Lamberts Point in 1968 Question

[NW Mailing List]

Jim,
I agree that a rail fan first called the H-16-66 FMs a "Baby Trainmaster", and not FM. It is reasonable to think this was done because each had 6 traction motors and were about the same size. I refer to Mr. Walter Grigg's comment on why VGN bought the 2400 Horsepower Trainmasters in the first place, versus "EMD GP-9s and Alco RS-11s. He said "Why send two boys into a mine (2 GP-9s) when one man (FM Trainmaster) would do the same job". I just think that any 4 axle diesel hasn't got the chonies to be called any kind of a "Trainmaster".
Skip Salmon

---- NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

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On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2012 9:32 PM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: Lamberts Point in 1968 Question
 
This reminds me of the "half moon herald" vs. "hamburger herald" controversy. What it comes down to is that the first fans to use the term "Baby trainmaster" as reference to an H-16-66 believed that nobody could use that term to refer to any other FM model. While I respect their reasoning, I have come to the conclusion that they did not copyright that term, and therefore cannot keep other fans from using it in reference to an H-16-44. Same goes for "hamburger herald." Tom Dressler said the proper term was "half moon herald." I believe that is because Tom invented that name himself. Therefore he resented anyone calling it anything else. But again, no copyright, and I don't believe there was any official company recognition for either term. So you have fans who use a name which other fans insist is incorrect. But who put them in charge of what a railfan could call something? As for myself, I try to use the term which is recognized by the vocal majority, but I don't get mad at those who use a different term. They have just as much right to call it the way they like. No offence Skip! Keep insisting that a "Baby Trainmaster" is an H-16-66. But just remember that it was a mere railfan who coined the term. FM had nothing to do with it. They thought the proper name was "H-16-66".
 
Jim Nichols
 
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Sat, April 21, 2012 5:52:13 PM
Subject: Re: Lamberts Point in 1968 Question
Dare I "open up this can of worms" again. Abe referred to the former VGN Fairbanks Morse H-16-44 #18 (now #118) as a "Baby Trainmaster". I have heard the VGN mechanical people I know say they never called them this. FM built an H-16-66 (not 2400 HP but 1600 6-axle switcher) that was sometimes called a "Baby Trainmaster" but the VGN RWY never bought any of these.......
Skip Salmon
---- NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

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Pennsylvania is graced to have a plenitude of Amish in its population.  They are hard-working and a credit to society.
 
Many of the Amish men, young and old alike, are also fascinated by trains.  Some years ago I was rounding a curve with a local at Allensville, Pa, and caught sight of something alarming up ahead... someone off to the right front of the engine was aiming something at me.  As I drew closer, the "something" was discernible as a rotund older Amishman sitting in a two-horse buckboard, pointing his cell phone camera at my engine!  And while the Amish are prohibited from being "connected to the English [that's us] by wires," they can and do make extensive use of cell phones.  It's quite a treat to visit an Amish farmers' market and see all the young Amish gals playing with their cell phones and texting.  And those Amish fellows who do like trains surf the Internet to learn about trains in the world of "the English" [that's us, again...]
 
Once I was working a local and took note of a young Amish fellow on an Amish building crew (if you can get an Amish crew to build your building, then you have quality workmanship) who was fascinated by our engine doing switching.  After an hour or so, his crew took its lunch break and he came over to the engine for some conversation.  I asked him if he would like to ride along the next day, and he accepted.  So the next day, Rufus brought a lunch, worked as my fireman for a day, straw hat and all, and got an experience that he's probably still talking about.  You should have seen the looks from the other train crews when we went by with a full-bearded Amishman hanging out the fireman's window !
 
Some of those fine Amish fellows still send me e-mail, and one of them recently sent me a link to a photograph of N&W Eng 118, an FM Baby Trainmaster, shoving cars over a hump at Lamberts Point in 1968.  What interests me is the Position Light signal a dozen car lengths ahead of the engine.  It is obviously being used as some kind of a hump signal.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=395544&nseq=23
 
Now, here come the questions:
 
1.  What Special Instructions covered the use of this signal?  I don't find anything in the Time Table about them.
2.  How many of them were spaced back in the yard out of which the trains were shoved?
3.  What was the name of this hump?
4.  Aspects and Indications seem rather intuitive... Stop aspect = stop; Clear aspect = shove at humping speed; Approach aspect = shove at slow speed.  But what was used to indicate "Back Up" ?   (Perhaps a flashing "Stop" ?)
5.  Any other information on the use of these signals, e.g. when they were installed and when they were discontinued?
6.  And, of course, there is my longstanding question... someone (Mr. Bundy?) once told me that cab signals were applied for a time to the Fairbanks Morse engines at Norfolk, and the cab signals were somehow used to convey signals to the enginemen.  Hopefully, someone has information on this matter.
 
-- abram burnett

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SKIP SALMON
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SKIP SALMON
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