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Was going through my slide collection the other day and found a shot I took in 1980 at Shamrock Coal in Manchester, Kentucky. This "Critter" was rebuilt from an ALCo S-2 with a Caterpillar engine and is certainly different. Note the operators cab built into the step well, in addition to the narrow rebuilt cab, only slightly wider than the engine hood. Also note the friction bearings have been replaced with roller bearings in the trucks. Would make for an interesting kit-bash huh? I'm sorry now that I didn't photograph this little beast from all angles. Don't know what happened to her after the mine closed.
Shamrock Coal operated unit trains on the L&N (with L&N crews of course) and had their own SD40-2's (built to L&N specs), rotary dump gons and cabs lettered Oneida & Western. You've probably run across photos of the SD40-2's. If not, here's a link to a photo of three of their units: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.ph...523&nseq=6
Ed
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Woah, that is different! Thanks for sharing with us.
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look at this web site
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Not attractive, doesn't even look American, but... wow. I expect that lower cab wouldn't have been allowed on a mainline railroad for safety reasons.
Fan of late and early Conrail... also 40s-50s PRR, 70s ATSF, BN and SP, 70s-80s eastern CN, pre-merger-era UP, heavy electric operations in general, dieselized narrow gauge, era 3/4 DB and DR, EFVM and Brazilian railroads in general... too many to list!
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I'm not sure what happened with the image from AF350's link ... it came up rather small. Hopefully, this one will appear a bit larger!
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One can hope ... it was much larger when I chased it down on their Home Page ...
... an interesting "purpose-rebuild" from this angle, too!
biL
Lehigh Susquehanna & Western
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P5se Camelback Wrote:I'm not sure what happened with the image from AF350's link ... it came up rather small. Hopefully, this one will appear a bit larger!
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One can hope ... it was much larger when I chased it down on their Home Page ...
... an interesting "purpose-rebuild" from this angle, too!
Thanks, I think I linked to a thumbnail 
It is an interesting site as well 
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definitely unique. I can see where the new cab arrangement makes for easier operation in switching maneuvers, but if it is that much of an advantage, i wonder why there arent more like this. Perhaps the cab rebuild was an experiment that was decided to not be worth the expense? Or perhaps it is a post-wreck rebuild. I am curious to know.
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I was thinking the same thing, Kevin. The S-2 was already designedfor awitching, so why did they rebuild the cab? What advantages did it give?
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Probably to make it fit through a coal loader.
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Gary S Wrote:The S-2 was already designed for awitching, so why did they rebuild the cab? What advantages did it give? Don't know if I can shed any light on your questions as even though I talked to the manager at the load out, he couldn't provide much info, even to who did the rebuild job for Shamrock.
Clearance was not an issue as the unit coal trains with SD40-2's easily went under the loader. I've always just assumed that this cute little "thing" was rebuild from a wreck, using what could be salvaged and just fabricating that cab. I have seen several other switchers at various coal mines in Kentucky that also had an operator "booth" built into one step well, but none of the loco's were modified like this, although many had been re-engined with small Caterpillar engines - evidenced by the thin exhaust stacks usually in odd locations on the hood.
Ed
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With the cab down there, my first thought was ...
... this is a mine - maybe regular railroad rules do not apply. Just as the guy who drives the recycle truck through our neighborhood with a stand-up cab on the right side of the vehicle so he can step out and put the recycle bin on the truck's "arm" for dumping into the top of the truck, this position would allow the engineer to step to the ground, hook up air/brake lines, get back in the cab and motor on down the track.
Is that a possible scenario?
biL
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OK, how about a loco used to load cuts of hoppers, as railohio speculated. The control cab was reduced in size to fit under the loading bin/hopper, as hinted by the height of the coal in the loads behind it. The stepwell "cab" is to protect the trainman from spillage from over-full hoppers, and the loader. By the looks of the paint, the upper light green and lettering is fresh; the lower dark portion shows some wear and dirt. I especially admire, also, the walkway/cab/access ladder on the near side (also FRESH yellow paint). Bob C.
James Thurber - "It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers."
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