Hammerheads?

[Anonymous]

This is a question that I know is weird but where does the term "Hammerhead"come from and what if any locos does it apply to?

[Anonymous]

There were certain Alco RS-3 locomotives the one I remember was Lehigh Valley Railroad #211 that had higher than normal short hood containing a stream generator for passenger service. This gave the unit a unique appearance. LV received the unit in trade from the PRR during its relationship as a ward of the PRR. Western Maryland also apparently had some of these units I believe these were known as "Hammerheads" by some. One of these units is preserved in a Railroad Museum in Rochester, NY. There may also be other uses of this slang. Check out page 53 of Lehigh Valley in Color (Vol. 1) by Yanosey for a photo.

LC

[AltonFan]

I've only seen the term "hammerhead" applied to certain GE locomotives that had dynamic break grids hanging off the sides of the body. I want to say this only applied to GE units owned by Southern and Norfolk & Western who ran these locomotives long end forward. It was kind of a cool look.

[CShaveRR]

Actually, it was the overhanging radiator fans on some of the U-Boats, and their black paint (SOU) that gave rise to that monicker. The photo that accompanied its mention in Trains was great...you wouldn't call it anything else after that!

The Alcos mentioned above also were distinctive, and I'd heard the term applied to them. The Alco road switchers' short hoods could accommodate either dynamic brakes or a steam generator without an increase in height, but when you had both, you needed the height.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR

Actually, it was the overhanging radiator fans on some of the U-Boats, and their black paint (SOU) that gave rise to that monicker. The photo that accompanied its mention in Trains was great...you wouldn't call it anything else after that!

The Alcos mentioned above also were distinctive, and I'd heard the term applied to them. The Alco road switchers' short hoods could accommodate either dynamic brakes or a steam generator without an increase in height, but when you had both, you needed the height.

Seems to me this could apply to some of the old Dash 8's and Dash 9's - if you look at them at the right angle?

Mookie

[Anonymous]

Mook, Hammerheads are a less agressive water dwelling creature when compared to the Great White. HeHeHe. Seriousely the other use for this term is for the W.O.R.S. (workorder reporting system) that we use on locals and roadswitchers on the BNSF. The Hammerhead is a laptop computer sized device that has a touch screen similar to a palm pilot and downloads all of the car #s, spots and pulls for a specific job. You report the work done thru this little dude directly to Ft. Worth's Service Support when you install it back in the cradle at the Depot. It is loaded with track info for all of the tracks that you will be working on a given job and you use this to move the cars into different tracks or into your train to keep our track inventory straight. It is kinda a pain in the *** to use....but, hey that's technology.
Ken

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ironken

Mook, Hammerheads are a less agressive water dwelling creature when compared to the Great White. HeHeHe. Seriousely the other use for this term is for the W.O.R.S. (workorder reporting system) that we use on locals and roadswitchers on the BNSF. The Hammerhead is a laptop computer sized device that has a touch screen similar to a palm pilot and downloads all of the car #s, spots and pulls for a specific job. You report the work done thru this little dude directly to Ft. Worth's Service Support when you install it back in the cradle at the Depot. It is loaded with track info for all of the tracks that you will be working on a given job and you use this to move the cars into different tracks or into your train to keep our track inventory straight. It is kinda a pain in the *** to use....but, hey that's technology.
Ken

[8D] Ok Ken - now that sounds like a job the Mook could do! This might be better than engineer or definitely better than conductor. Mookie needs to re-think her job possibilities! But on my really short line - I could probably do at least engineer and puter ... still will need a conductor, tho! Even the Mook has limits!

Thanx for that info - sounds very intriguing!

Mookie

[Anonymous]

Mook, you can have the Hammerhead. I hate it and to be quite honest, I would rather carry around paper workorders and just radio in the work to Field Support. How about the next time that I catch a local, you come and run the Hammerhead and I'll do the ballast beatin'.
Ken

[adrianspeeder]

Limitedclear it right on the head (pun intended) by saying LV's #211. To give a better idea, picture the short hood on the RS3 level with the top of the cab. I have a pic, if anybody want's it, just give a hollar in my general direction.

Adrianspeeder

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ironken

Mook, you can have the Hammerhead. I hate it and to be quite honest, I would rather carry around paper workorders and just radio in the work to Field Support. How about the next time that I catch a local, you come and run the Hammerhead and I'll do the ballast beatin'.
Ken

[8D] You're on Bud! That would be great fun!

Mook

[CShaveRR]

I see where you're coming from on the modern GE locomotives, but their radiator compartments are really too angular nowadays. Those old U-boats had rather smooth lines, and actually looked the part. The first Dash-8s, with the current style of radiator area, were called "techno-toasters" in some circles.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR

I see where you're coming from on the modern GE locomotives, but their radiator compartments are really too angular nowadays. Those old U-boats had rather smooth lines, and actually looked the part. The first Dash-8s, with the current style of radiator area, were called "techno-toasters" in some circles.

We have one running around here in Lincoln and I can see why! [:)]

Moo