Question re some large modern diesels

[Lithonia Operator]

I am not up on current engines. I have noticed something on some current big units which I hope someone can explain.

I THINK a unit with this feature is a GE ES44AC.

I see what appears to be a cabinet of some sort behind the cab, taking up some of the space where the walkway usually is. The normal part of the walkway, if traveled by a man walking forward, does not reach the cab; it seems that the walkway dead-ends at that cabinet. However, on top of the cabinet I see railings, but they do not appear to be tall enough to protect a man standing on top of the cabinet. Plus, even if there were a vertical ladder mounted on the aft end of the cabinet, any man that high up would be too far up to enter the cab.

I seems as though a man must pass BEHIND the cabinet, as viewed from the side. It seems there must be steps hidden from view, inboard of the cabinet, upon which the man climbs up to cab-door height, and when the man reaches that level, he is still somewhat obscured (maybe waist-down), by the upper part of the cabinet. A man opening the cab door would be only partially visible, and the railing height there is short because it only needs to be the top portion of the protective “wall,“ with the cabinet comprising the lower part of the “wall.”

Have I got this figured out? ??? I have never seen a photo in which this mystery is cleared up for me. I’ve never seen a shot in which a crewman is entering the cab from aft. Or one taken at an angle which would clear up my confusion.

Maybe I am fooled by some optical illusion? ????

Can someone explain what it is I am seeing?

 

[ccc]

While I am not perfectly familer with the actual cab of the ET44C4, which seems to have no access to the conductor side of the cab from behind, as you described, I think there still would be access to the cab from behind the Engineer side of the cab.

[BigJim]

There are no doors to the locomotive on the conductors side of the unit. There hasn't been a door there on hood units for ages. What handrails you are seeing there are for maintainece personel.

[Lithonia Operator]

Thanks so much, CCC and BigJim.

I had no idea that modern units have no conductor-side door aft! I live in Maine, and we don’t see as many newer units here as in some other places.

Do all such units have a nose door forward? (I would assume so.)

 

[mandealco]

Hi

Even traditional road switchers (pre-wide-nose safety cab units) only had 2 cab doors, left front and right rear.

Cheers
Steve

[Lithonia Operator]

Thanks, Steve. I never picked up on that. Duh. 

[HR616]

The EMD SD70ACe-T4 has a conductor's side emergency door that the crew can exit through, altough its not intended for regular use (since one would have to crawl out on top of the inverter cabinet).

[traisessive1]

The new GEs have an emergency door. 

BC Rail ordered their Dash 9s with a full door on the conductor side. 

[Lithonia Operator]

What’s really pathetic is that in addition to having seen thousands and thousands of road switchers, I have had long rides, fifty miles or more, in them twice. (An Alco RS-3 on the Lamoille County RR, and an EMD unit on the Alaska RR.) Still, I never noticed there was no back door on the conductor/brakeman/fireman side! I’m 69 and still learning ... 

[Lithonia Operator]

Speaking of engines, we drove by CSX’s Hamlet NC facility today. I have never, EVER, seen so many engines in one place!!! Holy moly. There was a line of, I dunno, 50-60 non-running engines, all coupled together, mostly road engines, but some yard switchers sprinkled in. And I think there were other cuts of engines blocked from view. Plus engines parked near the shop, etc. It was an amazing sight. We were enroute to elsewhere, and I didn’t even know the yard was there! What a pleasant surprise!

Do you think those engines were idle because of lack of traffic? Awaiting maintenance? Phased out and up for sale? Almost all of them looked to be in good shape, and the road engines looked like current or recent designs to me. Most were big, serious units; I am thinking they were mainly 6-axle wide-cab units. We were pressed for time and could not stop; my wife was screaming “Keep your eyes on the road.” (Later, we found out that the person we were rushing to meet near Charlottesville VA had to cancel the rendezvous ...)

Earlier, we had seen the wonderful old passenger depot in Hamlet. Great railroad sights in that neck of the woods.

[Overmod]

LithoniaOperator

Speaking of engines, we drove by CSX’s Hamlet NC facility today. I have never, EVER, seen so many engines in one place!!! Holy moly.

If you're in C'ville you might want to motor over and down to Roanoke, which will likely give you a run for the number of locomotives visible.

[Lithonia Operator]

Thanks Overmod.

Ah yes, Roanoke! I have spent a lot of time there, and, of course, it’s amazing. Once I even saw the streamlined steam locomotive #611 sitting outside the shop. (On another occasion, elsewhere in VA, I chased the 4-6-6-4 #1218 on a main line excursion. So awesome.)

The whole Roanoke rail environment is wonderful. And anyone who hasn’t been to the Winston Link Museum needs to stop what they’re doing right now, get in the car, and go there!

OM, are you in Virginia? I live in Maine now, but am a Southerner with strong connections to GA and VA.