Railroaders' Nostalgia > First generation GE control stand

Since there is a discussion about GE Uboats going on, I thought I would share a photo I took of a control stand on a u23b.   This first attempt by GE at control stand design was a nightmare.  The top lever was the mode selector for power or dynamic brake, at the bottom of the control stand (not inserted) was where the reverser was located.  Engineers would get confused sometimes and throw the reverser instead of the mode selector and wipe out traction motors.  You can enlarge and take a closer look and see what a mess this control stand was.  Note the Santa Fe water carton on the control stand, now a collectors item.

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Actually this is a second generation control stand.

Posted from Android

Yep...remember those. Always reminded me of something out of an old Flash Gordon move. Am I ageing myself?

SanJoaquinEngr Wrote:
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> Actually this is a second generation control
> stand.
>
> Posted from Android

Correct.  The first generation had the huge 16 notch throttle and a reverser that did not fit any other type of engine.

I saw those too but they were on ex passenger units, on the freight engines these were all I saw, u23b's or u33c's.

WP-M2051 Wrote:
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> SanJoaquinEngr Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Actually this is a second generation control
> > stand.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Correct.  The first generation had the huge 16
> notch throttle and a reverser that did not fit any
> other type of engine.

The SP U 25$ had the 16 notch throttle. We called them johnson bars. The cabs always smelled of diesel fuel and lube oil. The dynamics would scream and if you were walking on the walkways while under load in dynamics would suck your clothing into the grid screen.

WP-M2051 Wrote:
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> ... and a reverser that did not fit any
> other type of engine.

Oh, just like a Siemens.

The early u-36b's on the SCL had a similiar control stand. The reverser for these engines was about a half inch linger than the u-36 one and would not work. The u-25c' and u28c's and the early u=30b's had the 16 notch throttle and a completely different reverser.  Al. of them would suck your clothes in the grills under the radidator whether in power or braking. I didn't like walking by the grills in dynamic braking because of flashovers on the resistors.

Sam

I remember one verson of the GE reverser that had a round aluminum handle and a screwdriver-like bayoneted tip.  You stuck that tip in the reverser slot and twisted it until it locked.  I remember the earliest U25's having a flat bar with two dimples for a reverser.  It reminded me if an early ALCO RS3 reverser.

I have a UP water cartoon like the one in picture did all rds have these cheers Dennis

Posted from Android

tiltone Wrote:
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> I have a UP water cartoon like the one in picture
> did all rds have these cheers Dennis
>
> Posted from Android

The SP never did.

tiltone Wrote:
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> I have a UP water cartoon like the one in picture
> did all rds have these cheers Dennis

Santa Fe did.  I hired out as a switchman in 1978 and they were used then.  You quickly learned to visually check the contents of the container before drinking the water.  At night we would open the container and shine our lantern light inside looking for foreign objects.  Even if nothing was found the water tasted "old".  

Jeff Pell
Lodi, CA

The company the ATSF used to fill the water cartons was also a dairy.  They used the same vats to pasteurize the water that they used to pasteurize milk.. As a result, you sometimes would see milk scum floating around in the water cartons....not too appealing.

Those early GE control stands in John's photo had a reverser that looded like a steel rod with a roll pin driven through the end, and a blg black knob on the other end about the size of a pool ball. I think the U-23-C's had the same set up. I rember the U-36-C's had a couple of different arrangements. The first ones had a seperate selector handle to go from power to DB then the throttle handle was your controller, then the later ones had a modern controll stand wtere the throttle and DB were seperate handles. Somewhere I found a photo of a high nose U-25-B with a mostly ceiling hung control stand, 

LocoPilot750 Wrote:
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>. Somewhere I
> found a photo of a high nose U-25-B with a mostly
> ceiling hung control stand, 

In the early 70's I got to run some Frisco high hood U25B's working in SLSF-SCL run-through freights.  To a young railfan-fireman, operating from one of the very unique mostly ceiling hung control stands was a true memorable experience.  The big high mounted throttle reminded me of "grapevine" throttles I had seen on steam locomotives.  Not too long before then,  I had sat on the N&W 611 in Wasena Park in Roanoke VA pulling on that "grapevine" throttle imagining what it would be like to be an engineer.

herderover Wrote:
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> tiltone Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I have a UP water cartoon like the one in
> picture
> > did all rds have these cheers Dennis
>
> Santa Fe did.  I hired out as a switchman in 1978
> and they were used then.  You quickly learned to
> visually check the contents of the container
> before drinking the water.  At night we would
> open the container and shine our lantern light
> inside looking for foreign objects.  Even if
> nothing was found the water tasted "old".  
>
> Jeff Pell
> Lodi, CA

A few times in my career would find SF water cartons on our SP power. Always noticed a taste of foil or a carton taste. If you were brave enough had to drink it cold and not room temperature.

Posted from Android

In the late 70's the SCL went from water cans to water in plastic bottles. You always squeezed the bottle to see if it leaked. If it leaked out the window.They started out with foil tops, sometimes the water tasted old, sometimes so bad you kept and used it to wash your hands, sometimes it was ok, depending on how hot and thirsty you were.  

Sam

Trainhand Wrote:
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> In the late 70's the SCL went from water cans to
> water in plastic bottles. You always squeezed the
> bottle to see if it leaked. If it leaked out the
> window.They started out with foil tops, sometimes
> the water tasted old, sometimes so bad you kept
> and used it to wash your hands, sometimes it was
> ok, depending on how hot and thirsty you were.  
>
> Sam

The SP had Cobmountain water. It was the best. Of course it disappeared quickly. Cob couldn't keep up with the demand the SP demanded. Then came Adams ale. It was vile . The SP placed a few pallets of Adams in the parking lot at West Colton. The water sat there all summer long and none of it was taken.

Posted from Android

we had tyler mountain water, better known as toilet water

atsfer Wrote:
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> The company the ATSF used to fill the water
> cartons was also a dairy.  They used the same
> vats to pasteurize the water that they used to
> pasteurize milk.. As a result, you sometimes would
> see milk scum floating around in the water
> cartons....not too appealing.
 Oh, Lord, that water was nasty! It looked like boogers
floating in those little cartons. Had to carry a jar of Tang 
to put in it or instant tea if ya were a manly man. Always
imagined a guy on a gravel bar on the river dipping each
little carton to fill it.