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To day while eating break feast at a track side restaurant.By the Seaboard railroad now CSX.A train came by it had 2 ge widecabs locomotive.What was weird to me was both locomotives where running long hood forward.Now before some body says so what.Keep in mind in my neck of the woods this is simply not done.It was just weird seeing CSX  running southern style.So I know some of you guys model NS or Southern.So do you run long hood forward?Come guys let me hear from ya.

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NS did run this way but ceased doing that as standard practice many years ago.  As I recall a tragic accident in western Ohio was attributed to missing a signal at curve going into a diamond and broadsided another NS train. Someone may confirm more on this. The Lionel first Dash-8 40B operated long hood forward in start up and the Engineer faced that way.  Nice attempt by Lionel at realism before the hobby went more scale etc.

Train Nut posted:

I'm not sure they preferred it that way. It just happens sometimes. There's nowhere to turn the engine and you end up having to run long Hood forward.  

NS did at one time and maybe still do run long Hood forward for safety purposes.

I wish I had a ---Darn I had my phone with me.But I was so stunned up on seeing this.I did not think to use my phone.

Thats weird to see that now in railroading. That's an interesting find. 

On our railroad, we run most of the postwar GP7s long hood forward because they pull better that way. With modern diesels I usually just try and run them the way they are set up to run. But I enjoy running transition era equipment the most so I mostly run them long hood first. 

I use to live right next to some NS tracks and usually they ran at least two engines long hood to long hood so they could run short hood which ever direction they where going. And I would see them bring in some cars to a grainery and when they left with what was left they where front hood forward but in the other engine. 

I have always preferred short hood forward myself. 

Depends, I suppose.

One could make the argument that since "pulling" is inherently more efficient than "pushing" (think of our front-wheel drive vehicles), if you have an engine with only one powered truck, putting that truck forward would be "best" regardless of hood length. For example, Gilbert's Flyer GP7's powered truck is at the short hood end:

AF GP7...

However, most scale models have a centrally-located motor with both trucks powered, so it becomes a matter of taste: (O scale Red Caboose and Atlas N scale). 

Geeps...

Personally, I like my EMDs to run short hood first; Alcos are fine either way: (Weaver RS3).

IMG_20161231_144333535

One of the nice things about Euro engines is that (for the most part) they are the same at either end, so there is no "front" or "back" end!    (O scale Rivarossi and HO scale Roco DB "215"...)

IMG_20161221_081318208

One last picture: this HO scale Roco "V200" is probably the single best running engine I've ever owned, in any scale. Super smooth, quiet and heavy so it can pull as many cars as you'd want. 

IMG_20170402_154923379

Mark in Oregon

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Images (5)
  • AF GP7...
  • Geeps...
  • IMG_20161231_144333535
  • IMG_20161221_081318208
  • IMG_20170402_154923379

Early Geeps on many roads were set  up as long hood forward and the crews wanted it that way after working steam.    Pennsy roadswitchers except for the RSD7/15 (I think) were all long hood forward until they purchased GP30s and Alco RS27s.    NYC and B&O both designated GP7s and GP9s as long hood forward.

That means the controls were installed so they were facing the engineer when he sat on the right side facing the long hood.   

A prototype diesel does not care which way it runs, it is more convenient for the crew one way or the other.

years ago I traveled to Ashland Kentucky from Ohio down Rte 23 on business periodically.   A number of times in the late 70s and  80s I saw N&W units with High Short hoods running long hood forward.

Any of the single motored PW locomotives will pull better with the motor at the rear.  For things like the PW GP-7, that's long hood forward.  My old Phantom locomotive with a single motor in the front could barely pull it's four passenger cars on level track.  With the addition of a second motor, it will pull 20+ boxcars around the club layout, including a 2% long grade.  Yes, it pulls it's passenger cars, including a couple of extras just fine on the same run.  This is all on Atlas track, so no magnatraction, and of course it doesn't have traction tires.

For modern stuff with two can motors, there should be minimal or no difference which way you run as far as pulling power.

Strummer posted:
Mike CT posted:

Long hood forward.   A refurbished GP7, that originally was a Pennsy unit.   Long hood forward from steam days was thought to be a safety   Atlas un-decorated model, that was custom painted.   

Nice:  ...is this a Red Caboose model? 

Mark in Oregon

Atlas un-decorated.  

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