I have a photo of my grandfather sitting in the engineer’s seat of what I believe to be an F unit locomotive. However, I do not know which type of F unit it is. F7? F8? F9?
I’m wondering if any of you can tell the type of F unit by looking at his photo? (unfortunately, I can’t figure out how to attach the picture to this message, but if you reply, I can email it to you.)
Thanks!
Ed
If it’s on the Chicago & North Western, it’s probably an F7A, especially it was in suburban service. A variety of secondhand F’s were puchased in the 1970’s for freight service.
Is there a “magical” way to insert photos to these posts? I’ve tried using the Insert tab, but it doesn’t work. I’d like to be able to show you the photo I have, just to make sure.
I’ve searched online for interior pictures of F units but none of them look like the locomotive my grandfather is sitting in.
Upload the photo to a 3rd party site. Use the link of the photo from the 3rd party site to have it display on the trains site.
There is no “F8” locomotive. Changes comparable to those between E7 and E8 were rolled into F7 production and by the time of a ‘major upgrade’ went straight to parity with the E9s. Or so went the tale as I heard it.
In the absence of the photo itself: what tells you this is an F unit (rather than, say, an E or some other cab unit)? If for example you can see the road number painted on the cab wall, and have even a short list of roads your grandfather worked for, there are people here who would know…
I use Imgur to put pics on the Internet. It’s free. Select hidden and not public when you download your pic, then it will upload it to the Internet when completed ( seconds), then use the insert image button on this site.
If you still can’t do it for sone reason send me a private message on this site and I will forward my email and post it for you when received.
I uploaded the photo to Google Photos. The link in the previous message will get you the photo. I just don’t know how to get it to show up in this message box. SORRY!
My grandfather worked for Chicago Northwestern his whole career. Starting as a fireman and working his way up to engineer.
I don’t know anything about E vs F locomotives. I just assumed (you know what that can lead to!) it was an F unit based on the curvature of the front window that is partially in the picture. But, when I searched online for pictures of E units, they seem to have the same shaped locomotive front. So, I’m lost!
If anyone on this forum can help me figure this out, I sure would appreciate it!
I tried contacting the CNW Historical Society but they didn’t have any information about which routes my grandfather worked. All they could tell me was that he WAS a CNW employee.
I get nothing but a 404 error clicking that Google Photos link – can you check, and edit the link as required?
I believe from the E7 on, the functional curves of the upper bulldog nose and windshields were common between the E and F (the pilots could be notably different). A story, possibly apocryphal, is that the windshield glazing or pattern in some of those EMD cabs is taken from a pair of contemporary automobile windshields - I think I remember '35 or '36 Chevy. All in the family!
I think if any part of the brake control gear is visible, you might tell from that. At least some passenger units used a different valve setup
I’ve contacted Miningman, as he kindly offered to help, and sent him the picture. Hopefully, he can get it to post on this forum. (Strangely, the link works for me…perhaps because Google recognizes my computer???)
Here is the situation as I currently understand it: the link, which is
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOkZaIgXaIAHFv67cUbm9FImsLQBCbNOttKo3J9
is available only to people who sign in using a Google account.
UPDATE: as it turns out, both my phone and ‘main’ computer are, in fact, signing into Google to retrieve the image, and Google is saying it can’t find it.
So please copy and post the image URL again; something might be missing in the transcription. I’ll probably be able to see it when a ‘good’ URL is there. Note that Google is not saying access is restricted to the photo – they can’t find it ‘by that name’ at all.
Here we are!
THANKS SO MUCH!!!
No problem, glad to help out.
Certainly hope someone can can solidly identify the locomtive model from its control stand features.
Double post, see below.
Well, since on-one else has ventured an opinion…
From the information available from the photograph I think it’s almost impossible to determine just what your grandfather’s in command of. Most of the EMD F and E cabs were pretty much “cookie-cutter” standard set-ups with little or no variation. It looks like every other EMD F and E unit cab photo I’ve seen. Of course that, and excellent interchangeability of parts was the secret to EMD’s success after all.
Were I you I wouldn’t agonize over this. anyway you look at it it’s a wonderful picture of your grandfather, a great keepsake.
Whoever took the picture concentrated on the man, and not the machine.
If you’re a rail modeler or toy train fan a framed copy of the photo would be a great addition to the decor of your train room!
Opinions, anyone?
Dilly dilly!
All I can say is that this is definitely an EMD unit, based on the windows and controls behind the engineer’s head. While the headlight control switch (rounded bottom, to the left of the engineer’s head) is a fairly universal Pyle-National part, the rectangular breaker/switch panel is a EMD part. Our F3A looks very similar, but those parts were common across many EMD models.
The brake stand strikes me as odd, I don’t quite recognize it. It does not look like the 24RL, 14EL, or 6BL setups that most road diesels from the 1940’s and 50’s had, so I believe it is a D22L, or HSC (high speed control). This was a very early electro-pneumatic (today known as ECP) system that was used on 1930’s streamliners, and was also found on some passenger units. The Illinois Railway Museum’s E5A and Nebraska Zephyr may be the only operating example left, as you need a matching trainset of cars equipped with HSC brakes.
A cab ride in CB&Q 9911A at the IRM, with some good views of the control stand:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN-aiPllvGo
The standard EMD F-unit cab layout, with a 24RL brake system and drum control stand:
http://www.trainweb.org/wp918d/918cab-13f.jpg
As the C&NW had a large fleet of passenger F and E-units of many models, more detailed info from a Northwestern history buff will be required to narrow this down.
I’ll post the photo over on RYPN as well.
I am not an expert on the appearance of C&NW two-speed automatic train control, but I have to think I’m looking at something very like it. Is that white roughly cubical box at the side window corner part of the ATC? Can anyone read or does anyone recognize the box over the window, with the two jewel lights and the handle facing directly down in the half-circular part, with several labeled positions?