locopilot750 posted:I think it would be difficult to use that 24 brake valve, and have to bail off the independent, when they are so far apart, I guess you could lay your left elbow on the independent to hold it down, but some of those had quite a bit of spring to overcome. I've used 24's on GP & CF7's when Santa Fe had them, but the independent and the automatic were mounted close together.
They are indeed placed some distance apart, and that was certainly not ideal. I would imagine that -- when BL2's were running in road service -- many Engineers did indeed use their left arm to actuate so that the engine brakes would not apply along with the train brakes. (Or insert a wedge between the bail and the plunger of the independent brake valve.)
However, the independent brake valve is in the ideal position for use when switching, and most Engineers in that era leaned out the window (instead of using mirrors as is common today). In 1948 and before, the standard position for placement of the automatic brake valve on electric and diesel-electric locomotives other than switchers was in the right front corner of the cab, and nobody on the BL2 design team thought to question it. In fact, as you may recall, the Alco RSD15's of the Santa Fe 800 (9800) Class had the 26-C automatic brake valve right there in the front. Fortunately, when the GP7 was designed, they did re-think the brake valve placement. The brake valve placement on the F7's was convenient for road service -- using the right hand to move the automatic brake valve and, by leaning forward a little, the left hand was in a natural position to depress the bail on the independent brake valve. But for switching, it was very awkward when moving backward.
At least they did see the BL2 as a road locomotive instead of a switcher, and therefore specified 24-RL air brake schedule, with its superior features for train handling, such as First Service position.
