Eastern Railroad Discussion > Question About Spartan Cab On EMD SD70's

Ok, I've heard the name Spartan Cab, but what does that mean for the Cab on SD70's?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/17 20:17 by cornerfieldhobby.

"Spartan Cab" is what many railfans, at least, call the non-widenose cabs that were common before EMD and GE started with the widenoses in 1990. Up until that time, the only full-width "safety-cab" noses in North America were on certain Canadian models. NS, Conrail, and Illinois Central were the onlyl railroads to buy "Spartan Cab" SD70s; NS did not get its first widenose GEs until early 1996 and Illinois Central never bought a widenose before it merged with CN. Conrail acquired its 24 SD70s to NS spec in anticipation of NS's acquisition of its share of Conrail, and they were delivered with NS-series numbers, making them the only Conrail engines to keep their numbers after CR was split up. (Note that the term "widecab" is erroneous - only the nose is wider, the overall cab widths are the same.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/17 20:34 by toledopatch.

For reasons I don't know the answer to, the name "Spartan Cab" seems to have come about with the introduction of the GP35, with the flat cab roof and angled sides, which was a departure from the "auto styled" GP30 roof, and the rounded roof of the pre GP30 EMD road switchers.   I would assume that the thinking at the time was that the new angled cab was simpler, cheaper to build, and less stylish, hence it was a spartan design 

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Spartan Cab" is what many railfans, at least,
> call the non-widenose cabs that were common before
> EMD and GE started with the widenoses in 1990. Up
> until that time, the only full-width "safety-cab"
> noses in North America were on certain Canadian
> models. NS, Conrail, and Illinois Central were the
> onlyl railroads to buy "Spartan Cab" SD70s; NS did
> not get its first widenose GEs until early 1996
> and Illinois Central never bought a widenose
> before it merged with CN. Conrail acquired its 24
> SD70s to NS spec in anticipation of NS's
> acquisition of its share of Conrail, and they were
> delivered with NS-series numbers, making them the
> only Conrail engines to keep their numbers after
> CR was split up. (Note that the term "widecab" is
> erroneous - only the nose is wider, the overall
> cab widths are the same.)

While they do not operate in the US, Southern Peru Copper has two as well. They were built at Super Steel in Schenectady (Scotia), NY and painted in Hornell.

Posted from Android

. (Note that the term "widecab" is
> erroneous - only the nose is wider, the overall
> cab widths are the same.)

Well,TP at least somone out there agrees with me.
I cringe when I read "wide cab"!

Uncle Joe
Seffner,Fl.