EP-2 MU connection

I’ve come a cross a photo of an EP-2 with an overhead MU connection. Obviously some of these locomotives were retrofitted in the 50’s with this device for a particular purpose. Most of the EP-2 units I’ve seen in photographs don’t have this connection type. What was the reason for this retrofitting?

Engines 305 - 314 had MU jumper fittings under the headlight and over the cab door. This was either done when they were built or sometime rather early in their life. There is a photo in the "Swanberg" book dated from 1930's showing 311 on Hell Gate Bridge apparently on an excursion and it was equipped at that time. The above engines (305 - 314) were available for freight use and indeed in the early to mid 1950's were often used in freight service between Cedar Hill and Harlem River. Once the EF-1 class (jeeps) were being phased out in the mid 1950's they needed more power to replace them so they were used in freight operations. Frequent trains that saw these motors were NH-3 from Cedar Hill to Harlem River and HN-6 from Harlem River to Cedar Hill but I suspect there were other trains that sometimes had them as well. They all retained their heating boilers for passenger service as well during this period although the power books do not reflect this.

Thanks Noel for the information. I will take a look at my copy of NH Power. I assume that the three connection points were for different uses (i.e. power, cab controls etc).

chnhrr wrote:Thanks Noel for the information. I will take a look at my copy of NH Power. I assume that the three connection points were for different uses (i.e. power, cab controls etc).

You have to remember that these motors were ancient by today's standards. There were no MU hoses so even with a two or three engine consist there was only one air compressor for the whole train, only one engine brake for the whole train and a host of other situations that were different than what we experience today with MU diesel operations. I never worked on the Westinghouse Motors so I can't detail what use the three connections had but I would assume it was necessary for all three to be connected in order to have proper MU operation.
Noel Weaver