Actually, check out this video of an F125 at night at Fullerton.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToDwsAyaG-o
Same situation lights are on in that compartment.
Only different is you see the big radiator grills in the EMD more clearly in this shot.
Progress/EMD F125 has a large bank of grills in the same general area of the carbody that are see through, but there is equipment in the way. So presumably they serve the same purpose. Edit: Actually it does serve the same purpose. Those vents in the charger are for the radiator, just like the EMD.
Those lights being on have been on every video of the charger I've ever seen. No idea what the purpose is.
I've looked at a bunch more pix, and it seems to be something llke chicken wire. This vent goes pretty much all the way from the top of the car body to the bottom, and is square. It's big. I was really surprised to see so much light coming from there; I'd be surprised if that was always lit up like that at night, but maybe it is.
Still in training.
IIRC the SD40 tunnel motors had an open grill near the bottom at the back at the radiator section. The F3 had "chicken wire" grills near the top.
Some answers in this video.
I've seen what appears to be a gigantic grill on the side of Siemens Charger locos, about 2/3 of the way aft. And just now I saw a video of one pulling a train at night, and there was bright light shining from that area; I'm thinking that was a walkway light.
What I don't get is why that opening appears so see-through. Almost like it's plexiglas. I assume the screen is "much more hole than wire;" but that would seem to not be strong enough for a railroad application. (?) It also looks like it would let rain in. And I'm thinking a conductor going up to chat with the engineer while traveling 90 mph on a cold winter night would be treated to, let's say, an invigorating breeze!
Or is it in fact plexiglas?
What's the deal with that opening? I've seen anything like that.
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