I have noticed that some RRs, like N&W, had “dog houses” on the tenders of their steam engines while other RRs, like C&O, didn’t. Now, C&O and N&W were both coal roads serving the same region. Why did one railroad find the doghouse on their tenders adventagious while the other road did not? Any explanation of the function, differences, history of steam tenders with and without doghouses and why would be appreciated. Thanks!
The doghouse was for the front brakeman and was provided due to the lack of space in the cab. Many railroads had large cabs and did not use doghouses,since the front brakeman rode in the cab.
The doghouse was meant for the head-end brakeman, and they were more common in the age of mechanical stokers and oil firing (both of which the fireman handled from the left-hand seatbox, traditionally the perch of the head-end brakeman). A lot of Western roads used them (the D&RGW F-81 class 2-10-2s had one of my favorites, a tiny off-center doghouse perched atop a little Vanderbilt tender) from the 1920s onwards.
[#ditto]
But then where’d the dog ride?
Rear tender deck, so they could use the backup light like a fire hydrant.
Musta been a nice place during bad weather, wonder if they were they heated?
It also allowed him to ride backwards and keep an eye on the train in the days of hotboxes, sticking brakes and non automatic detection.
I had an uncle who was a brakeman and, later, a conductor on the Frisco. You should have heard him on the subject of doghouses–or maybe nobody should have heard him ([soapbox][censored][censored][censored])! They were not heated, at least the ones he rode in, and, given that they were steel surrounded on the bottom by the cold water in the tender, colder that a well-digger’s [censored] in North Dakota. Probably hot as the devil in the summer.
Very important as trains got longer and you could not see the whole train from the caboose.
James[C):-)]
The doghouse wasn’t a pleasant place for the head end brakemen. There was no heat, and little ventilation. In the winter the brakeman froze, and in the summer, the were cooked. It was also a very uncomfortable ride, so I’ve heard, extremely bumpy.
But they were cool looking though.[:p]
Thanks! This forum is so cool!
The question of Doghouses became a union issue on the UP during the thirties for all the above mentioned reasons. The railroad lost the fight and had to provide seating in the cab, sometimes at great expense necessary for modifying smaller power.
Dave
I read something about the fact UP always had roomy cabs that must be why.