Out west both AT&SF and SP had places where diesel streamliners got steam helpers. In those cases the steamers were simply attached to the front of the train. On the SP that included getting the train number in the number boxes.
Of course, your answers make sense. Someone opined that it was preferable for steam to lead, because the diesels might pull off the drawbar on the steamer's front. Perhaps four F units could have done that to an antiquated, turn of the century Ten Wheeler. But in real life, what would have been the likelyhood of such an improbable pairing?
If diesel was the head end power, and it required assistance at a designated helper district, and help was still steam......pretty straightforward I would think.
If the assigned power had been steam, and some diesels were helping by then, this would also be pretty straightforward.
If the power were mixed, I would think the diesel would lead so that the steamers' emissions would be rearward. Not always, surely, but that would have been the preference of the diesel crew.
From B&M 1952-1953 experience, no fixed rule, except diesel leading preferred for smoke avoidance. Not a regular event in any case on the B&M. Did happen, though.
I remember reading somewhere, either this forum, or elsewhere, that is steam locomotives were paired with diesels, back in the day, steam would invariably lead. I observed that on the Rutland, the diesel was always first. Likewise, the one B&M photo I came across combining the two, had a rare EMD F-2 leading an unidentified steam locomotive. I would like to hear what the "experts" have to say about this.
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