Let's Visit the B-71

Our latest acquisition, an early box-cab Diesel built by Baldwin-Westinghouse, is now over in front of Barn 13.  Sitting on the flat car, it's about 19 feet high, so power had to be shut off on the railroad for it to be moved into the south yard.  Next to it are Mark Secco's two cranes that he will use to get the locomotive onto rails again.   He's waiting for the special slings and other parts to arrive.   If Mark can't lift it, nobody can.

Anything looks more impressive sitting on a flat car.

Well, that's what it looks like outside, but would you like to see inside the cab?   I knew you would!  Just watch your step and be careful, this could be dangerous.

The secret of the "visibility cab" is that the floor of the cab is a platform three or four feet above the basic floor of the locomotive.  So you climb up a vertical ladder to get to it.  And once you're there, the ceiling is very low.  A person of average height, such as myself, cannot stand upright.

There are two operating positions: one for hood forward, one for cab forward.   This is looking towards the hood forward position.  It's rather cramped no matter where you are.

Looking out past the hood.  Of course, since we're on a flat car, we're really far above the rails.

And to get into the engine compartment, you'd have to climb down another ladder.   But it's blocked with debris, so let's stay here.

Looking across towards the operating position for cab forward.  This locomotive will need some hard work, but it could at least be an interesting display piece.

The trucks have the same basic appearance as most Baldwin-Westinghouse electric locomotives.  (The plate above the center of the truck, with the two cables hanging down, is just part of the system used for lashing the engine firmly to the flat car.)

I was inside this locomotive 15 or more years ago when it was still at Jackson Street.   Our friend Eric Hopp was showing us around.   It's been sitting outside all this time and has obviously deteriorated somewhat, but at least it will soon be going inside, and may eventually be restored.