Steam & Excursion > Steam version of a comfort cab! CBQ style.

Seen Q 5631 at Sheridan Wyo last fall. I notice and enclosed cab with lots of glass. Was this standard for modern Q steam power or something added for far west assigned power. Thanks for any info.

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That style of cab is known as an 'all-weather' or 'vestibule' cab. They were popular on many northern and western railroads such as Northern Pacific, CB&Q, Southern Pacific, etc. From what I can find, the O-5 class CB&Q 4-8-4's were originally built with conventional open cabs (probably with curtains closing the back). Some of the original O-5's were modernized and reclassified as O-5A, which included all-weather/vestibule cabs as you have shown in your photo.

I think he's referring to the extraordinary amount glass the O-5, O-5a, and O-5b classes all had - with or without vestibule (enclosed) cabs.

An interior photo O-5b 5632 is shown below.

-John

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I noticed a lot of Q engineers standing up and often wondered if they hired short engine crews or the seats were just low.

Frisco1522 Wrote:
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> I noticed a lot of Q engineers standing up and
> often wondered if they hired short engine crews or
> the seats were just low.

Midgets? Naw. Better posture? Maybe. Lack comfortable seat? Probably......

Posted from iPhone

Staged picture - the quadrant is centered. Taken in La Crosse.

IIRC, he was Traveling Engineer. Think his name was Tomlinson.

-John

I'm thinking maybe it was too long a reach for the throttle when they were on the seatbox. I've seen it in other instances.

The O-5s weren’t far west power.

The old engineers that I knew loved the cabs in the winter and hated them in the summer

I thought that the Q was known for large cabs.

John.

Here's an enhanced version of the photo above-

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