking

[CHESSIEMIKE]

Posting this so I don't loose the thread. You mean NO ONE knows what this extra part is for?
CHESSIEMIKE

[n2mopac]

I was surfing railfan.net and found a great photo of the EXACT switcher I am looking at (#134). It is a rear exposure and does not show the housing in question extremely well, but it is visible and comparing this pic with the one above of #133 should give everyone a pretty good look. Here is the link.
http://gelwood.railfan.net/other/drgw/drgw134ajs.jpg
Ron

[n2mopac]

YES!!! That is it. as you can see, this has a different look from those with the dynamic breaks, even with the low profile break housing. As you pointed out, there is no abvious fan housing or radiator grill. It may turn out that this is still some sort of dynamic break rigging, but I would appreciate it if someone could confirm this from D&RGW #133 link mentioned in Mike's message. That switcher is noteably only one previous delivery to the switcher I origionally enquired about (D&RGW#134). Thanks for all the help all.
Ron

[CHESSIEMIKE]

I found another photo. D&RGW #133
http://gelwood.railfan.net/other/drgw/drgw133ags.jpg
After seeing this photo I have no idea what the extra part of the hood is for!! It does not look to have a fan or grills. I hope we can find out.
CHESSIEMIKE

[CHESSIEMIKE]

Here is a link to LV#264 that had the same dyuamic brake option. http://gelwood.railfan.net/other/lv/lv264ags.jpg
They also have other LV switchers but this was the best view of the dynamic brake area of the locomotive. I hope this helps.
CHESSIEMIKE

[n2mopac]

That is very interesting. I have seen the switchers with the dynamic brakes resembling the one in the link, but the one you describe is new to me. I'll have to try to look that up. If anyone knows of a pic or link to a pic of a switcher like this, let me know. Hopefully we can clear this up for certain. It would be good to know exactly what I am modeling when I start this project.
Ron

[CHESSIEMIKE]

From the start I to thought it was a dynamic brake box. I looked in "The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide" and on page EMD-45 are two photos of EMD switchers with this option. One is a Coos Bay Lumber Co. SW1200 #1202 that has a box similar to the one in the link posted earler. The other is a Lehigh Valley SW8 #268 that has a box that is very close to your description. I know, wrong model, wrong railroad, but I think what you have is an EMD switcher with the dynamic brake option.
CHESSIEMIKE

[n2mopac]

Thanks for the link to the pic, but this enclosure is not nearly this big. It is more like an etension of the level hood strait back toward the cab over the normally angled portion, about 2/3 of the distance from where the angle begins toward the cab, then dropping strait down into the regular angle of this portion of the cab.
Ron

[Anonymous]

Did the enclosure look like this. (See link)

http://www.trainweb.org/rosters/CANFOR303.html
That's a Canadian Forest Products SW1200RS, it was purchased new from GMDD in 1956, equipped with Dynamic Brakes.

Tyler

[n2mopac]

This switcher does not have the signal/warning lights of a remote unit. It is possible, I suppose, the D&RG used this as a remote unit, and that it was converted back to a manual drive only when sold to this local granery. I will have to look into this possibility. Thanks
Ron

[n2mopac]

This protrusion is completely enclosed, so I do not see how it could be a cooling system for dynamic brakes, but thanks for the input.

[thirdrail1]

Ed, New Haven was a unionized railroad that was merged into Penn central in 1969. They surely did not have remote control units - the unions are still claiming they are unsafe. I think you mean they were equipped for multiple unit control, where one loco controls others in a consist, not remote control, where the locomotive is controlled by someone on the ground or in an office away from the loco. Jamie is talking about the remote control locos used in steel mills where the loco is controlled by a man on the ground, not in the cab. You can tell an MU equipped unit by the additional hoses on the ends.

[edo1039]

Most of New Haven's SW1200 were equipped with the remote system mentioned in earlier reply.

[Anonymous]

The only other thing I can think of that this might be is part of a remote unit. Usually there are a red, yellow, and geen lights on top of the cab above the side windows of the cab, but not always. Let us know if you find out.........Jamie

[thirdrail1]

Is there by any chance a fan on top of it? A few SW units were equipped with dynamic braking, though mostly those were sold to logging roads.

[n2mopac]

A local grain elevator has an old Denver & Rio Grande SW1200 with an unusual feature. The switcher is #134, which I have confirmed is definately a SW1200 and was produced in 1965. The unusual feature is on the angled portion of the hood just in front of the cab. There is some sort of panel that proturdes back toward the cab over part of the angled hood toward the cab. It appears to be completely enclosed and the top is basicly level with the remainder of the hood. Does anyone know what this feature is?
Ron