FOFLMAO…
Exactly Ed.
Actually, it IS a steering wheel. When you get to the bad track you just drive around it…
LOL…
LC
…If it’s cold and snowy out your conductor doesn’t need to go out in the mess and through the switch to make that siding…just steer it right in there…
Doesn’t ‘somebody’ have to ‘throw’ it first ??
Or is it “remote controlled” ???
Anybody remember the James Coburn “Our Man Flint” movies. In one of them he ends up on a train with a steering wheel. I thought is was hokey, but now I guess it was just a bad imitation of a European locomotive.
Dave H.
Well I guess the Polish are really ahead of us in this respect [:D] Imagine the possibilites here:
Instead of having the hassle of the Wye or Turntable you just turn the Ol’ girl around[:o)]
When making a cut 35 cars deep you just turn around, go back, and get that “Block of Galesburgs outta the way”[:p]
Throw the hassle of stopping and lining a switch that’s against you out the window, just go around it!!![:0]
Instead of a line 9 in a track warrent reading "Do Not foul Limits ahead of _______________ can now be changed to read "Steer Clear of ___________________(insert identifier here [:p])
Getting tired of the nagging of the Fort Worth Dispatcher and his endless red blocks???, Just turn to the right when you get to the crossing and take that 4 mile shortcut down US 57 before he even realizes “you’re off the board” [:p]
The possbilities are endless here folks!! I’m surprised the unions haven’t jumped all over this one yet[^]
A steering wheel in a locomotive? Poland? I’m not touching this with a ten foot pole !
I really don’t find this thread particularily funny…
The Polish Railways run on 3kV DC, if this engine is not diesel. Do they need serial-parallel-switching like AC-engines would need?
ET40 is the latest buzz of railroad technology of the 50ties. AC locos of that time were tap changing transformer ones with comutator ac motors.
DC locos of that time all used serial-parallel grouping to get desired speed/tractive effort.
For example - you may start with 4 motors in parallel and end with all 4 in serial - with as many as 31 positions inbetween (depending on resistances added to the circuit to control speed).
Steering wheels on locomotives. What will they think of next[:o)]!
Over here I’ve seen caboose like things with a great ships wheel on them…
Here’s a pic of one:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/wagons/1101-1200/db993806.jpg
Hugh, that a very good picture, too!! Got any more like that?
EMD’s FT A-units had the hand brake wheel on the left side of the cab facing the fireman’s seat.
Folks being shown the cab were told that the engineer handled the throttle and the brake but the fireman had to steer the engine around the curves . . .
Old Timer
My grandfather told me a story about when he was working at the Alco plant that was building the S-series switchers:
So this paper-pusher guy from head office is showing around a new client or friend or something at the factory and they get to the brand new switchers that are getting ready for delivery. They get up and are looking around the cab and the head office guy remarks, “…yes it’s a bit more expensive but it will pay for itself in the long run. Just think about it, not having to worry about watering, and it’s ready whenever you need it! I’ll have my boys look at the design again so the steering wheel isn’t in the back like that…” The whole factory laughed their tails off.
~METRO
SF and I think SP (and undoubtedly others) were users of the “wagon wheel” radio antenna, located on top of the engine/caboose.
I’m guessing that’s for steering the train on reverse movements[:D]
G’day, Y’all,
On my Yahoo steam llst someone wrote in about the Homeland Security folks going to the nuclear site in Tennessee to assess the safety of the site. They called in all he railroad folks and asked if any plans had been made to keep terrorists from highjacking cars and steering them into the buildings. The railroaders pointed out that the cars could only follow the tracks. “Then why do they have steering wheels on the end?” a homeland security expert asked.
The railroaders laughed themselves silly.
Jock Ellis
Cumming, GA US of A
Homeland stupidity at its finest.
This kinda reminds me of the movie “Speed”. Last 20 minutes- in the subway sequence- in the subway cab- Instead of a deadman switch/ throttle, there was a lever throttle, and an “emergency button” about 6" from the window. I think the guy shot the engineer because he thought it was inaccurate. It probably was.
You know what. This thread brought some attention to my eyes! I’ve never ever in my 18 years have ever head of a steering wheel in a locomotive. But, upon reading some of the responces learned that it was a throttle. That makes some sense lol.
One of my guesses as to why they would want to put a steering wheel on the locomotive is to make the engineer look cool. He could have one had on the wheel w/ the seat all the way back (if they reclined) and look cool. really lol. While they’re at it they can put a sound system on the locomotive too. hehehe