A friend bought a NW mallett to our MR club and even in N it looks impressive.However, in the middle of the tender there is a hut(?).Being from the UKwe are not familiar with this arrangement and much discussion ensued as to what it might be used for.Assistance from you experts would be appreciated.Thanks.
Moose,
It’s referred to as a “doghouse”. I’ll let the real “experts” chime in and fill you (us) in on the details of the whys…[:)]
Tom
The doghouse was provided for a head-end brakesman to ride in. It had the advantage of keeping him off the footplate (out of the way of the crew) and he was positioned to look back along the train… what (if anything) he could do if he saw a problem I don’t know… I don’t know whether there was a brake valve or a means of communication in the dog house.
Doghouses were provided on relatively few loco tenders.
[8D]
Good answer. You see them more often in cold climates where there was a need to get the brakeman out of below 0 weather.
This thread may help…