SP Train Masters

It is Train Master!  Not Trainmaster or TrainMaster.

If I understood the question correctly, SP's Train Masters were set up to run with the short hood forward.

A lot of questions regarding the Train Master certainly get posted on the OGR Forum. It must be due to the overwhelming popularity of the various O gauge models produced over the years. I've posted this information before but I'll do it again here. Anyone who has even just a passing interest in this locomotive would do well to pick up a copy of the book titled "Train Master: The Most Useful Locomotive Ever Built" published by Withers under the Diesel Era banner. It is recognized as the authoritative work on the TM and will answer just about question you can think of. The book even makes mention of the Lionel model and includes a catalog illustration.

http://www.goldenspike.us/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=24024

Bob

So are their C-Liner, Erie Built and H10/12 books.  Invaluable.

Rusty

http://www.ssloan.net/trains/sp/3020.html 

Sure looks like short hood forward was the intended SP Train Master operation when it was pulling (versus pushing) its train...

The guy who wrote the TM book is no longer with us.

Considering how UP wanted higher powered diesels, did they ever considered the TM?  They did have some lower powered FM diesels.

UP was scared off with their experience on the Erie Built locos.  This had as

much to do with FM proper as the locos themselves.  Uncle Pete waited for

the SD24...but then they had all those Turbines to play with in the interim!

According to Sweetland's book, all the SP Train Masters had train number boards and Mars lights on both ends for bidirectional operation.  We can probably draw from that info there were dual control stands, although the short hood was designated as the "front."

I haven't found any photo's of the SP Train Masters running long hood forward, though.

Rusty

Despite the light fixtures and indicator boards applied at the ends of their long hoods, SP's Train Masters were not equipped with dual controls. 

Bob 

Here's an easy way to tell:  SP hood units with dual controls had wings painted on both ends.  Standard hood units had wings painted only on the designated front end.  Any hood unit might have to run backwards occasionally, and, because Espee displayed the train number in the number board, these engines were equipped for such occasions.  Display of the number of any regular train was important on Espee.  

Those who never had the opportunity to ride an Espee peninsula commuter train behind a Train Master missed a thrill.  The diesel engine revved up quite fast, compared to EMD or Alco diesels, and they produced high amperage to the traction motors very quickly.  Thus, they left station stops with acceleration unmatched by any other diesel-electric I ever encountered.

They spent almost every day with the same 20 or so enginemen running them, and almost every night with the same shopmen taking care of them, so they were very reliable, largely because of the ability of the mechanical and engine service employees to know the quirks of each unit and to get after small things promptly.  Espee took very good care of its passenger engines, much better than its freight roster.  And they were also kept clean.

On weekends, they would go wandering on freight trains in the Bay Area, but always be back at San Jose before Monday morning.

I heard the TM's were used on trains like the OVERNITES due to their fast running as weekend freight power.

We had similar experiences with the CNJ Train Masters along the North Jersey Coast in New Jersey. With its frequent station stops, the New York & Long Branch Railroad demanded a locomotive with an ability to accelerate quickly. Well suited to this service, the TM's took off like they were shot out of a cannon (figuratively speaking, of course).

Bob