Do Modern Locomotive Cab Windows Open?

Hardcoaler Feb 14, 2018

  1. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    Do modern locomotive cabs have windows that open? I'm guessing not, as I've not seen an arm extended in a friendly wave for many years now. I miss it, as a wave brought a welcome element of freindship to photographs.

    I think I recall reading somewhere that locomotive glass is bulletproof and in consideration of the war zone neighborhoods some trains pass through, it makes sense.
     
  2. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    As far as I know, they all still open. Probably a good reason to not open is warmth in cooler weather, or the air conditioning in hotter months.
     
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  3. jpwisc

    jpwisc TrainBoard Member

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    Yes, the side cab windows in modern engines still open. While there are some friendly crews out there, a large percentage of train crews view railfans as a hinderance or annoyance. This comes from experiences with some of our more brazen counterparts, who believe they can trespass, climb signal towers, or board engines.
     
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  4. wpsnts

    wpsnts TrainBoard Supporter

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    Railroad rules and Federal laws don’t apply to certain rail fans.
     
  5. wpsnts

    wpsnts TrainBoard Supporter

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    You’re spot on Boxcab.
     
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  6. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Did you mean to say "Common Sense"?
     
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  7. wpsnts

    wpsnts TrainBoard Supporter

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    Common sense?
    What’s that?
     
  8. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Ah, yes. Those intellectual duds who somehow believe anything sitting and not running is somehow abandoned- thus fair game for any and all. Even if booted in their posterior, so hard those cheeks pass their eyeballs, they do not have enough common sense to figure it out.
     
  9. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    The thing I despise about brazen fans is that they poison the water hole for the rest of us. We can show up in a safe spot and act responsibly, but get the bum's rush because a knucklehead fan came first and did something stupid.
     
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  10. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    Spot on. Some of my favorite spots that I had railfanned from in years past are now off limits for this very reason. Part of why I don't get out as much as I used to or as much as I would like to. :(
     
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  11. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    Howell's near Atlanta was fairly open long ago. Friends and I used to set up and enjoy the show until one day a CSX cop arrived with blood in his eyes. He took our driver's licenses, ran us, put us in the CSX computer, warned us to never return, returned our licenses and ran us off. We never understood why the environment changed there so quickly, but we figured it to be a fan had done something dumb or perhaps this guy just took things to the extreme.
     
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  12. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    Howell was a great place to watch. I still see people take their chances and go there. The last time I was I there was just after they demo'ed the tower and NS told us to go. He didn't go to the extreme of that CSX guy but he was very stern in his warning. There was a break in the fence on the other side of the tracks from there and we tried that for a short time but never felt safe and always got harassed by someone wanting a handout.

    One of the things that happened across the southeast was there was a lot of transfers of special agents from north to south and vise versa. The guys from the urban areas up north seemed to take a completely different approach. :(


    Sorry, I am way off topic on this thread. To the original question, windows that open is a yes and Boxcab is right, climate controlled cabs are the main reason we rarely see open side windows any more. Do miss the occasional wave.
     
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  13. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    I didn't know that Howell had been razed. :( I shot this in April of '84.

    1984-04-11 Howells GA Tower - for upload.jpg
     
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  14. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    That picture sure brings back some memories. Sadly, it was razed in the late 90's. Maybe 98? but I don't remember exactly the year for sure.
     
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  15. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    This usually what happens. Some JERK, selfish, self-centered, does something utterly S-T-U-P-I-D. Or they STEAL something. Thus we end up with the masses being punished for the sins of the few- which in itself is also ignorant! But,.......
     
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