I am starting to model CONRAIL in it’s infant years. Engines had a box mounted on the right side of the nose, I’ve been told they are tool boxes, some say elctrical equipment. What were they [?]
That box held the cab signal equipment on former Penn Central units.
these boxes are also on E-L and Reading engines also…After the Conrail merger[?]
I’ve heard they were batteries for something but I can’t remember what they were to.
It’s cab signal equipment as emdgp92 says.
You can model that in HO easily enough by adding Details West part #235-170 (“auto train control box for hood units”) to the locomotive.
Long Island Railroad GP38-2s (now they belong to the New York & Atlantic) also has a cab-signal equipment box in front of the engineer’s window, but they are bigger than the Conrail boxes… Can’t find a good detail part to represent it. [:P]