Poor E7...
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| Posted by Kibu on November 24, 2016 | |
The idea behind these units was actually pretty interesting. Basically, the Rock Island had a few trains where one or two cars would need to be cut out to be sent down a second line, away from the rest of the train. Rather than dedicating a locomotive to do this, they figured it was easier to take a B unit, give it an end cab, and use it for this purpose. In practice, the B would be cut in behind the A, and just ahead of the cars which needed to head down the second line. Once the junction was reached, the A would be uncoupled and pulled forward, and the AB would take the car or two it had already behind it off down the branch, while the A would recouple to the rest of the train and finish its journey. The process worked pretty much the same in reverse, with the AB bringing the cars back, only to be tacked into the train.
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Yes, same category as Crandall cabs. Unique, specialized use units that always have an interesting story behind their conception.
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| Posted by cnw4007 on November 24, 2016 | |
They were built by EMD for the Rocky Mountain Rocket, they took that part of the train to Colorado Springs while the rest of the train went to Denver. Originally had a baggage compartment in the back, second engine was added later after being bumped from the long distance trains.
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