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RE: (erielack) Heights of diesels, was May calendar photo

> > These units still have the as-delivered back-to-back single chime 
> > "blat" horns - the EL later replaced these and moved them to the 
> > engineer's side
> of
> > the cab with multi-chime horns that were mounted on 
> brackets to make 
> > them lower profile (which makes me wonder - did the clearance issue 
> > that forced the movement/lowering of the horns not exist in 1965?)
> 
> Of course it did.  The tunnels in Cleveland didn't get smaller . . .


But this begs the question - why didn't they come with low-profile equipment
to begin with? Was there an oops one day when a C424 went through Cleveland?
:)


 
> But to be a little fair (just a little, now, don't get 
> excited!) if you take a look at a technical drawing of the 
> front elevation of an Alco Century, and an EMD SD, you'll 
> find that the EMD fills out the clearance diagram a lot more 
> than the Alco.  There probably was room for the horns on the Alco.

Again, why bother moving the horns on the Alco, then?

I have plate diagrams of EMD SD45s and GE U36C's at home - I always thought
the GE's were bigger than the SD's, so it just makes me scratch my head why
the EMD had all this ultra low-profile equipment (not just fans, too -
dynamic brake vent and dust bin blower housings, too!) - this photo shows
it's a close call:

http://gelwood.railfan.net/loco/el3321w.jpg

The GE's rounded radiator housing on top probably allowed sufficient
clearance throught the tunnels. 

This photo shows that unmodified SD45s seem to indeed be taller than the
GEs:

http://gelwood.railfan.net/loco/el3327l.jpg


Also, why were the new U36C's delivered with high-mounted horns behind the
cab:

http://gelwood.railfan.net/loco/el3325as.jpg

And then moved lower ahead of the cab (like SD45s and Centuries):

http://gelwood.railfan.net/loco/el3326o.jpg


Or was that just a GE "oops"?

	- Paul

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