Railroads Should Rebuild Locomotives Than Taking T

[BRAKIE]

I have talked to several shopmen over the years.Those that worked on the cab units had very few kind words to say.The cab unit was a night mare to work on.Hot,dark,no room to work,dirty and above all little fresh air.Unlike rebuilding a GP7/9 you could not remove the carbody on the cab units like you can the geep units.In short it would be like rebuilding a diesel motor in a WWII submarine.
Most engineers I have talk to that ran the F units did not mind them just as long as there was no switching to do enroute.When they had to drop cars off enroute,you could not see out the window in order to make a reverse move.If you lean out the window,you could not touch the throttle.Recall there was no hand radios for the crew to use like today,everything was done with hand signals.In short you was blind when backing up.There was ways around this with the firemans help...Recall the rear brakeman and conductor was in the caboose at the end of the train,the head brakeman would do the set out work to save time.Say,your train had 165 cars and you are setting off the frist 12 cars,there would be no need for the conductor and rear brakeman to walk 165 cars to help with the switching.It would work much like today when they drop cars enroute except the fireman would relay the hand signals to the engineer from the door or the ground.He who stand where the engineer could see him with out having to look back.Of course the fireman could see the head brakeman.BTW this was really not his job to do so,but most would not mind helping out in such cases.His job was to check the units in the locomotive consists from time to time and to repeat the call out of the track side signals from the engineer.IE, The engineer would say "High green",The fireman would repeat "High green" or what ever the signal aspect was.BTW.The head brakie usually rode the last trailing unit looking back over the train.Yes,sometimes he would ride the lead unit instead.

[dknelson]

This is like looking at old family photos and saying "Gee you should never have traded in that car - now you'd have a valuable classic." Right -- and likely inoperable. Locomotives age just like automobiles. They have longer useful lives but like cars as they age they fall lower on the food chain and at some point, yes, they do get scrapped because they no longer function. Railroads are not museums

[wabash1]

when i work the ground i didnt wait on a cab to get me if i had to drag a knuckle or air hose and wrench to change one out usually 10 from the rear i did it walking downn the side of the train. doing my impression of a mountain goat. thats where you find out how good your legs and ankles are. now im running and i get more than my share of non airconditioned units. give me a gp-38 or a sd-40 anyday over a dash 9 wide body that the air has stoped working. there is no air flow thru these units unless your moving and then its marginal. times have changed but they are slow doing so.

[Anonymous]

Go back to Kansas Straw head

[Anonymous]

Now if we're talking about a Dash-9 without air no doubt I'd rather have a SD-40 any day.Would also rather have one when the weather is cool enough to not need air.But you should hear the conductors whine when they don't get their confort cab.No desk,no radio hand-set,older seats,harder for them to relax.Know the differance between a baby and a conductor?The baby eventually stops whining.

[wabash1]

that is if you can keep the conductor awake most of them think it is nap time when they get on a engine. then complain couse they laid over 8hr and 01 min before going on dutyfor the trip back home. i do like the older engines they get the drafty doors and i stay comfortable.

[BRAKIE]

One thing I can say about the old ALCOs,the way they bounce you around you did not have time to sleep! Not to mention the racket.I have dooze off to the chant of a 567... How I love that chant of a 567!

[Mookie]

reading the conductor "digs" makes me smile. My Dad used to tell about his firemen sleeping during most of the run - and one in particular that came on the engine with a blanket and pillow and used them both for the entire trip. :)

[Anonymous]

I would LOVE if every hot-shot freight were headed up by any class of EMD streamlined F units - also 567's.

[Anonymous]

I'd love it if all I saw on the highway were 60's E type Jaguars,Fastback Torinos,Stingray 'Vettes,and Daytona Chargers. All Capers and I need is a time machine.........

[Anonymous]

Family car? yup, probably would be all used-up. I have never heard of an automobile racking-up over a million miles, and still be serviceable. Sure, I would not expect to see a GP-7 heading up a hot-shot intermodal, but as Mark Twain said, "The reports of my death, are greatly exaggerated".
How else can you explain diesels still operating over 50 years after they were built? Sure, they might be in yard service, or sold to shortlines, but they do survive. Long live the Geep!

Todd C.