| Posted by Roesler on January 1, 2021 | |
Hi Doug, just to quench my curiosity: there is locomotive controls stand (engineer´s handles) on the left side of some locomotives?
I always believed that controls was installed (for standard) on the right side of all locomotives ever built...
Cheers from Sao Jose dos Pinhais, Parana, Brazil.
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You are correct that standard is on the right side. This locomotive was set up as long hood forward.
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| Posted by FSWood on January 1, 2021 | |
I am not Doug but am here and can answer that question. It is standard in US for engineer to be on right.
On hood unit diesels like this some roads designated short hood the front and some designated the long hood the front; that would make a difference where control stand was located in cab. Another difference was that some railroads spent the money for 2 control stands in cab, so engineer could always be on right side without having the bother of turning the locomotive around.
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| Posted by SES on January 1, 2021 | |
Roesler, you are correct in saying the locomotive controls are on the right side of the locomotive cab. However, what side of the cab the controls are placed depends upon which end of the locomotive is considered to be the front. For example, Southern Railroad made a standard practice for the long hood portion of a diesel locomotive to be the front. Great Northern RR also made the long hood portion on 1st generation EMD GP7 - GP18 & SD7 - SD9 to be the front. So for these railroads, cab controls were placed on the opposite side of the cab from what one would think. In some cases, some EMD locomotives were even equipped with controls on both sides of the cab so they could easily be run either way.
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| Posted by Roesler on January 4, 2021 | |
Thank you all, guys!
Very clearly explanations.
I remember to saw some pics of SOU locos here (and some anothers too) that shows the type "F" on the long part of the locomotive. By this way (your explanation) its make sense to a designation whts is the "F"ront side of the unit. Maybe a pratice comming from the steam era?
But, as an old "MS Train Simmer", those high hood & long hood locomotives are "difficult" to drive: they block my "field of vision" a lot...
Once again, thank you! Stay safe, be carefull and "watch your steps".
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| Posted by FSWood on January 5, 2021 | |
You're welcome! There's a bit steam locomotive and a bit of electric locomotive in the "F" and long hood as front things. Before there were successful road diesels, it had become necessary to somehow identify the two cabs of straight electric locomotives which were equipped with cabs at both ends. Some railroads numbered the body shell corners 1, 2, 3, 4. And I think, but won't bet my model trains on it, I've seen photos of two-cab electrics with labeling "No. 1 End" and "No.2 End". And somewhere along the way, I think the government stepped in and said something like, "Okay, guys, you gotta take these two-cab electrics and designate one end the Front for maintenance, operating, accident reports, and the like." And then that carried over to the new diesels. And then steam locomotive figure in where the story is that some railroads, notably NW and SOU, but there were others, decided that their diesel hood units would have the long hood as the front to echo the collision protection steam locomotive cabs had with that long boiler ahead of them.
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