What is this for?

[Willy2]

I've noticed that on a lot of Dash 9 locomotives there is a small, white, domelike square on the roof of the locomotive, directly above the cab. What purpose does this serve?

[edblysard]

GPS and radio....

Ed

[Glen Ellyn]

Propably an entenna built into the engine to tale to aliens. [;)]

[mudchicken]

Dash 9 had to have a way to phone home (GEM Center at Schenectady NY) and dump its current diagnostics into their computer.

[zardoz]

As Ed said, it is the weatherproof housing for the communication antennas. (Similar in function to the domes you see protecting the Doppler weather radars)

[Willy2]

QUOTE: Originally posted by zardoz

As Ed said, it is the weatherproof housing for the communication antennas. (Similar in function to the domes you see protecting the Doppler weather radars)

Thanks. I like your comparison to the Doppler radar protection domes.

[Anonymous]

Since earlier response mentioned GE...the white enclosure is likely a GE LocoCAM package or one of several communication antenna enclosures for GE LocoCOMM, PinPoint, LiteCOM, or Expert-on-Alert systems/services.

Also note that GE's Locomotive Remote Monitoring & Diagnostics Center is located at GE Rail's HQ in Erie, PA (not Schenectady as mentioned above).

[adrianspeeder]

Hello and welcome [:)]. I see "reasearch and GE" in your name. You wouldn't happen to be employed by a certain company that makes locos would you? [;)] Could you be the mother load of info we have all been looking for? [?]

Have a good day Sir,
Adrianspeeder

[Mookie]

Was wondering the same thing myself!

[wabash1]

mother load of what ? there is not much to know about the junk ge produces

[Anonymous]

MY cat!

[mudchicken]

davenport is correct - it is Erie (I've been there).....but did not get a rise out of the supposed "experts" that should know. If the fella works at Erie, maybe he can drop a few hints a-la wabash's barb. In my case, somebody do something about the limited coupler throw on those things. The big GE units are hell on low numbered turnouts and sharp curves - all they are designed to do is go straight!............

[Anonymous]

Somebody bashing GE. I hope not a GM type person. General Motors can't even design a fuel cap cover to work right on an automobile.

[Anonymous]

That Antenna ia for direct comminucations through the state of the art fiber optics system on board all -9 locs that way GE can tell exactly where the fire started

[mudchicken]

[:-,][:-,][:-,] ...odd, They (GEM) also are watching most oth the newer EMD's too (alledgedly GM-Hughes system was not reliable).......

[Anonymous]

please remove me from your e-mail list

[coborn35]

I believe that was [#offtopic]

[bestengineer]

For raido comm. As a "retired" engineer, I've ran GE's and EMD's . Give me EMD'S any day& night! Bestengineer.