dual control PRSL GP38s

Does any of the Ex PRSL GP38's today have the dual controls still in them?
Like DM&E 300 or 3001, IAIS 600 ect.

I saw the interior of one on NS a few years ago. This was just a peek, I'm 99% sure it was a 'dualie'. One of the 2940 series.

Mike

Besides the PRSL GP38's, Reading had 5 SD-45's with the built-out cabs
(that's 11 inches, I measured it) The Reading's had a strange dual-control system with a console in the center, and the levers would move correspondingly on the other side. I haven't seen any literature about this stand, and would like to find some. By the way, the Reading's U30C's and C-630's also had these stands , which Conrail apparently replaced as soon as they could to avoid having these "weirdo" control stands in its fleet.

I also read that the PRR had U25Bs that had dual controls.
56-57 was that 1 of the ex prsl gp38s or the PCs?

And does the 56-57 mean the CNJ F3 that were at the SRNJ and now in Pa ,the B is still @ Winslow NJ

A PRR freak told me that the U25b's were bought and paid for by the Federal Government in exchange for land taken to build a dam in Pennsylvania somewhere, and were ordered with EVERY option available to take advantage of Uncle Sam's generosity. I suspect that the dual control stands in those units were the true full control stand. :D

geep39 wrote:I suspect that the dual control stands in those units were the true full control stand.

Yes, they were. I believe the PRR dual-control units were U25Cs, however.

This one doesn't have the dual control stands anymore. Actually it was never used on the P-RSL. It was leased to Penn Central and was built with dynamic brakes. It's now owned by CIT Financing and is on long term lease to the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway(RailAmerica).

PRSL2005,

From what I knew (this changes frequently), it was a PRSL. I didn't realize that PC had them like this also. But I still believe it was from the PRSL, based on the caption on one of the idiotrailfan's pictures of the 2940.

As for the F3s, yeah, right now the B-unit is still in Jersey, only the A's are in Jim Thorpe. I just picked 56-57 as it sounds better to me.

Mike

I think the "someone else is paying, I want them with the lot" U25B on the Pennsy were their first order, 2500-2506, built in 1962. I think the land taken by the government technically belonged to a PRR subsidiary, the Waynesburg and Washington, and the units may have been lettered for this subsidiary for a while. But I doubt they ever operated on "home rails": the W&W was largely out of service, and (all? or part? of it) was narrow gauge!

The control stand with interlinked operating controls on both sides is called a "tandem" stand in EMD-speak. The advantage of this type of stand is that you can change sides very quickly depending on what location gives you the best vantage point for the task you are performing at the time. The disadvantage is that it takes up an enormous amount of room in the center of the cab floor, resulting in the need for an extended cab.

On units with dual control stands, which have one stand on either side of the cab, there is no mechanical connection between the operating controls, the stands are connected in "parallel" electrically and pneumatically, and consequently one stand or the other gets set up for operation depending on which direction you intend to go. The controls on the side you are not using have to be correctly "parked" or cut-out when changing sides or they will interfere with the functions on the other stand. The setup process is rather similar to changing ends on a multiple unit locomotive lashup.

Most EMD operating manuals and locomotive service manuals for the units which were available with these options do not mention them. There was nothing about either the tandem or the dual control stands that was any great mystery to operating personnel.

I work for the BNSF and I am sure most of you are familiar with the "rolling museum" of motors that we have on the property. I still see SD-9's and switch engines with dual controls. However the stand on the firemans side is intact but all of the guages and such are blanked out and they are not operational. Most fireman were engineer qualified so in pre radio days they were designed to work best on whichever side the crew was passing hand signals on is my guess.

the ex prsl GP38's I have worked on had both tandem and seperate stands. I had never been on one with single controls, but this was all just before CSX took us Yankee's over, so I haven't seen one since. With regards to that Cit leased engine shown above, it has to be an ex dual control stand engine, it's not impossible to add dynamics to a non dynamic engine. It's obviously heavily retrofitted.