Strange looking locomotive

TrainNut

Ditat Deus
So I was hunting around for answers to a question and I happened to learn something new tonight. Anything about this locomotive look strange to you?
crandall_cab.jpg
 

UP SD40-2

Senior Member
LOL!!! i know EXACTLY what that is:mrgreen: , its a Crandall cab!:thumb:
the CNW was low on cab motive power for passenger service, Crandall head of shop, came up with the idea of turning E8B's into E8A's:thumb: . it was done to 3-4 of the B units:winki: .
:deano: -Deano
 

TrainNut

Ditat Deus
it is rather ironic in a way that the Crandall cabs were originally purchased as B units because they were slightly cheaper than the cab units. I would think that it cost them more to convert a B unit than to purchase an A unit. I can not find any specifics on how many Crandall cabs still exist today, or, for that matter, how many were even built.

Here is another interesting critter. This one originally had a cab but because the cab was damaged in a collision, they decided it was just cheaper to turn it into a B unit.

no_cab.jpg
 

TrainNut

Ditat Deus
As I've never seen one before, I thought it was pretty neat. Wikipedia made me stop and think about it when they defined it as being , "engineless but motored units that take their power from another locomotive."
I also found it interesting to read, "Slugs are used in situations where high tractive effort is more important than horsepower, such as switching operations in yards. At low speeds, a diesel-electric locomotive prime mover can produce more electric power than its traction motors can use. Extra power would simply cause the wheels to slip and/or overheat the traction motors. A slug effectively adds traction motors to the locomotive, increasing both the pulling and braking power. Slugs carry ballast to increase their weight and improve traction. Large blocks of concrete are frequently used for this purpose, substituting for the weight of the now-absent prime mover.
 

Renovo PPR

Just a Farmer
You guys crack me up. :) Hey even if you not into O gauge try picking up a copy of a MTH catalog. They have photo's and covers most of the stuff you all have posted and gives a little history too. That is where I saw the first picture posted so I knew what it was right away.
 

eightyeightfan1

Now I'm AMP'd
So I was hunting around for answers to a question and I happened to learn something new tonight. Anything about this locomotive look strange to you?
crandall_cab.jpg


According to "The Contemporary Diesel Spotters Guide" by Louis Marre, The Chicago and North Western converted eleven ex-Union Pacific E9B's to "Crandall cabs", and was named for the designer M.H.Crandall, who worked for the railroad as an Assistant Superintendent of Motive Power. He died while trying to start a a locomotive during a blizzard.

Also other modifacations were the addition of auxillary engines for head-end power.

The picture you posted of #502 was actually named in his honor
 
Top