Pennsy diesel operations query

[Bluford Craig]

Wow. Everyone else has thrown in. I guess I will too! The vast majority of RS1, RS2, RS3, and RSD4-5's were long hood forward regardless if the same line's geeps were short hood forward. As for the geeps, a rule of thumb is, east of Chicago - long hood; west of Chicago - short hood.  Not planned, just worked out that way. Notable exceptions: C&O, LV, CRR and GN. IC ran short hood forward. I'm sure I'm missing a few here and there and of course there are always little groups of engines in special services. Once the low nose GP18 and GP20 appeared, that sold most lines on the short hood, Southern and N&W excepted as were mentioned.
Craig

[inkaneer]

It's an important safety feature, some of the type that were never voluntarily implemented (like air brakes, knuckle couplers, standardized safety equipment: grab irons, stirrups, etc...).

Part of being safe is being aware of what's going on around you. You need to designate which end of a unit is forward for things like whistle signals (two shorts forward, three shorts reverse). The "F" gives you that. Remember, all locomotives are bi-directional, even if, by tradition, one end is forward. The F placement (and all that other mandated stuff that might seem like unnecessary government interference in private industry) is required because equipment is interchangeable, so that a guy on the PRR, if he pays attention to the common required labeling, isn't going to get killed because they're borrowing a unit from the UP.

Who knows how many digits, appendages, and even lives have been saved because of this one, simple "obvious" thing.

Somehow I just don't see how painting a little "F" on the sidesill of a locomotive does all that.  So here is a question.  If a train is  stopped and the engine which has the little 'F' on the long hood is oriented short hood forward and the engineer signals two shorts.  Which way is it going?

I'm foolin' with ya, Ed.  ;D

[John]

Pennsy - wasn't that a little short line up around Altoona?  They had diesels?

[eric220]

Pennsy - wasn't that a little short line up around Altoona?  They had diesels?

That's just a rumor.

[Bob Bufkin]

You, Dave V and me need to show up at one of his operating sessions.  All PRR, we could drive him nuts.

[wm3798]

He doesn't have a four track main line, nowhere to divert traffic around the decrepit broken down locomotives...

[Bob Bufkin]

I said PRR Lee, not PC.

[wm3798]

For what its worth, the F is pretty handy for us modelers, too, especially when installing a decoder.  While DC gives you universal polarity, DCC requires a little more planning so that when the engine is moving in one direction, the right headlight is on... 

Lee

[keystonecrossings]

Mark... apology accepted on the controlling interest issue...  ;D

I knew it was 19th century, but my comment was establishing a lineage, not an era.

It all traces back to a branch off of the Northern Central Railway, just north of Baltimore, as a matter of fact.