Why did F units have bi-directional roof horns if they weren’t used as road switchers? This has always seemed strange to me considering that even diesel switchers like the EMD SWs had just one forward-facing horn.
Just because they weren’t road switchers, doesn’t mean they weren’t operated backwards, or couldn’t be operated backwards.
Actually, F units were used as road switchers by many roads. I have seen pictures of the CB&Q using F units in local service, not the most friendly motor to use in that case (assuming here since I’ve never done it myself!). Also, freights many times were expected to pick up a cut of cars or set out cars along its route, thus they would have a back up move.
Ricky
That was my thought too, that when signalling that they were backing up to pick up cars or moving around a yard, they’d want to be sure that they were heard by people behind the engines. Remember too that the sound of the early “blat” single chime horns didn’t carry as well as the later multi-chime horns did.
Also we must remember that “back in the day” the caboose had a crew, too. Thus there were horn signals to the Conductor, and for calling in the tail end Brakemen prior to moving the train. John
Was the F-7A at 1500 h.p. basically the same machine as the GP-7 road switcher minus the step ladders and platform?
Well their body construction was different of course, but essentially the GP7 and F7 were the same internally…same motor, horsepower, etc. and used the same trucks. Both were introduced in 1949 IIRC.
p.s. CB&Q E-7s had both single-chime airhorns facing forward, see the new Walthers / Proto pix.