What it the piece above the headlight in this picture with what looks like a cap? Is it a sand fill cap and was this retrofitted exclusively to Erie Lackawanna Alco PA's?
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@Chas posted:Thanks HW. What does it look like to you?
Well, one photo finally showed up, and that is an MU jumper cable receptacle. In doing some quick Google research for "Erie Alco PA "units (the DL&W never had any Alco PA units, thus all the Erie - Lackawanna units would have been former Erie), that receptacle must have been added by the EL, as none of the photos of Erie PA units I found had that MU receptacle.
Most other railroads placed the MU receptacles further down on the nose on either side (or both sides) below the headlight.
Rusty
@Hot Water posted:Well, one photo finally showed up, and that is an MU jumper cable receptacle. In doing some quick Google research for "Erie Alco PA "units (the DL&W never had any Alco PA units, thus all the Erie - Lackawanna units would have been former Erie), that receptacle must have been added by the EL, as none of the photos of Erie PA units I found had that MU receptacle.
There are many post merger pictures of EL's Alco PA's still wearing the Erie green and grey paint scheme with the MU jumper cable receptacle and even this picture of what is titled as September 1959, which is pre merger with the MU jumper cable receptacle. What purpose did the jumper cable receptacle serve on the Erie/Erie Lackawanna Alco PA's?
I assume that in this photo that the Erie Lackawanna E-8 has a jumper cable receptacle below the headlight?
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@Chas posted:There are many post merger pictures of EL's Alco PA's still wearing the Erie green and grey paint scheme with the MU jumper cable receptacle and even this picture of what is titled as September 1959, which is pre merger with the MU jumper cable receptacle.
I didn't search all that long, only a few minutes, so I obviously missed some of the Erie units. But anyway, you now know what it is.
What purpose did the jumper cable receptacle serve on the Erie/Erie Lackawanna Alco PA's?
The jumper cable, i.e. the "MU Jumper cable" is how multiple units are electrically connected together in order for the Engineer in the lead cab can control all the trailing units that a "MU'ed" into a consist. Generally the jumper cable had 27 individual wire circuits which transferred information from the lead controlling unit to all the trailing units.
So I can assume that railroads who wanted to run A units other than a back to back configuration could run them elephant style (front to back) or 2 sets of back to back AA units or like these regeared for freight Erie Lackawanna E-8's which were MUed at the 3:55 time in this video?
Were the grab irons on the nose of Erie Lackawanna Alco Pa's and E-8's used to climb up to make the connection of the MU jumper cables?
@Chas posted:So I can assume that railroads who wanted to run A units other than a back to back configuration could run them elephant style (front to back) or 2 sets of back to back AA units or like these regeared for freight Erie Lackawanna E-8's which were MUed at the 3:55 time in this video?
Correct.
Were the grab irons on the nose of Erie Lackawanna Alco Pa's and E-8's used to climb up to make the connection of the jumper cable receptacles?
No, those grab irons were for climbing up to wash the windshields.
You can say what you want to, but man, you just can't beat the Erie-Lackawanna's color scheme. The E-L put on one great showing in the Northeast when it came to running fast freights and passenger trains too of course. A railroad missed by many but still lives in the hearts of model railroaders and railfans alike.
@Trinity River Bottoms Boomer posted:You can say what you want to, but man, you just can't beat the Erie-Lackawanna's color scheme.
Actually that is the original Delaware Lackawanna & Western Color scheme, which was developed by the EMD Engineering Styling Dept.. Having grown up in New Jersey, I always like both the DL&W and Erie styling (and the Central RR of New Jersey wasn't bad either).
The E-L put on one great showing in the Northeast when it came to running fast freights and passenger trains too of course. A railroad missed by many but still lives in the hearts of model railroaders and railfans alike.
