Which way?

kutler

New Member
I would still run 'em any way you want. Did CP run any GP7 or GP9s long hood first? That would put the engineer on the other side of the cab.

Dave

CP's original GP 7's and 9's indeed did run long hood FW. When Rebuilt and the short hood chopped, they became short hood leading.

CP's RS10's and RS18's however are a different matter. Externally similar RS10s an earlier model was set up long hood FW while RS-18s always led short hood.

C
 

acsoosub

New Member
CP's original GP 7's and 9's indeed did run long hood FW. When Rebuilt and the short hood chopped, they became short hood leading.

CP's RS10's and RS18's however are a different matter. Externally similar RS10s an earlier model was set up long hood FW while RS-18s always led short hood.

C

Any pictures I can find of CP GP7s, GP9s and RS18s (even from as early as the 1950s) these engines are all painted as short hood forward. RS10s and RS3s were long hood forward.
 

kutler

New Member
Any pictures I can find of CP GP7s, GP9s and RS18s (even from as early as the 1950s) these engines are all painted as short hood forward. RS10s and RS3s were long hood forward.

Thanks for the correction. I must have been thinking of the other canadian road for a moment.

Regards

C
 

acsoosub

New Member
Which one? There were more than two. :p

AFAIK, yes, CN did have their GP7/9s set up with the long hood end as "front".

As an aside, the Algoma Central had all their GP7s as short hood being the front end; in 1979 they had four of their GPs completely rebuilt by CN in Winnipeg (after having another 5 done the year before by GMDD in London) and the CN paint crews erroneously marked the long hood end as the front on most of them. It was also the ACR's practice to have the bear in their logo always facing the front of the engine, but CN didn't necessarily follow this practice when putting the decals on the four rebuilt engines.
 

Dave1905

New Member
The only restriction on direction when entering a mechanical facility is for a steam engine entering a roundhouse, they preferred the engine to head in, so there would be more working room at the front of the engine where all the moving parts were and then at any facility where there was some direction specific machine or device. For example if there was a wheel true machine or a truck changeout lift, you would want to orient the engine so the proper truck was on the machine or lift.

Other than that the yard engines were normally pointed in the direction to put the engineer on switchstand side of the lead so he could see signals. So on some yards they switched with the engine facing forwards, some backwards depending on which way the lead broke.

Dave H.
 
Top