ALCO RS series...

[cascaderailroad]

Make me laugh ... Why did they make the long hood forward the front ? Enlighten me.

You know darn well it was ALL because of collision protection ! That reason, and only that reason, that was behind running long hood forward.

 

[n8phu]

Huh, I just learned something new from this conversation...

See here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_hood

Edit-From the wiki page:

Normally, the long hood is the rear of the locomotive. For early hood unit models, this was not the case; railroads preferred to run with the long hood at the front and the cab at the rear (referred to as operating long hood forward or LHF). It is a common misconception that locomotives were run LHF to provide greater protection, although it may have been a secondary benefit. Southern Railway and Norfolk and Western Railway operated their locomotives bidirectionally to make coal shifting more efficient. By putting the engineer on the right side with the Long Hood Forward, the engineer could see signals down the long hood and around the short hood for operations in both directions. [SUP][1][/SUP] Later, preferences changed to having the short hood at the front and the long hood at the rear for better visibility and with the advent of Wide, or Comfort, cabs. Visibility became a deciding factor when more powerful engines required larger, visibility-obscuring radiator units.

 

[norfolksouthern37]

So what you are saying is that the RR decided to run long hood forward for no safety reasons what so ever, and they just flipped a coin, and said: "Hey let's operate half blind", (requiring 2 crew members 4 eyes to see around the long obtrusive hood), because it is cheaper to install 1 control stand backwards, instead of 2 bi-directional control stands ?

What was the reasoning of long hood forward if not truely for collision safety ? Your argument just doesn't hold water. There was a safety issue, and a safety reasoning, and it was not just the old head, die hard, steam era mentality, long hood forward idea that made them decide long hood forward.

Well yes that is pretty much exactly what I am saying. They didn't have to turn the locomotives and by making each end nearly the same and designating the long hood the front they accomplished this. All to save time and money.

Make me laugh ... Why did they make the long hood forward the front ? Enlighten me.

You know darn well it was ALL because of collision protection ! That reason, and only that reason, that was behind running long hood forward.

Wrong. At least do some research on it and find the history instead of jumping to a conclusion.

 

[nicky9499]

This is a FACT !

Y'know, shouting doesn't necessarily turn a misconception into a fact.

 

[JEB114]

Well I have to agree with Norfolksouthern37. My brother before he retired held the position of Superintendent of several Midwest RRoads. and did a short stint at Altoona for Norfolk Southern. and believe me the unions had no power over the management. Long hood forward, Short hood forward made no difference to the Presidents and the Vice Presidents of the Companies. Time was the important part if they did not have to turn an engine around all the better. If they did not have to build a turntable that's better. How the engines came out of the factory, and the direction of the controls were more how good the salesmen was who sold the units and how many frills he could work in. Many time's he received ten locomotives and after his initial inspection, said I wish they would have asked me what I wanted....

 

[cascaderailroad]

http://www.vintage-adventures.com/4943/1965-lucky-strike-cigarettes-ad-eat-my-hat.jpg

Damn ... That makes sence ... reading signals down the right side of the long hood ... Guess they don't do that today (unless they put in 2 control stands in modern locos).

 

[jregner1955]

The CB&Q (Burlington Route) ordered a lot of their early GP and SD locomotives with dual controls so they could be driven either way.