many years ago, like maybe 1958, I was trackside in Brunswick,MD, across from the B&O roundhouse. That was my perch, on the porch of the B&O hospital, next to the YMCA. Had a great view of the turntable, roundhouse, angine activity, and the tower across the tracks. The main line signal was in view down the tracks, so i always knew when something was on the way, at least on the main. Brunswick had two large yards, out of sight each way, with this engine facility between. Porch was maybe 20 feet above track level, so I got a good view.
My memory is sometimes foggy at my age, but I remember clearly or so it seems, one day I saw the signal go up and a short train appeared, maybe ten cars, but the engine was an F series B unit, by itself. No A unit. The end door was open, with a bar across it, and from the bar hung some sort of headlight. I could see a crewman or two standing in that door.
So, the question is this, do B units have a control stand so they can be moved alone? I assume they were just moving the few cars from the yard around the curve, not cross country. I can rationalize maybe an A unit dies and they needed to move the cars. Whatever.
My first thought was an A unit coupled on backwards, but I seem to recall looking as it went by, and that was not the case. And for that matter I am not aware that A units have a headlight to hang in the back door.
COuld my memory be correct, or perhaps what did I see instead? And about those controls?
There were some B units with controls in them. Santa Fe and Rio Grande had some Unit set up that way. I watched a Rio Grande unit switch in the Helper Utah yard around 1963.
If I recall correctly, Rock Island modified a B unit so it could be used to head up a train that split somewhere, rather than tie up a regular A unit. But it definitely was a one of a kind.
It was actually a factory job from EMD. You’re thinking of AB6’s 750-751 which were originally assigned to the “Rocky Mountain Rocket”. They were designed that way for the split of the Denver and Colorado Springs sections at Limon CO. They were eventually equipped with HEP in the mid-1960’s when RI bought its first gallery coaches for suburban service.
C&NW actually did add cabs to E8B’s and E9B’s for suburban service. C&NW bought a batch of ex-UP E8/9 cabs and boosters from Precision National to upgrade their motive power for suburban service. 2 E8B’s and 4 E9B’s had “Crandall cabs” (named for a motive power supt.) added.
I recall from my youth seeing the B&O utilize B units as the only locomotives on MofW Work Trains in and around Garrett, IN. Their use was the exception, not the rule - better a ‘hobbled’ Work Train than no Work Train at all.
Hostler controls on a B unit typically had five notches (as opposed to eight). The most interesting application was the hostler control in the gangway between halves of SP’s (and UP’s?) DD35Bs.
They were originally ordered when the RI added a Kansas City section between Belleville KS and Kansas City to the Rocky Mountain Rocket. They powered the KC to Belleville section and then the Limon to Colorado Springs section. Heavier war time traffic led to them being used on the main Chicago trains east of Belleville and other power used on the KC section. They also only had one diesel prime mover as built, the space for the other one was used as a baggage area. Eventually they were found to be underpowered and a second prime mover was installed.
One of the current special issues on the great passenger trains shows the photo sequence of the two sections being switched together at Limon.
IIRC from pictures I’ve seen, that unit had a headlight added on top of the roof with some pretty spiffy faring around it; almost gave it a streamlined look.
EDIT: Now that I see posts after the one I replied to, I guess those might be the units/pictures I recalled. Really ought to read the whole thread before I reply.
Can the hostler stand in the B unit be used when there are multiple units? Say there are two B units coupled together, can they be driven or does one of them need to be cut out?
Haysi 1, The former Clinchfield unit (CRR #852) still survives in the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. I see something about a Bessemer B-unit having done something similar.
