BNSF 7867 has thick stanchions

[Lyon_Wonder]

This BNSF ES44DC has thicker/oversized stanchions.  Reminds me of the stanchions on some plastic model locos.

http://www.locophotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=110472

[CAZEPHYR]

Lyon_Wonder

This BNSF ES44DC has thicker/oversized stanchions.  Reminds me of the stanchions on some plastic model locos.

http://www.locophotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=110472

I think it is the high contrast picture that makes it look like that.  The detail of the stanchion cannot be seen in the picture.  The front ones with the yellow show detail but the side ones look like a solid upright, which is not what GE uses.

CZ

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

After looking at the picture a bit more carefully, it appears that the stanchions are U-shaped angle irons.

[CAZEPHYR]

CSSHEGEWISCH

After looking at the picture a bit more carefully, it appears that the stanchions are U-shaped angle irons.

The picture makes them look like a solid large bar, but they are U-shaped angle irons as you said.  For some reason the contrast of the picture wipes out the detail and makes them look larger.  

CZ

[tdmidget]

 OK what is a "U shaped angle iron"?

[Leo_Ames]

tdmidget

 OK what is a "U shaped angle iron"?

 Just take a look at the photograph. You can clearly see their physical shape when you look at the yellow stanchions at the front of the locomotive.

[tdmidget]

 There  is no such thing as a "U shaped angle iron". Those are channels, not angles.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tpub.com/inteng/1.htm33.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.tpub.com/inteng/1l.htm&usg=__Lajpd7tTC-Cjr8UZaQPAQ05EtXs=&h=360&w=309&sz=20&hl=en&start=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=0bWTSr7ldLKJqM:&tbnh=121&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstructural%2Bsteel%2Bshapes%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26tbs%3Disch:1

[Rainhilltrial]

GE has indeed changed the design of the vertical handrail stanchions. The new design is a very-large square U-shape.

It's claimed to be a manufacturing simplicity change but frankly I think they look horrible.