How did the SP indicate their T&NO steam locos? Believe that I have seen a photo or two with sublettering on the cab? Or am I thinking of something else....? Did they ever mark diesels to indicate use on the T&NO? Boxcab E50
The TNO used 3-digit numbers instead of four. Also on diesels, many, if not all TNO units had subletters on the hood ends to indicate it as such.
John- Thanks! Now I'm thinking that if they did it for diesels, they must have for steam. Which means that memories of the photos seen isn't my mind playing tricks on me. Boxcab E50
Back in the late 1800s, the cab was lettered "Southern Pacific" with the number on the tender. "T&NO" was in small letters above the number on the tender. Later all that was changed to have the number on the cab. The small lettering under the number gave information like the engine class. This photo has P-13 on the left under the number for a Pacific in that class. On the right there was information like driver diamiter and other data.
So when they changed their marking system, they simply placed all the locos under their "Lines" family umbrella? Boxcab E50
I believe so. They could not squeeze "Southern Pacific Lines" all in on the side of the cab so they moved that to the tender. At that time they also standardize the locomotive classes. Before that the same engine might have a different classification depending on where it was running.
