Western Railroad Discussion > What is a Spartan cab design for a locomotive cab?

I am curious about the origen of the name "Spartan" applyed to the Spartan cab locomotives. Why do they received this name?

Pedro

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Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,

By "Spartan" I'm thinking they mean: a smelly toilet that leaks blue goo on the floor, uncomfortable seats covered with duct tape, loose panels that rattle, ceiling fabric falling down, drafty door seals, bad windshield wipers, and burned out interior light bulbs.

Old thread:

"Standard" Cabs

I think it was the old style standard cab as opposed to the more recent wide nose designs.

I am curious when the first use of the term "Spartan" was? Maybe it was with the NS SD70 order. I sure don't recall hearing the that use when I was younger.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/25 20:29 by ts1457.

ts1457 Wrote:
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> Old thread:
>
> "Standard" Cabs
>
> I think it was the old style standard cab as
> opposed to the the more recent wide nose designs.
>
> I am curious when the first use of the term
> "Spartan" was? Maybe it was with the NS SD70
> order. I sure don't recall hearing the that use
> when I was younger.

The fan's gave this style of cab the name when the GP/SD35 was introduced.  It has been around since 1963.

NYSWSD70M Wrote:
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> The fan's gave this style of cab the name when the
> GP/SD35 was introduced.  It has been around since
> 1963.

Thanks,

​I remember the Southern's SD35's and GP35's when they were new. I guess I did not run around with the right crowd. Actually, there was not much of a railfan crowd around where I lived as teenager.

edit: So what was different? Maybe the roof being constructed with flat plates rather than rounded?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/25 14:27 by ts1457.

The term is a bit of a misnomer, as it refers to the formerly 'standard'  cab/low nose combination that had been used on most of the second and third generation hood units up until the debut of the 'North American' or 'Safety Cab' style wide nosed cab on in the late 80's.  The SD60M and Dash 8-40CW were the early examples of the 'North American' cab as a factory option from the manufacturers.  (CN's own cab ordered on numerous models & builders notwithstanding)  The popularity of the 'North American' cab surged, and the term 'spartan cab' seemed to get popularized in the railfan lexicon in referral to the later orders for units without the 'North American' cab such as the IC and NS SD70, and NS Dash 9-40C.

At work we just call them conventionals and widebodies. The AC's have been called big jacks...but since they are ubiquitous now...they are just engines. 

I thought that it was the use of an old style control stand, with the engineer sitting to hhe right of it as compared to the desktop style.

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> I thought that it was the use of an old style
> control stand, with the engineer sitting to hhe
> right of it as compared to the desktop style.

Except widebodies can have AAR control stands...in fact I don't think they are making the desktops anymore...they are not well liked. 

I'm curious, who came up with the term "wide body"? The cab on the modern units, with the full width nose, is not any wider.

It's bigger on the inside!

HotWater Wrote:
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> I'm curious, who came up with the term "wide
> body"? The cab on the modern units, with the full
> width nose, is not any wider.

As far as I'm concerned, "wide body" or "wide cab" are both misnomers. It's the nose that is wide, not the cab or the body.

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NYSWSD70M Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The fan's gave this style of cab the name when
> the
> > GP/SD35 was introduced.  It has been around
> since
> > 1963.
>
> Thanks,
>
> ​I remember the Southern's SD35's and GP35's
> when they were new. I guess I did not run around
> with the right crowd. Actually, there was not much
> of a railfan crowd around where I lived as
> teenager.
>
> edit: So what was different? Maybe the roof being
> constructed with flat plates rather than rounded?

You are correct.  The "spartan cab" name was given to the 35 style cab becase it was a vast simplification vs the GP30 that featured a considerable amount of fabrication to produce.  It is a term that has been around for over 60 years.    

Your DDM45s are spartan cabs

Nice!

SD45X Wrote:
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> Your DDM45s are spartan cabs

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Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1