8) The L & N, bought the SDP35, for the chassis length, that allowed a larger fuel tank. SDP35's that had steam generators, had a bulge on the side of the carbody, behind the radiator section, therefore L & N units never pulled passenger trains.
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I remember the first four L & N SDP35s for an entirely reason of purchase. These locomotives were part of an experiment that never worked very well. The larger fuel tanks were not part of the experiment. These four units served as the Master units for a radio control of remotely controlled mid-train helpers on coal trains running from Hazard, Ky. to DeCoursey yard, in Northern Ky. The SDP35s were always the leading unit of these trains, and carried radio equipment in the steam generator space. The mid-train units always contained contained an Alco or EMD B unit as part of the consist. The L & N had already tried using some sort of strain gauges located on the couplers of the mid-train units with poor results. I was working at my fathers livestock auction market in the late fifty's and early sixty's and saw these trains numerous times. Years later I found and photographed the four radio receiver cars, The B units, three Alco FBs and one EMD FB, on a spur track in DeCoursey yard. I still have the slide in my collection, when I get a slide scanner, I will try to submit the photo. L & N was trying to do what their competitor Southern Railway did so well, but L & N never put radio repeaters inside of their tunnels and abandoned the project.
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