What is the function of a “doghouse” on the tender of a steam locomotive? I know this sounds silly, as I love steam, but I never knew what it was used for. How does one get inside? Looks HOT AND DIRTY to me.[:P]
They served as a refuge for the front end brakeman. They were used in tunnels and during inclement weather…and loooonnnngg ccccccccold winters.
Crandell
this was “home” for the brakeman to be while on switching duties. Hot and dirty? Be a fireman and engineer.
A federal regulation went into effect sometime around WW2 saying that locomotives had to provide a seat for the head-end brakeman (when there was one). On steam engines, many roads added the doghouse for the brakeman. The seat normally faced back, so the brakeman could look back over the train while riding.
The Denver Rio Grande Western had doghouses on the K-28, K-36 and K 37 [and one K-27] narrow gauge engines. Today the engines of the C&TS and Durango-Silverton in above classes still have them. I May be mistaken but I think I heard that some of them were heated, which probably welcome on the 10,000 passes in the dead of winter.
Any history of doghouses in Canada?