How many sets of controls in a locomotive?

let me start out by saying i dont know squat about locomotives.................is there 2 sets of controls in a freight locomotive? like if you guys are running long hood forward is there another seat and set of controls on the other side of the cab that is facing the opposite direction?

please explain.

Thank you, (i wish i was working for a railroad, not the crappy job i am currently at )

The only way you learn is by asking questions. Nobody knows it all so don't be afraid to ask.

Modern locomotives have only one set of controls. The engineer's seat swivels so he/she can run either direction with the same controls. Some cabs have the controls in front of the engineer on a desktop and these are less "user friendly" when running long distances reverse. In most cases the engineer will change to another locomotive on the other end of the consist - hopefully which is facing the opposite direction.

In early diesel days, some units were delivered with dual control stands and the engineer could operate from either side. While this is no longer something railroads order, there are still some of the dual-control units in service, more often on short lines and/or regionals as opposed to the "Class I's" such as UP, BNSF, etc.

Long-hood-forward operations always require a second set of eyes, another crewman (formerly the fireman), on the other side of the cab, for obvious reasons.

Not necessarily.

I've run GE 25 and 50-tonners, and you can see over the hood in those cases, and you can see over the hoods on SW-type units, but on the road with a high hood a second set of eyes would be needed. Switching would be an exception, as you have extra eyes on the ground.

In addition to early units being dual control, I believe that you could order single control units set up for long or short hood forward. Some RRs, like the Long Island, tended to run this way even in passenger service.

It seems odd now, but remember that 'long hood forward' was pretty much the standard for steam! So it wasn't too unnatural for the first generation diesels.

Long-hood-forward operations always require a second set of eyes, another crewman (formerly the fireman), on the other side of the cab, for obvious reasons.

but on the road with a high hood a second set of eyes would be needed

I'd change that "needed" to "helpful" or "comforting". There is no requirement to have a second person on the opposite side from the engineer. I find it humorous that on one short line the crew refuses to run long hood forward. This results in taking two locomotives when they have to take one or two cars a ways down the line. Incredibly inefficient.

This reluctance to run long hood forward apparently comes from a new generation of employees who know nothing about steam operations. If your head brakeman was in a doghouse on the tender or back on the deck of the train, and the fireman was shoveling coal or otherwise tending his fire, that left the engineer as the only one looking ahead. And some of those boilers made the long hood of a diesel look small by comparison.

Yes - it is better and more desirable to have someone on the other side. But it's not a "must".

It is a must on some railroads, on MNCR for example all absolute signals are ground signals and not viewable for nearly 300 feet when running long end foreward.
We also have rules to observe platforms while passing at speed , commuters sometimes jump, or sit on edge of platform.
We also run at greater speeds on lines with no crossing protection at higher speeds than our freight counterparts.
I for one will not run long end foreward without a second set of qualified eyes.
your example of steam operations still kept engineer on right side of cab, so he could view signals.
Thats were the safety challange comes in, when in Doubt take the safest course.

BR&P wrote:The only way you learn is by asking questions. Nobody knows it all so don't be afraid to ask.

Modern locomotives have only one set of controls. The engineer's seat swivels so he/she can run either direction with the same controls. Some cabs have the controls in front of the engineer on a desktop and these are less "user friendly" when running long distances reverse. In most cases the engineer will change to another locomotive on the other end of the consist - hopefully which is facing the opposite direction.

In early diesel days, some units were delivered with dual control stands and the engineer could operate from either side. While this is no longer something railroads order, there are still some of the dual-control units in service, more often on short lines and/or regionals as opposed to the "Class I's" such as UP, BNSF, etc.

I beleve that you can still find some Locomotives with Dual cab contols on Norfolk Southern in what ever is left of there small 4 axle high hood units and high hood SD40's??.

At least until the formation of NS almost all N&W locomotives were ordered with dual controls, so any NS locomotives that came from the N&W would have dual controls.

Rick

I do know that N&W was a fan of dual controls. I was under the impression they went to single controls well before the creation of NS. Do you have specifics on when the last N&W dual stand order was placed?

N&W went to low short hoods in 1973. They kept ordering dual controls to the merger, and NS kept following N&W practice. (SOU bought high short hoods to the end, and they were set up for long hood forward only.) I do know that at least some C39-8s and SD50s were delivered with dual controls.

Interesting. Higher initial cost, and half again as many valves to change out during periodicals. Less room in the cabs. And for what gain?

sounds like someone had money to burn?