| Posted by William on November 17, 2019 | |
Interesting ! One would think that it would be easier to load / unload a prime mover from a flat car rather than lifting it out of the top of this F7B hulk. I wonder what the rational for this procedure is ?
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There was another one of these former F-7B units, 8501, also used in similar service (apparently). Once in a while I saw one or the other of these units on the former B&O line from Huntington to Parkersburg and Wheeling to, perhaps, other places. Oddly enough, there are a couple photos, I think, in "C&O Power" of some F-units in a solid black scheme, with some tiger stripes on the A-unit noses.
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To answer Williams question: Using the B unit for transporting engines may be simpler. The engine has lifting lugs and the B unit has built in supports. Just bolt it down. Using a flat car would involve building a special
frame to support the engine and it would sit higher up [to clear the crankcase ] thus more likely to tip.
The B unit would offer a lower center of gravity for transporting. Hope this helps.
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| Posted by William on November 17, 2019 | |
Thank You Don. That does make sense. I suppose I was just more concerned with the actual lifting of the engine thru a "hole" if you will with limited clearance. I guess that is why I ran trains rather that engineer the maintenance aspect of railroading.
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