645 posted:Ed Jakl posted:Thanks! So what I want to know, is on this picture, is this wall clear across the cab? If so, wouldn't it make the windows behind the cab doors worthless?
Following that logic then the windows on the cab doors of an E or F-unit (same goes for the Alco FA1, etc.) are also worthless. Imagine if your 4-door sedan did not have windows in the rear doors - wouldn't visibility be worse or at the very least expand your blind spot? Of course if one is a truck driver who hauls a box trailer maybe one is not used to not having side/rearward visibility to the point where "extra side windows" must be worthless.
While above image is of a F-unit (or an E-unit) the BL2 is similar. The cab door windows are for visibility to outside plus illumination of cab interior. The windows/portholes behind the cab on as-built E and F-units were to help illuminate the interior - and yes. they had light bulbs in there too. Also note the cab door window crank (it's also present in the BL2 shot above) - the window could be lowered and raised. Obviously when lowered would help with ventilation plus help the fireman grab hooped up train orders if the engineer didn't want to do it himself or didn't want the door opened for grabbing orders if it was a cold winter day.
And if these cab door windows were really that worthless one would think when a unit was in the shop for rebuilding and/or upgrading the railroads would have blanked off the windows - especially when it became a requirement per federal law to have FRA complaint glass (circa 1970's?) in ALL cab windows. That reminds me - this is the very reason early GE U-boats and some SD45's (with optional cab side windows) had the extra fixed cab side windows plated over with steel - to reduce the cost of replacing all the cab window glass. Those windows were worthless - not so for cab door windows apparently.
Oh, I was not referring to the window in the cab doors. I know they are needed. I was referring to the cab windows that are behind the cab doors, which are indeed unique to the BL-2.
