The BQ-23-7 was an attempt, during the time when railroads were removing cabooses from fright trains, to find a place to put all the crew members that were often found on a freight train at the time. At the time, it was still common for freights to have as many as 5 crewmen (engineer, fireman, conductor, and front and rear brakemen). With a caboose, the rear brakeman and the conductor would be back there, but the advent of cabooseless trains displaced them up to the locomotives. Before long, however, new work rules quickly reduced the size of train crews, making the need for such large cabs almost as obsolete as the caboose itself.
As a side note, the BN also experimented with enlarged cabs -- a series a GP-50's were built with elongated cabs with additional seating in them.
Wondering if I'll see the Western Route double-tracking finished before I retire...
Photo: Melbourne W7 No. 1019 on Route 78, Bridge & Church Streets, Richmond, Victoria. 10/21/2010
