[N&W] Re: GP-40 Question - "Storm Windows"

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Larry Crocker--you're comment about Lamberts Point inheriting  all
the problem units -- certainly you must remember the ex-VGN
H16-44's.  They were hauling coal from Sewalls Point to Lamberts
Point when I went to Tidewater in 1960.  But by the 1970's, things
had changed.  The FM's were showing their age.  Some also had
a tendency to set right-of-way fires (the FM exhaust system).
Apparently, Roundhouse Foreman "Speedy" Bradley kept an
account of the pyromaniacs and in his office was a blackboard
for locomotive assignments designated '"Smokers" and "Non-
Smokers".  "Smokers" stayed at Lamberts Point. "Non-Smokers"
could go to Sewalls Point.  A 1970's version of discrimination.
                                                       Harry Bundy
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Harry,
Bay windows? We called them "Hardheaders" or "Sidewinders" or whatever 
expletive deletive you can think of. All of the 557 series were junk, 
whether bay window or cupola. None had any kind of cushion underframe, 
hence the "hardheader" moniker. You couldn't keep the "sidewinders" (b/w) 
warm in the winter. One side had a desk in front to catch you in a run in, 
the other side didn't. The cupola version was the worst as there was 
nothing to brace yourself against.
I still cannot understand why the NKP men and unions allowed these cabs to 
be built and I am still bitter that the union allowed this trash to migrate 
east!
Some of the N&W 518 cabs (C-3's) were hardheaders but they were not nearly 
as rough as the 557's.
As far as turning cabs into motels, these people don't realize what trash 
they have bought. The C-30P's (leaf springs) were Cadillacs. They should 
make a good "Hilton".
Jimmy Lisle
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The GP-40's I saw working out of Clare yard (-76 to 82-ish) in Cincinnati 
used the storm windows on the cabs. I know I saw them on the SD40's, GP 
30's, GP9/18's and GP35's used around here. I am pretty sure the SD45's and 
SD35's had them too. I recall that the unusual locomotives were the 
occasional ex-NKP/WAB units without the storm windows mounted. These were 
the units without the self-aligning couplers and had a line painted under 
the road number on the cab. Other than some of the SD45's, most units had 
them applied at least here in the Lake Division.

Gary Rolih, Cincinnnati
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I had to laugh out loud at Ed King's response to the storm window issue.
No Mr King, you are incorrect about the reason storm or bay windows
(depending upon where you are from) were installed. Having spent many
a brutally cold winter hanging my head out the window as we didn't have
one radio for each person on the job like today, even on radio aside from
the caboose radio in my earlier days of railroading, the storm or bay
window was a Godsend in those cold months. It saved me from all sorts
of wind burn and frostbite when I didn't have to hang my head out in the
bitter cold to watch one of my crew for a hand sign when making a long
shoving move or when he was back a way from the head end, like when
coupling a track. (Remember that no radio thing?)

And they are not that expensive either, certainly not as expensive as the
company leased luxury cars many high ranking railroad officials drive.

On the Missouri Pacific, we had a local agreement in Chicago that called for
them on captive yard engines assigned to the Chicago Terminal. These were
removable units that were required annually from 1 November to 1 April and
then removed for the rest of the time. I believe they were about $350 or so
each in 1980 when we first started getting them. Certainly not cost
prohibitive considering some of what this industry wastes money on
routinely.

Soo Line, Grand Trunk and EJ&E also utilized them, but in a permanent manner
as they were bolted and sealed to the cab side. The then, non-union
Wisconsin Central also provided them for us in my days there as well. There
was no union to demand them but they took a cue from a few other cold
weather climate railroads and decided to treat us half way decent when it
came to the harsh climate. And all ground crew members had radios there.

Several N&W Engineers I spoke with in Chicago while waiting for our trains
at Clearing Yard commented they liked the idea of the removable storm
windows so as to allow the air to circulate better in the hot months. The
model of window on the WC, some GTW and Soo units were designed to allow the
windows to be opened wide, as wide as the regualr window. The units
installed on some of the N&W units I was aboard and operated were cheaper in
quality than those used on other railroads.

And considering many N&W units used hot water for heat as opposed to
electricity, these things helped keep the cab a little warmer too. All that
lukewarm air didn't escape out the open Engineer's side window. For those of
you not familiar with the hot water heat system, if the locomotives were not
working hard in colder weather, the cooling water (which also was circulated
through the heaters and forced into the cab with fans) would not get very
hot. This meant the heaters didn't put forth much heat. Having to have the
window open to watch for signs while hanging your head out would suck that
not real warm air out in a heartbeat. All of the N&W GP38AC's had this
system for heating the cabs.

When other railroads began to upgrade the heating systems to all electric
which also saved in long term maintenance costs, N&W and later NS opted to
cheap it out and leave the old system in place. I guess they figured it was
cheaper to have to periodically run an acid mix through the piping of the
heating system to clean out the scale that routinely built up in the lines.
Then there was the cost of repairing leaking and corroded piping and of
course, if the unit died at an outlying point but only for a few hours
before discovered, while the cooling system and prime mover may not have
sustained freeze damage, oftentimes the heating system piping did as it was
more exposed and smaller, thus prone to freeze quicker.

All new EMD locomotives built in 1973 and beyond had the all electric
system.

JD "Tuch" Santucci
Schererville, IN