Visibility

How is track visibility when controlling an engine long hood forward?


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About the same as the visibility out of a GS-4 class locomotive running 90 MPH down the Coast Line.

Running a locomotive is not the same as driving a car for one simple reason; you don't have to steer. With someone on both sides of the cab, all that is needed is to watch the signals. Other than that, there really isn't much that has to be seen. One area of my run seems to always have heavy fog. I could catch the signal, so that there was no need to slow down. That's the beauty of being on a fixed guideway.

I think that when driving a long hood engine forward it is important to observe the signal. If there is dense fog on a track area, you need to pay attention to signals and reduce speed if necessary.
flappy bird

Naturally it depends on the locomotive. GP units are easy to run long hood forward. Can see down the length of the hood, no real loss in visibility as you aren't looking out of the middle windows anyhow. SD40-SD50-SD60 same visibility, just a little bit longer to the end when judging blowing your horn. It is when you get into the flared higher HP units it does get somewhat difficult. Still not an issue and can be run but more annoying than anything. Had to run a AC6000 hammerhead once and it was an experience cause of how long it is plus the low hanging flared radiators. But in the end it ran the same and just had to have the head a bit further outside the window to see the signals.

Track speed if you have ditch lights. 20 over public crossings if you don't.

selfkumquats wrote:I think that when driving a engine it is important to observe signals.

Fixed it for you. Doesn't matter what type of engine, which direction, what kind of weather or anything else. If you are governed by signals, you durn sure better observe them.