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Locomotive Toilets

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Locomotive Toilets
Posted by AlgomaCentralfan on Monday, July 30, 2007 3:26 PM
I have a strange question.  How did locomtive crews go to the bathroom in the days of steam and are their diesel or electric locomtives of any type that do not have toilets in them?
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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 30, 2007 5:29 PM
Good question.  I myself do not know about the steam engines, but as far as locomotives not having toilets, they are the sw 1500's, any sw ???? Do not have toilets.  These are ment for switching in a yard, not in road service.
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Posted by AlgomaCentralfan on Monday, July 30, 2007 11:05 PM
So is it safe to say that all road service locos have toilets on them (and probably fridges too) and switching only locos do not have toilets on them?
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 9:31 AM
I wouldn't say that. GP38-2's (yes, they count as a road locomotive) have no toilet, and most SD40-2's don't either. I'd say very few Geeps have toilets, based on my experience. I can tell you every new widecab has one.
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Posted by silicon212 on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 11:26 AM
Depends on which railroad ordered the unit.  SP GP38-2s had toilets in them.
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Posted by AlgomaCentralfan on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 12:11 PM
What about EMD or Alco Cab units?
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Posted by cprted on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 1:39 PM
Coal burners came equipped with a rather large litter box in the tender. Though I would imagine that crews on oil burners would have to master the delicate art of hanging one's rear out the side of a moving train.
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 3:33 PM
Thetoilets on F units were at theback of the engine room; if you flushed while it was in run 8, there's a partial vacuem, meaning the toilet would flush......up!Whistling [:-^]
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Posted by mj5890 on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 6:06 PM
where were they located in an engine with out a wide nose?
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Posted by zugmann on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 6:51 PM
On standard cabs, the toilet is in the very cramped nose (at least on the currently-active EMDs and GEs).  As far as using the facilities - many sidings are in the middle of nowhere... when held in such a siding, it is the perfect time to "water the trackside vegetation".

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 2, 2007 1:17 AM

 mj5890 wrote:
where were they located in an engine with out a wide nose?

In the nose.  On SD40s you have a step down to the door but on a GP38 you have to practically crawl through the door.

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Posted by NS SD70M-2 on Thursday, August 2, 2007 2:06 AM
 silicon212 wrote:
Depends on which railroad ordered the unit.  SP GP38-2s had toilets in them.
WOW ,I never knew that! Where were they located in the cab?
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Posted by nbrodar on Thursday, August 2, 2007 8:30 AM

Standard cab units have the toilets in the low nose.  You either have to go down some stairs or crouch down though a trap door.  Some of the early GE's had the toilet comparment in the back wall of the cab.  Nice full height door and room.

Wide cab units have the toilet off to one side of the lower nose.  Again, a nice full height door and room.  Well for the most part.

Incidentally, Pennsylvania requires all road locomotives operating within it's borders to be equipped with retention toilets.

Nick

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Posted by WSOR 3801 on Thursday, August 2, 2007 4:56 PM

The toilet is in the short nose.  Some have a step down, like this ex-CR GP15-1.

Some just have a door, and the step is inside the compartment.  Requires contorting to get down there. 

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Posted by enr2099 on Friday, August 3, 2007 11:41 AM

 4884bigboy wrote:
I'd say very few Geeps have toilets, based on my experience. I can tell you every new widecab has one.

 

I guess it depends on the railroad, as CN's GP38-2's and GP9RM's all have toilets in the short hood. Even the GMD-1's have toilets in the big, cavernous short hood, the SW1200RS's are the only ones that don't have crappers. Which can suck when you get a pair on the Langley Switcher,or the Lulu Island branch line; you have to see if one of the local industries will let you use their can. 

Tyler W. CN hog
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 3, 2007 2:11 PM

 4884bigboy wrote:
I wouldn't say that. GP38-2's (yes, they count as a road locomotive) have no toilet, and most SD40-2's don't either. I'd say very few Geeps have toilets, based on my experience. I can tell you every new widecab has one.

The Gp38-2's that the TPW have do have toilets on them, they are in the nose.  It could be that either the previous road, or current owning road took the toliets out due to they dont want to maintain them. 

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Posted by MilwaukeeRoad on Tuesday, August 7, 2007 8:33 PM
Are these really dirty? Because, there's no janitor..
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Posted by CPRail modeler on Tuesday, August 7, 2007 11:47 PM

Apparently my earlier post didn't work,

What I'm going to post may be inappropriate but other stuff in this thread already is...

Back in the days of steam say, you have been holding it all day. When the fireman is about to extinguish the fire, the engineer (you) says "no no, lemme do it" and you take aim...

Another scenario would yield extra fuel. Just taking a dump on the coal shovel would yield extra fuel for...hmm...a few seconds.

Laugh [(-D]Laugh [(-D]Big Smile [:D]Laugh [(-D]Laugh [(-D]

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 9, 2007 1:20 PM
SW's don't have hoppers, but there is usually a boxcar handy somewhere along the line. The locomotive crews are supplied with "convienence packs" which contain toilet paper and other nessicary items. Swith crews have time to stop and let a crew member take a hike to do their bussiness. Road crews gotta do it on the run. I would imagine it would be a challange to use the hopper(toilet) in a moving locomotive on mediocore trackage.  
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Posted by snagletooth on Thursday, August 9, 2007 1:28 PM
 CPRail modeler wrote:

Apparently my earlier post didn't work,

What I'm going to post may be inappropriate but other stuff in this thread already is...

Back in the days of steam say, you have been holding it all day. When the fireman is about to extinguish the fire, the engineer (you) says "no no, lemme do it" and you take aim...

Another scenario would yield extra fuel. Just taking a dump on the coal shovel would yield extra fuel for...hmm...a few seconds.

Laugh [(-D]Laugh [(-D]Big Smile [:D]Laugh [(-D]Laugh [(-D]

Poo-poo power?!
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Posted by WSOR 3801 on Friday, August 10, 2007 3:04 PM

 GLG-Ken wrote:
SW's don't have hoppers, but there is usually a boxcar handy somewhere along the line. The locomotive crews are supplied with "convienence packs" which contain toilet paper and other nessicary items. Swith crews have time to stop and let a crew member take a hike to do their bussiness. Road crews gotta do it on the run. I would imagine it would be a challange to use the hopper(toilet) in a moving locomotive on mediocore trackage.  

 

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Posted by KCSfan on Friday, August 10, 2007 8:14 PM
 CPRail modeler wrote:

Apparently my earlier post didn't work,

What I'm going to post may be inappropriate but other stuff in this thread already is...

Back in the days of steam say, you have been holding it all day. When the fireman is about to extinguish the fire, the engineer (you) says "no no, lemme do it" and you take aim...

Another scenario would yield extra fuel. Just taking a dump on the coal shovel would yield extra fuel for...hmm...a few seconds.

Laugh [(-D]Laugh [(-D]Big Smile [:D]Laugh [(-D]Laugh [(-D]

I always hate to contradict someone elses replies but having been a steam locomotive fireman on the ICRR for a brief time long ago I can state that the firebox was not the place to relieve yourself - way too hot for comfort. Instead you used the coal bunker on the tender. I always liked it when my engineers felt the call of nature 'cause then I got to run the engine while they visited the tender.

Mark 

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 10, 2007 9:52 PM

The GG-1 did not have a comfort station on board.  ALCO PA units had a commode in the nose.  As you saw in a previous post, EMD F units had commodes in the rear of the unit, but in the last EMD F I rode on about 10 months ago, there was a commode in the nose, apparently put there in one of two rebuilds.

I have also ridden on a B23-7 which had no commode; a GP-7 and a GP-9 which also were unequipped.  All of these were on short lines... where the engineers were a "whizz" with the bushes!

I was surprised to see a high nosed GP-38 at the Tennessee Valley RR Museum that had a commode in the nose... I've always wondered where THAT went to when the noses got chopped.  And before this really devolves into anti railroad anarchy, we already know about NS's numbered bags!

 

 

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Posted by Trainnut484 on Saturday, August 11, 2007 6:25 PM

F units had the commode in the rear engine department.  Here's one in the Frisco F9 on display at the museum in Oklahoma City, OK.  Kinda looks like something of an ejector seat with the handle sticking up like that Wink [;)] 

...and No, I did not raise the lid to look in...too scared to Shock [:O]

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Posted by wjstix on Sunday, August 12, 2007 2:44 AM

BTW cabooses had toilets - but the crews rarely used them, due to the smell and such. They stored fusees and other emergency supplies, and hung of the back platform of the caboose when they had business to do. I've heard one or two stories of railfans getting rather unusual photos relating to that situation.

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Posted by route_rock on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 12:26 PM

  I like the room in the high hood's like our SD9's Its like a rock star bathroom in there lol.I also like the old GE's with the head at the back wall with the full size door except for the horns were placed right above the vents and lord have mercy when the engineer blew them when you were in there!

 

  Now this story is not for the squeamish. The rule of the road is you dont do a ashpan drop in the lead loco ( play along guys this is to keep it kinda above the icky level) you go to the second unit or as mentioned out to the weeds. Well this one day our hero of the story had to clean the firebox so to speak so he grabs a few crew packs and heads for the second motor. Once there he aligns the fireman and brakemans seeats so the backs are facing fore and aft and proceeds to lay down a  thick layer of paper towels on the floor. He sits one cheek on one chair and vice versa and proceeds to do his thing. Once completed with his transaction he takes said paper towels and flings them out the window without looking landing them square on the hood of a young ladys car at a grade crossing!Now you know a bear might do it in the woods but it seems we rails can go anywhereTongue [:P]

Yes we are on time but this is yesterdays train

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 2:29 PM
Ooohhhh.. Nasty! I'd rather not use one of those.
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Posted by Trainnut484 on Thursday, August 23, 2007 12:01 PM

This site came up from a quick Google search for locomotive toilets.  I am not affiliated with the company, but this is the only time you'll see one in PRISTINE condition Wink [;)]

(Edit)...I took it upon myself to delete the link due to the no advertising rule here. 

But, a Google search will provide the same one and more. 

Take care,

Russell 

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Posted by KCSfan on Thursday, August 23, 2007 3:28 PM
 Trainnut484 wrote:

This site came up from a quick Google search for locomotive toilets.  I am not affiliated with the company, but this is the only time you'll see one in PRISTINE condition Wink [;)]

(Edit)...I took it upon myself to delete the link due to the no advertising rule here. 

But, a Google search will provide the same one and more. 

Take care,

Russell 

Russ,

I checked out the link before you deleted it. The pics sure didn't look like any I've seen on CSXsucks. LOL

Mark

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Posted by Trainnut484 on Thursday, August 23, 2007 8:24 PM
 KCSfan wrote:
 Trainnut484 wrote:

This site came up from a quick Google search for locomotive toilets.  I am not affiliated with the company, but this is the only time you'll see one in PRISTINE condition Wink [;)]

(Edit)...I took it upon myself to delete the link due to the no advertising rule here. 

But, a Google search will provide the same one and more. 

Take care,

Russell 

Russ,

I checked out the link before you deleted it. The pics sure didn't look like any I've seen on CSXsucks. LOL

Mark

Mark,

The commodes on the link sure wouldn't look that way for long.  Maybe not even before the locomotive leaves the service tracks Big Smile [:D]

There were locomotive toilet deodorizers listed in the same search that are available in sealed packets, 1 gallon bottles...and even 55 GALLON DRUMS.  Their site points out the deodorizers have a "Pleasant "airy" scent specifically developed for railroad toilet applications".

Hmmmm I can think of at least one RR that would need 55 gallon drums to freshen UP Evil [}:)]

Take care,

Russell 

 

All the Way!

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