Western Railroad Discussion > What was the last freight locomotive built with desktop controls?

I remember in the early 1990s the Desktop Control Stand was all the rage and they were in just about every new locomotive. Eventually they quietly disappeared and were replaced with a hybrid conventional control stand.

What were the first and last freight locomotives built for a US railroad? I know that a lot of passenger locomotives still use desktop style control stands - so let's not count those for this post.

I think the first Desktop control stands were either on a Conrail Dash 840-CW or a Santa Fe GP60 but I'm not 100% sure.

I think the first desktops in US were probably in 1989 with UP's SD60M's. As for what was the last one I dont know for sure, I think UP began going to the conventional control stand with some of their SD70M's and some GEVO's.
That also brings up another question is are desktop controls still an option when ordering new locomotives?
JC

Posted from Android

I like desktop controls because there is more cab space to move around in. There are desktop controls on the early runs of ES44DC motors.

Posted from Android

Oh ya...he said it! The desk top gives much more space to move around and throw your grips and other gear on the floor of the cab. The newer side mounted controls suck...very crew unfriendly...not to mention the 8 foot wall between the hog and conductor.

Now the side mount on SD-40-2’s is a different story...plenty of room to move around in there.

As said before...the early DC’s I believe we’re the last desk tops.

Posted from iPhone

UP SD60's were in service before the Santa Fe GP60 100 class. They had a new UP spotted close to the crew facility at Argentine, and they had all the engineers go over and familiarize with the desk top controls. We were told then that SF was ordering the GP60's with the new safety cabs. At the time Santa Fe crews were handling the Red Rock coal trains from Topeka to Ark City, and using UP power, that was my first experience with desk tops. The new Santa Fe version started showing up later.

Posted from Android

DevalDragon Wrote:
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> I remember in the early 1990s the Desktop Control
> Stand was all the rage and they were in just about
> every new locomotive. 


"The Rage!"  I hated them. I always felt like a forklift operator and everything was backwards. Ever try switching with one? I was told they were patterned after some trolley car in Milwaukee.

HardYellow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DevalDragon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I remember in the early 1990s the Desktop
> Control
> > Stand was all the rage and they were in just
> about
> > every new locomotive. 
>
>
> "The Rage!"  I hated them. I always felt like a
> forklift operator and everything was backwards.
> Ever try switching with one? I was told they were
> patterned after some trolley car in Milwaukee.



You got that right brother! I loathed those ergonomic nightmares since the day the first ones showed up on the property. We got our first "look" at what was to come when the SFe borrowed one from the CN and sent it on tour of the property.
I was once asked by the RFE how I liked the new control stand and my reply was that I always liked being an engineer and now I felt like I was a backhoe operator instead.

I agree. Everything on the desktop is ass backwards. Backing is next to impossibile. switching is a nightmare. and there's no place to prop your feet.

As engineers we do about 80 percent of our work with our left hand especially in the units with the conventional cabs. As far as the desk top controls...I call them the motorboat controls..guess I favor the conventional cabs. I started running SD 9s and Jeeps with the 24 RL brake valveand the turret control. Which I hated very much...the new rebuilt 44ACs are nice with the new desktop air brake system..the more I think about it..its a toss up.

Posted from Android

For what it's worth, I seem to remember all the SD70MAC units for the BN/BNSF were delivered with those damned "desktop controllers".

rgzfan Wrote:
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> I prefer a 50's ZW.


LOL, if you mean what I think you mean (a Lionel transformer from the 1950's.)


signed,

Chief  (who personally likes a 30B,  an American Flyer transformer from the 1950's with deadman's controls.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/21 20:58 by SWChief.

Texican65 Wrote:
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> Oh ya...he said it! The desk top gives much more
> space to move around and throw your grips and
> other gear on the floor of the cab.

Yes, and we all know that is one of the most important factors in getting a train over the road.  Sufficient grip space.  If you are having trouble finding space for all your stuff, it might be a sign.

>The newer side
> mounted controls suck...very crew unfriendly...not
> to mention the 8 foot wall between the hog and
> conductor.

Funny, I consider this one of the benefits of the control stand.  Who ever said a lil bit of privacy was a bad thing?

My take?  Actually I find desktops easier to switch with.  Your body is positioned closer to the window and can easily see out for hand signs.  With the conventional stand you are relegated to looking at the mirror, unless you have long arms.  Thankfully I do and I can.  But its still harder.  Otherwise I prefer the conventional stand for just about everything else.  Especially road service.

The desktops tend to become rattle traps, bucket of bolts as they age and make a racket of noise.  The whole desk vibrating around and your junk sliding off and onto the floor.  The conventional stands are built better and dont shake around.

I started running on rebuilt GP 7 and 9’s 15’s, 60’s and SD40’s and AC44’s etc. Never liked the desktop. The new side stands are shit too. The automatic sits BEHIND your shoulder. Just bring back the EMD stands from back in the day, hell bring the barrel stands back, just put the controls in easy/ergonomic reach.

Posted from iPhone

Not having been inside a locomotive cab for a few years, could somebody please post a picture of what a modern side-stand looks like?  TIA.

UnitAlarm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Texican65 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Oh ya...he said it! The desk top gives much
> more
> > space to move around and throw your grips and
> > other gear on the floor of the cab.
>
> Yes, and we all know that is one of the most
> important factors in getting a train over the
> road.  Sufficient grip space.  If you are having
> trouble finding space for all your stuff, it might
> be a sign.
>
> >The newer side
> > mounted controls suck...very crew
> unfriendly...not
> > to mention the 8 foot wall between the hog and
> > conductor.
>
> Funny, I consider this one of the benefits of the
> control stand.  Who ever said a lil bit of
> privacy was a bad thing?
>
> My take?  Actually I find desktops easier to
> switch with.  Your body is positioned closer to
> the window and can easily see out for hand signs.
>  With the conventional stand you are
>
> The desktops tend to become rattle traps, bucket
> of bolts as they age and make a racket of noise.
>  The whole desk vibrating around and your junk
> sliding off and onto the floor.  The conventional
> stands are built better and dont shake around.

The desktops work loose and vibrate & shake. That's why about half of then had two or three fuses jammed into the gap between the wall and the right end of the "desk" the air brake seemed to be rigid and the desk shook and rattled around it. Most had a stack of Penny's or nickels wedges under the brake casting to keep it tight against the "desk". It's been 10 years, I almost forgot all that !

Posted from Android