Hi
What other locomotives use the rotating window similar to UP 604?
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=101554&nseq=9
These windows apparently are marine wipers: http://www.b-hepworth.com/pages/cvs.html
These windows can be found on locomotives that are assigned to snowfighting duties. Also note the icicle breakers attached.
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Motor-driven rotating-pane windows were commonly fitted to almost everything that runs on rails in Northern Japan - even some steam locomotives had them.
Chuck
Thanks. I think they are neat to look at. I didnt realize they went back that far. What a great looking engine
That type of system is fairly common in marine applications. I’ll bet high seas in the North Atlantic would rip any “windshield wiper” right off the window…
I don’t get it. What is a rotating windo and, what the heck are these big apratusie’s on these locomotives mounted on the top of the cab?
SP SD9s assigned to snowfighting service had them as well.
Bubba, when you spin a disk fast, anything that is not securely fastened to it is thrown off. Thus, when a glass disk that is mounted on a window is spun, it will throw snow and/or water off and make it possible for the engineer (or the helmsman on a ship) to see ahead. I’m sorry, but I cannot answer your question about the apparatuses mounted on top of the cab. Someone else will have to step in here.
Johnny
They break icicles off tunnel openings or any overhand where ice hangs down.
The bars on the top of the cab are ice breakers. frequently in tunnels you get water dripping and when it is below freezing it forms icicles.any way to keep the icicles from doing damage they put those bars on top of leading equipment to knock the ice off the ceilings.
rgds ign
Oh ok that makes a lot of sence now about the windows! But what the heck is a little icicle going to do to a big ginormus boxcar/locomotive? The breaker does make the loco visually eye-catching though.
When railroads transported automobiles in open multi-level equipment, in the winter trains handling the equipment routinely had a car similar to the one pictured below on the head end of the train.
Break the ice in tunnels and overhead bridges before the autmobiles got there.
Cool car, but now everthing is enclosed.
Justin, many-pound chunks of ice tend to break things (windows, cooling fans, other apparatus on top of engines and cars, people). The idea of the ice breaker bars is to keep it from happening. One would not want to be under a falling icicle, they tend to do bodily damage.
Randy in Monee, IL
Oh yah there are fans on top of the loco’s now aren’t there! Ok I now fully understand. Thanks! If an icicle falls on you… HUMAN SHISHKAOB!
Justin, you seem skeptical of the ability of a large ice chunk to cause damage to a locomotive or crew member. A number of years ago some kids hung a bowling ball on a rope from an overhead bridge above the rail line running on the east side of the Hudson River. They then stood there to watch a train come along and hit that bowling ball, as they thought it would be “fun” to see what happened. The ball went through the engineer’s window and killed him instantly. Some fun, huh.
A chunk of ice hanging from a tunnel roof can quickly grow as large as a bowling ball and when it lets go over a passing train the consequences could be just as serious. Yes, the railroads do pay attention to this hazard.
Alan,
Since this is used for snowplow service it makes sense to have the protection you describe. I was wondering are the widows covered up completely or just covered with the screen?
The particular Union Pacific diesel unit portrayed in the photo is used to push either a rotary plow or a wedge plow. Union Pacific has several rotaries although none have been used in the last ten years or so, as far as I know. When they are used, the rotating blades on these plows are powered either by a diesel engine within the plow body or they have been “electrified” and are powered by an old F7B unit with its traction motors removed and the power from its generator rerouted to the plow’s electric motor. In any case, all of these units, whether rotary or wedge, are dependent on some form of motive power to push them into the snow to be removed. This requires significant tractive effort if the snow is deep and/or icy in order to force the snow/ice into the chute leading to the cutting blades. In heavy snow, several diesel units would probably be required. This pictured locomotive would be the lead unit and would be equipped with the rotating window so that the engineer could see the operating plow ahead. This would be more important in the event of a lighter snowfall when a wedge plow rather than a rotary would be used, as visibility from the locomotive would be even more important.
One of the earlier posters was correct that windshield wipers would be a likely casualty in this heavy service, and in any case would not do a very good job of keeping visibility clear.
In steam days, the rotary pilot would ride inside the rotary and would sit with his head sticking out of a small windowed raised cab just behind the rotating blade and tilting chute. It was his job to observe the actual plowing operation, watch for downed trees, rocks, ice, snowslide hazards and anything else that would present a danger. He would signal the engine crews of the pushing locomotives and of the plow itself by means of the whistle on the plow whether to go forward, stop, back up and so forth. The engineers would in turn signal using their whistles if there were
[quote user=“Alan Robinson”]
The particular Union Pacific diesel unit portrayed in the photo is used to push either a rotary plow or a wedge plow. Union Pacific has several rotaries although none have been used in the last ten years or so, as far as I know. When they are used, the rotating blades on these plows are powered either by a diesel engine within the plow body or they have been “electrified” and are powered by an old F7B unit with its traction motors removed and the power from its generator rerouted to the plow’s electric motor. In any case, all of these units, whether rotary or wedge, are dependent on some form of motive power to push them into the snow to be removed. This requires significant tractive effort if the snow is deep and/or icy in order to force the snow/ice into the chute leading to the cutting blades. In heavy snow, several diesel units would probably be required. This pictured locomotive would be the lead unit and would be equipped with the rotating window so that the engineer could see the operating plow ahead. This would be more important in the event of a lighter snowfall when a wedge plow rather than a rotary would be used, as visibility from the locomotive would be even more important.
One of the earlier posters was correct that windshield wipers would be a likely casualty in this heavy service, and in any case would not do a very good job of keeping visibility clear.
In steam days, the rotary pilot would ride inside the rotary and would sit with his head sticking out of a small windowed raised cab just behind the rotating blade and tilting chute. It was his job to observe the actual plowing operation, watch for downed trees, rocks, ice, snowslide hazards and anything else that would present a danger. He would signal the engine crews of the pushing locomotives and of the plow itself by means of the whistle on the plow whether to go forward, stop, back up and so forth. The engineers would in turn signal using their whistles if there we