Nostalgia & History > SP 2-8-8-2 cab forward ('48)

Here's an SP 2-8-8-2 cab forward @ Fernley, NV in 1948 .... photographer unknown (to me).

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Always thought those older cab forwards were ugly, but
would love to see one today.

What is that box that appears to be strapped/tied on
above the headlight ?

NKP715 Wrote:
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> Always thought those older cab forwards were ugly,
> but
> would love to see one today.
>
> What is that box that appears to be strapped/tied
> on
> above the headlight ?

I believe that may be the water cooler for the crew.

Would have loved to have seen one of those down on the Mina.

Out

And what about that tender????

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

ntharalson Wrote:
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> And what about that tender????
>
> Nick Tharalson,
> Marion, IA

Fairly standard SP "whale-back" design from back in those early days.

Is that the engineer or the fireman in the window?

-LD

That is the fireman's regular seat, the engineer sat on the right side as that was the side that signals were set up for.
At first that locomotive looks like a rolling junk yard, but every bit of it has a purpose and to an engineer (railroad or mechanical) it looks like a well designed article.

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> That is the fireman's regular seat, the engineer
> sat on the right side as that was the side that
> signals were set up for.

That's what I'd always thought, too. But I'm puzzled by the power reverse.

Maybe this will help you. Notice the eccentric crank is not in the typical position.

Dreamer

How does the engineer on the right control the power reverse on the left? Is there a tumbler shaft on the backhead, an automotive choke cable, or ????

-LD

LarryDoyle Wrote:
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> How does the engineer on the right control the
> power reverse on the left? Is there a tumbler
> shaft on the backhead, an automotive choke cable,
> or ????
>
> -LD

The engineer sat backwards to address the controls and looked out his rear view mirror to see what was ahead of the cab. <G>

The guy in the picture likely is the head brakeman. On cab forwards, the head brakeman sat ahead of the fireman, instead of the other way around on conventional locos (how did they fit in those cramped Wamp cabs, anyhow?). Interestingly, this arrangement survived into diesel days. As I boomed around SP trying to find work in the early 80's, I found that in localities that rarely saw cab forwards, "proper" seating usually meant the fireman occupied the front seat, but in former cab forward territory, it generally was the opposite. This wasn't hard-and-fast, and I occasionally found myself in a heated debate over who was going to sit in front on the dreaded "toadstool". Anyone else experience this?

A couple of old engineers that I worked with who fired these beasts on the Modoc told me that there was not much to recommend them, but boy, what I would give to have been in their shoes... for a day or two.

EO

hogheaded Wrote:
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> A couple of old engineers that I worked with who
> fired these beasts on the Modoc told me that there
> was not much to recommend them, but boy, what I
> would give to have been in their shoes... for a
> day or two.
>
> EO

I still don;t have an answer.  If the engineer was on the other side of the cab, how was that power reverser controlled?????

Later AC-x series engines did have the power reverser on the same side of the engine as the track signals.

-LD



-LD