Tom Mohr posted:What the heck are those things? Are they weather shields for the hoses and cables?
I believe they were just to cover the coupler and maintain the streamline image. Earlier versions did not project in front of the pilot but required the coupler be hinged and dropped down to close the cover. Pictures and videos show workers struggling to raise the coupler. I guess the location behind the pilot made it harder than performing the same tasks on steam engines with folding couplers.
Here is how it looked completely covered.
Pete
