One of the pictures in the Alco FA unit thread, depicting an FA unit leading a consist multiple, possibly newer, hood units has piqued my curiosity.
I've seen photos like that before, and it seems like the cab unit (i.e. an EMD E or F unit, or an Alco FA or PA) ends up being the lead unit. By no means is this a scientific observation, and for all I know I could be totally off base here, so feel free to call a spade a spade here.
Is there a technical reason behind it, such as something to do with MU control?
Is it because they liked the look of the streamlined unit up front?
Is it because the streamlined unit was more comfortable to operate?
Am I just seeing patterns where there are none, and should get my eyes checked?
