Model Railroading > Lackawanna FM Trainmaster crew position

Just placed my version of an all-Lackawanna livery "Lackawanna Limited" on the layout for testing prior to a model RR club show.  Consist: five K Line Lackawanna express boxcars and 6 K line heavyweight passenger cars.  For this particular run I decided to use the K Line Lackawanna Fairbanks Morris diesel locomotive and when placing the locomotive on the track, I remembered that a MTH Premier Wabash FM in freight livery recently ordered is due for delivery this week.  The dealer's photo of the MTH FM has the locomotive crew figures facing the short hood end of the locomotive while the K Line has the crew figures facing the long end of the hood.  

Two different internet photos of Lackawanna FM's shows a four-car consist being pulled by the FM in passenger livery with the short hood forward (an accompanying note states that the four-car passenger consist FM takes advantage of the two-way operating system that allowed for using the FM both ways without turn around).  The heavyweights in this photo closely resemble commuter cars.   The second photo show a much longer passenger consist the long hood facing the front.  Another internet photo of a Wabash FM with passenger consist shows the crew facing the long end.  

My question is: was there some rule of thumb or general guidelines that dictated the cab direction of the FM locomotives for passenger vs. freight consists?  My interest is more in the operative practice for passenger trains.

If it was is a one engine train...the crew should face the direction they are going. If mu'd the engines should have an F marked on the frame on the end deemed by the railroad to be the front. I think with the Trainmaster the cab end would be front but I never operated any so could be wrong. 

In 1955, Fairbanks-Morse had a book published entitled "The Lackawanna Story."  I have a copy, and at one time scanned it in.  You can search for it on Google, if you search ""the lackawanna story" "fairbanks morse"".  Under images, you will find passenger trains led by Trainmasters with both long-hood forward and short-hood forward.  Around the same time period, CNJ purchased about a dozen Trainmasters.  Again, both LHF and SHF operation.  I have a couple of the Atlas versions of the CNJ Trainmasters.  At one time, I had the decoder commands to make the headlight on the short hood work properly.

John

DL&W Train Master's were set up long hood forward.

It sounds to me that the FM's were set up with dual controls.  That means there is a control stand on both sides of the cab so that it can run in either direction.  EMD GP7's and 9's could also be purchased with this opion.  Both SP and WP bought locomotives with this option.  On SP loco's you can tell which ones with dual conmtrols because they had "wings" painted on both ends.  If they only had one stand then the wings were only on the front end corresponding to the engineer position.

As far as having the scale crewmen face the right direction, I would have the figure on the SHF side face the short hood, LHF face the long hood.  If someone asks why the one guy is facing the wrong way say the fireman is looking back over the train making sure everyting is ok.

wingomann Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It sounds to me that the FM's were set up with
> dual controls.  That means there is a control
> stand on both sides of the cab so that it can run
> in either direction.  EMD GP7's and 9's could
> also be purchased with this opion.  Both SP and
> WP bought locomotives with this option.  On SP
> loco's you can tell which ones with dual conmtrols
> because they had "wings" painted on both ends. 
> If they only had one stand then the wings were
> only on the front end corresponding to the
> engineer position.
>
> As far as having the scale crewmen face the right
> direction, I would have the figure on the SHF side
> face the short hood, LHF face the long hood.  If
> someone asks why the one guy is facing the wrong
> way say the fireman is looking back over the train
> making sure everyting is ok.

Lackawanna Train Masters were set up long hood forward. Single control stand, they operated them bi-directionally.

A timely inquiry, as new Atlas HO Trainmasters in Lackawanna livery (#s 853, 855) are expected later this year:

https://shop.atlasrr.com/c-386-h101.aspx