Hello switcher fans!! Welcome to Switcher Saturday!!! Switcher Saturday ( SwSat) is THE thread which celebrates with discussion, photos, and videos all things related to switching locomotives both in model and in real forms. It doesn't matter what gauge you model in, for SwSat welcomes your photos and/or information for all gauges from Z- G and real 1:1 gauge as well!
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As always, I'm excited to see what you all post! We greatly learn from one another and you all have so much to share from rehab and upgrade projects, historical and technical information of both model and real switchers and switching railroads, to terrific photos of the latest high tech switchers, post and prewar switchers. AND of course we as a community learn from all the content you provide. So please feel free to post your photos and/or information!
For this edition of SwSat I present to you " Cows and Calfs " .... A unique switcher combination. How the term " cow and calf" came to be seems to be a mystery. At least I couldn't find any verifiable info as to where the term originated. The term of " cow and calf", however, only applies to this unique switchers combination.
Just as EMD refers to it's carbody diesels as F units ( or E units ) and their cab-less mates as "Booster Units" or "B Units" the Cow is the unit with the cab and the cab-less calf ( booster ) follows the Cow. It's worth noting that the Cow and Calf both contain prime movers. Calfs are not to be confused with "slugs" which are a different animal, so to speak .. lol! Although some slugs may look like calfs from the outside, the slug only contains traction motors and are heavily ballasted with concrete to aid in traction while the calf contains both a prime mover ( just as a locomotive with the end cab ) and traction motors. Slugs are also visibly different from "Calfs" because slugs don't have exhaust stacks. The Western Maryland railroad referred to the two slugs that each worked in tandem with BL2 numbers 81 and 82 as "Trailers".
Cow - Calf combinations were used mostly in yard service, pushing long cuts of cars over the hump, and in transfer runs between yards. The Union Pacific even used them in helper service until the late 1950's.
According to information that I found, the first Cow - Calf combination was built in 1936 by EMD for the Illinois Centra RR. It was probably more of an experimental unit. In 1940 EMD produced the first true "Cow - Calf " combination. It was designated as the T2 ( T for "Transfer ) and was based on the 1,000 hp NW2 . It contained a 12 cylinder 567 prime mover. ( The 1936 version build for IC used a Winton diesel prime mover ) This model went again to the IC who liked the model so much that they purchased 3 more sets.
It's also worth noting that in 1949 C&O purchased a 3 unit set ( Cow + Calf + Calf ). These three units sets are known as a "Herd " and again EMD was the manufacturer.
Other locomotive companies also manufactured Cow - Calf combinations but none were as successful as EMD.
My photos this week are of the three sets of Cow - Calf combinations that run on the Free State Junction Railway. These Cow - Calfs pull transfer runs primarily between East and West yards. ( East Yard is located in the bordering town of " Nowhere" and West Yard is in the neighboring town of "Somewhere". ) Hopefully, it won't be long before they'll be making drops offs and pickups in the new "Midway Yard" which will actually be located in Patsburg. Interestingly enough none of the railroads of which I'm showing "Cow- Calf" combinations ever rostered Cow - Calfs ... LOL! Oh the joys of imagination & model railroading!" NOTE: All photos are of MTH RailKing models.
Have a FUN - TASTIC and safe weekend everyone!! Keep those switches aligned, tend to your switch lists, and green signals to all!! See ya next week right here at Switcher Saturday!!
Canton Railroad SW 1500 and a SW9 Cow - Calf and a Maryland & Pennsylvania ( Ma & Pa ) SW-1 and SW9 Cow - Calf combination on the EL. ( Click on photo to enlarge for better clarity. )
A Baltimore & Annapolis Cow - Calf combo of SW9's join the others.
The above photos are taken in the uncompleted part of Patsburg.