Would anyone be able to answer a modest question about the "normal" running direction of GP7s as they first entered ACL service 1950-1951? Did they run short nose leading or long hood? Did the engineers run the engines as they were intended or did common sense prevail. MBK 5/2/03.

-- M. B. Kanis (k9boatlovr@aol.com), May 02, 2003

Answers

Steve Kamp's response is correct. The customary practice for indicating which end is the "front" or leading end, is the placement of a black capital letter "F" on the sill adjacent to the locomotive access steps. This practice was instituted to help avoid guesswork by hostlers when a locomotive unit, such as a Southern Rwy loco, was on a "foreign" road. So, look for the F to indicate to you which end of the locomotive is the front end.

-- Aaron Dowling (adowling@merandb.com), September 25, 2003.

The GP-7s were set up for short hood forward running. On locals or turns if locomotives were assigned in multiple, the hostler at the home terminal would set them up so that there was a short hood leading and a short hood trailing the multiple consist. If a local or turn was assigned only one loco, it would of necessity have to run long hood leading for part of the trip.

-- Steve Kamp (sakamp@hotmail.com), May 05, 2003.