There is a little shelter house that the brakeman could sit in and watch the train around curves. This little house sat on the coal car. The picture I have seen is, one on the coal car behind a 2-10-2.
Has any one seen such and is there a model out there?
HGC
This was commonly referred to as a "Doghouse." It was a shelter for the brakeman. By the way...what you refer to as a 'coal car', is more accurately known as a "Tender" for the steam locomotive. The tender of course, had a water tank, & a bunker for coal. It some cases it stored oil, if the locomotive was an oil burner.
Thanks cmf1965 - seen any models that show the tender with the doghouse?
HGC
HGC
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/bac/bac82105.htm?source=froogle.
Bob
thanks Bob - got my answer. :D
HGC
One of the Bachmann 2-10-s has a doghouse - check the catalog. Many of the Bowser models have doghouses as the PRR frequently used them. BLI might have one with a doghouse. It solved the "where does the front brakeman sit?" problem, but it wasn't liked all that much by many brakemen.
Gene
Here's the Bachmann link:
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=1093
BLI's models of the PRR 2-10-0 and 4-8-2 both have a doghouse.
Gene
The deeper question is: why did some roads use doghouses, and others not? And was there some criteria for them? Yes, the Pennsy had doghouses on some tenders, but not on most steam power. A lot of the Rio Grande's narrow gauge Mikes have/had doghouses, but most of the older power didn't. One would think, normally, that the head-end brakeman would rather ride in the cab with the engineer and fireman for easier communication. Granted, some cabs weren't big enough to have a third seat, so that may be some reason. On the B&O, a lot of locos had their cabs modified on the fireman's side to add room for that third seat. Inquiring minds would like to know. I suspect that on passenger trains the head-end guy rode in one of the front cars, where it was much more comfy than either the cab or the doghouse. ;)
Good question, Nut. It could be another rule that some railroads followed and others didn't. I know there was a rule for a handrail/step to make it easier to work on the smokebox front. About the only railroad to obey the rule was the C&O - which did NOT use doghouses. For that matter, how would one mount a doghouse on a Vanderbilt?
Gene
Here is a little info concerning the doghouse, sometimes spelled dog house.
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=502849&sid=8f8bbad827850eb984000f98196841f1
http://lhr.railfan.net/pelton.htm
http://ghostdepot.com/rg/rolling%20stock/locomotive/487_tend1.jpg
In the doghouse
Meaning: In disgrace or dislike; facing punishment.
Example: Billy was sent to the doghouse for not spending enough time @ joe-ks.com - Bad Boy!
Origin: The old custom of banishing a bad dog outside to its doghouse.
Alternative: The story of Peter Pan - in which Mr. Darling treats the beloved pet dog badly and his children fly off with Peter Pan. Mr. Darling feels so guilty that he lives in the doghouse until his children return home.
Alternative: This expression is a railroad term dating back to the era of steam locomotives. The railroad unions mandated that a head-end (front of the train) brakeman be so positioned. However, there was no room for another person in the engine cab (which housed the engineer and fireman). The railroads then built a small windowed shelter on top of the engine tender (where the coal and water was stored) behind the engine. It was called a doghouse since it was small, cramped, smoky, cold and generally miserable. Thus, the expression 'he's in the doghouse' referred to the brakeman in his uncomfortable moving shack.
http://www.heavenr.com/railroad/index.html
http://e_lauterbach.tripod.com/winder2.html
Rich
doghouse on a Vanderbilt were on the side. I have seen pictures of a short line which had a small room on the end of the tender. I hope the the doors were on the side.
Don't know why they call it a doghouse, looks more like an open air outhouse. Did they make "two-holers"?
Like the two-story outhouse, there was never a successful two-story doghouse. It doesn't seem to be very inviting. Sitting in a cramped box, with the smoke and cinders hitting your face, and trying to asphixiate you. I hope there weren't too many claustrophobic brakemen...
It's not a "two story outhouse", it's a "two holer". I wouldn't want to be on the bottom floor of a two story outhouse for obvious reasons. ??? ???