Patches and Decals

Recently I discovered, or perhaps should say, rediscovered Microscale Decals. This led to a few unanticipated small projects. I had a little time to kill and was browsing their railroad products, mostly to see if they had anything interesting. A lot of times when I browse sites like that, just to kill some time, I find a lot of interesting things and add them to the shopping cart. Later when I finally look at the cart, I find I really do not have any use for most of the stuff in there, and need even less of it! But it is fun to cyber window shop sometimes.

Former BNSF 9290, patched to become 8190.

As I was browsing the selection of decals on the Microscale website, I actually found quite a few things I could use. For some time I have had engines on my roster that still have either BN or ATSF reporting marks. Since I model more or less current BNSF operations, I have been wanting to patch these units for a while. I also have had a few BNSF engines with the wrong number on them, which needed to be patched and renumbered. I discovered that Microscale made decals for just those purposes. They have decal sheets with colored patches, which are designed to closely match BN green, ATSF yellow, and BNSF orange. A close match is all that is needed since most patches do not exactly match the rest of the locomotive. They also have a sheet with various size and color BNSF stencils, which can be used over the colored patches. I bought a sheet of each.

Former BNSF 9223, now renumbered,
still needs new number boards.

Besides BNSF decals, Microscale has quite a large selection of other decals. I also found some Amtrak decals for Phase 3 locomotives. It was described as Phase 3 and heritage units, although I bought it too quickly, not realizing that it meant Phase 3 heritage units. As it turns out there is one for Phase 4 heritage units, too. I did find some useful decals on the Phase 3 sheet anyway, although a few days later I also went and bought the Phase 4 one. I have had a few old Athearn blue box units in Amtrak's Phase 4 scheme, one of which as unnumbered. With just decals, I figured I could make a close representation of the Phase 4 heritage unit, which as far as I can tell, was never commercially produced.

Former ATSF 650 has received a BNSF stencil below the
number.

Once all the decals arrived, I went to town working on my engines. I had a pair of BNSF SD60M's, which were once numbered in the 9200 series. When BNSF bought the SD70ACe's, they decided to number some of those in the 9200 series, and consequently the SD60M's were all renumbered into the 8100 series. I patched out the numbers on the models and put the proper 8100 numbers on them. Some other units required patching it all the Burlington Northern lettering, and replacing it with a BNSF stencil. Fortunately, with the green patches provided, that proved to be a fairly straightforward task too. On a couple of the Geeps, I decided to add stencil that says, "Remote Control Equipped" as well. Typically older Geeps can be found working yards, and many of them have been equipped to operate as a remote control locomotives, especially at larger yards.

BN 2522 has been stenciled for BNSF.

The ATSF units had were the easiest to patch. Many of them have kept their original paint scheme and some even still say, "Santa Fe" across the long hood. On those, usually a yellow BNSF stencil is found below the number on each side of the cab. A few of those were included on one of the decal sheets and I used them on my two Santa Fe units, that wear the red and grey "Warbonnet" paint scheme. Now all my BNSF "heritage" units have been updated to the current standard.

BNSF 2522 is a remote controlled unit.

On the Amtrak decal sheets, I found everything I would need to make a phase 4 heritage unit, even including the stripes. My unit had the stripes and everything, it just had no number. While the heritage scheme is not exactly the same as the phase 4 scheme was, it is very similar. I have thought about painting the unit to make it an exact match, and I probably will in the future, but for now I am going to settle for jut the decal work. I had a few things to add to that, such as the GE builders stickers and the American flags, but other than that, it was a simple matter of adding a number, 184 in this case, and putting the 1971 and 2011 stencils on either side of the locomotive body.

Amtrak #1 got a flag and a sign on the door.

Since I finished most of those projects, I have discovered that Microscale also carries all the small warning and data decals for GE locomotives. They probably have something similar for EMD units, although I did not look. I have a Dash 9-44CW that has no warning labels on it at all, and so it is getting dressed up now. It is interesting how the locomotive never really looked incomplete to me, but now that it is getting a lot of those decals, it looks considerably more complete. It is one of those things that I never noticed, but once I did, I could not help noticing it again every time I looked at the engine. Decals are easy to add to an engine, or any other rolling equipment, and they can add a lot to the overall appearance of a model.  Most of these projects can be finished in an hour or two, even at a leisurely pace.

Prototype Railroading: Product Review

Steven and I occasionally write reviews for various model railroad products currently on the market.  We have an unwritten rule that we will only review products that any of you could go out and buy when you finished reading.  Today, we decided it would be fun to take that to a different level.  I just got off a coal train, which was led by an SD70ACe.  That is one of the hot model railroad items now, so today we are going to talk about the prototype!  And yes, it is still on the market, so if you want, you will be able to order one when you finish reading!  (Wait until you see the retail price!)  The locomotive I am reviewing today is the latest from Electro Motive Diesel, the SD70ACe.  The unit I am reviewing is in the latest BNSF Railway paint scheme, and is unit number 9198.

Exterior:
This type of locomotive is ugly, in my opinion.  EMD designed a more comfortable, quieter, and more environmentally friendly locomotive, however it has a very strange shape, especially on the nose.  Having said that however, the paint job on the locomotive is very crisp, although BNSF has allowed it to get a bit dirty.  It is their most recent orange paint scheme, with the large "swoosh" logo on the nose and side of the locomotive.  This paint scheme was inspired by the orange and green paint scheme of the Great Northern Railway, which is one of the predecessors to the BNSF.  Additionally, the required reflective safety stripes and warning decals are all present and in their appropriate location.

The detail parts on the locomotive, such as the sanders, handrails, grab bars, and air hoses are in the appropriate locations.  They are all factory applied, and applied separately, just like on the model!  The unit I was on was missing the multiple unit cable on the front, however the one on the rear was in placed and being used.  Additionally, all air hoses were in place and in working order.  The unit came factory equipped with type F knuckle couplers, and spare knuckles can be found on the rear end plate of the locomotive.  All the grilles and vents on the locomotive are metal, and are see through.  In most cases, I cannot actually tell what is behind them, but the machinery is visible back there!

Interior:
The interior of the locomotive is nice, but it is not that different from other units.  One very positive feature is the height of the nose door.  EMD, the locomotive builder, calls it a full sized door.  While I would not go that far, it is definitely an improvement over past doors, which were typically shorter and had a diagonal top.  I still must duck to enter, though not as much as on other locomotives.

Another very positive feature is the isolated cab.  The cab is not directly connected to the frame of the locomotive.  It is basically bolted to a large rubber doughnut, which absorbs a lot of the vibrations and sounds that travel through the frame.  This means the ride is generally smooth and comfortable for the crew, and it is surprisingly quiet.

Other smaller features that I enjoy is the placement of the radio.  It has been moved to the left side of the desk, which means the wire is more out of the way when the handset is used.  The radio keypad has bigger buttons, which push in farther, making it easier to tell if you have pushed the button hard enough to do anything.  Also, the refrigerator now faces into the cab, towards the rear of the locomotive, allowing for the conductor to reach it without even getting out of the seat.  Additionally, the brakeman's seat has been moved into the center of the back wall of the cab, giving the brakeman more legroom, and allowing for a baggage rack behind the conductor's seat.

What I did not like is that there is no adjustable reading lamp.  When it is dark out, I prefer to have the reading lamp on the dimmest setting, so that I can do my paperwork and still see out the window.  On the SD70ACe, the reading lamp is either off, or on full.  It can be momentarily blinding when it is turned on, and then you cannot see for a minute when it is turned off.  Additionally, the desk and control stand sit a bit farther back from the windshield.  This means there is more glare, and it is more difficult to reach the sun visors.  When the sun came up this morning, I had to stand up and go to the stairs to reach one of the sun shades and position it.  The placement of the control stand and desk also effects the space inside the cab.  While the cab is large, it feels surprisingly small.  This is due to the control stand and desk being placed a little farther back, and due to the brakeman's seat being in the middle of the cab.  It has a way of always feeling cramped.

Operation:
The locomotive operated moderately well at low speeds.  Under power it was a bit shaky at speeds under one mile per hour.  Once above about one mile per hour, the operation smoothed out a bit, and the ride became more comfortable.  Once up to any sort of speed, the ride was comfortable and quiet.  The locomotive seemed to operate well with the 17,000 ton coal train behind it.  An earlier crew warned us that they had found the brakes to respond slower than expected, but we did not find any problems with the brakes.  They operated just as expected at all speeds

Technical Information and Features:
16-710GC3-T2 Turbocharged Diesel Engine, EPA Tier 2 emissions certified, bio-diesel compatible
4,300 Total Horsepower
AC Traction Motor Technology
157,000lbs Continuous Tractive Effort
191,000lbs Starting Tractive Effort
106,000lbs Dynamic Braking Effort
Designed for one million miles between overhauls
Impact Resistant Fuel Tank
Full Height collision posts, with one million pound resistance, for crew protection
Total Weight: 420,000lbs (210 tons)
Height: 15' 11"
Length: 74' 3"
Fuel Capacity: 4,900 gallons
Lube Oil Capacity: 420 gallons
Cooling Water Capacity: 275 gallons
Integrated Distributed Power System
Electronic Fuel Tank Gauge
GPS System
Remote download of Event Recorder system
Electronic Wheelslip and Sanding Control

Manufacturer: Electro Motive Diesel
Model Number: SD70ACe
MSRP: $1,750,000 (varies depending on options)

Upgrading Sound for an SD70ACe

As many of you are aware, we recently wrote a review of Athearn's new SD70ACe models.  These are one of their latest releases in their Genesis line of locomotives.  They are well known for their outstanding level of detail, which sets a new standard for plastic models.  The paint job is excellent, and the overall quality of these locomotives is very good.  They are offered as with a DC control system, or with a factory installed DCC system, which includes sound.  I got my first sound locomotive just over a year ago, and since then I have been hooked, so I purchased two of the DCC and sound equipped models.  I had heard good reviews, and they sure looked good in the pictures, and I was sold on them.  One just did not seem like enough, but three was about of the budget, so I settled for two.  If you read my review, or if you are reading it now out of curiosity, you know I was very happy with the models.  I was quite content with them without making any changes, until the other day.

A couple of days ago I was browsing through Tony's Train Exchange, for some DCC components, and just for kicks, I clicked on their locomotives section to see what they had.  I stumbled upon an article that described how to improve the quality of the sound.  As I read the article, I found it was a simple project, and I decided to try it.  I figured, I had two locomotives, if I made one sound strange, it would not be the end of the world, and I would just undo what was done.  The article describes a flaw with the speaker housing, inside the locomotive.  The flaw is actually surprisingly obvious, and it is a bit disappointing that it was overlooked by the folks at Athearn.  There is a hole in the speaker housing.  For the highest quality sound, and to emphasize the bass sounds, the speaker should point into an airtight housing.  This amplifies the sound, and especially amplifies the lower pitch sounds.  To hear the difference, click on the links below, and turn up the volume!  I recorded similar sequences of the modified locomotive, and the unmodified locomotive.  Pay special attention to the differences in the bass sounds.

• SD70ACe without any modifications
• SD70ACe with modified speaker housing

Now that I have have teased you with the result of this project, let's do it together.  It really only takes a few minutes, and it is fairly simple.  I will be modifying my second unit as I write this, and there will be pictures, for anyone who finds those helpful.  The first thing you will have to do is remove the plastic shell from the frame of the model.  To do this, you will need to remove the couplers and two screws in the bottom of the frame, above the fuel tank end of either truck.  I found it helped to access them by also removing the fuel tank, but that is not necessarily required.  Once you have removed the screws, carefully pull the plastic shell straight up and off the frame.

Screw locations for removing the shell.  All photos by James Ogden.

Be very careful removing the shell from the frame, as there are wires that connect the light bulbs in the shell with the electronics fastened to the frame.  The speaker housing can be found right behind the cab.  After removing the shell, you will need to remove the speaker housing.  This is attached by a single screw on the engineer's side, which connects it directly to the frame.  Removing the screw will not immediately free the housing.  Once the screw is removed, you will have to carefully slide the speaker housing forward and up for it to come away from the frame.  I found that it helped to remove the tape on top of the housing to do this.  It gives you a little more wiggle room.  The frame and speaker housing are both very durable, so do not be afraid to wiggle the housing gently if you need to to get it out.

Location of the speaker and speaker housing.  The screw to remove the housing is on the other side, see the next photo.

This screw needs to be removed to remove the speaker housing.

Once the speaker housing has been removed, you will need to remove the speaker.  This is attached by two screws, on either side of the speaker.

These screws hold the speaker itself in place.

Once the speaker has been removed from the housing, the hole will be obvious.  It is in the bottom of the housing.  Placing a piece of styrene or similar material in the hole will solve the problem.  Some suggestions I found specified that 0.020 inch styrene would do the trick.  I found it was even simpler than that, and you will probably laugh when you read this.  I had an expired MetroCard from the New York subway system.  I cut that into pieces that would fit in the hole, and glued one piece in the hole from either side.  I also glued them together to prevent them from vibrating together and rattling.  Primitive?  Maybe, but it did the trick!

That hole is what needs to be filled.

I told you I cut up a fare card!

In the above picture, you can see two screws in the speaker housing.  Unscrewing those will allow the two halves of the speaker housing to be separated.  A gasket can be placed between the two halves to create a better seal, or they can be glued together, as I did.  While I had the halves apart, I first glued the plastic into the hole, since it was easily accessible that way.  Then I put glue all the way around one half, and placed the other half on it, and screwed it back together.  Once the plastic and housing halves were all glued together, the speaker can be mounted in the housing again, just like it was.  The housing can then be reinstalled in the locomotive.  Make sure to screw it back into the frame, or it will make awful vibrating noises, and you will wonder where the extra screw came from!  Once the speaker housing is replaced, it is time to replace the shell.  This is a delicate operation, because all the wires have to be stuffed back inside the shell, and the sanders have to be gently pushed apart to allow the shell to slip over the frame again.  It can be tricky, but patience is key.  Be very gentle, so none of the details are damaged, and double check often to make sure you have not pinched anything.  Once  you have the shell back on, replace the screws and couplers, and then find some track and fire the engine up.  Sit back and enjoy the diesel rumble!

Product Review: Athearn Genesis SD70ACe

Today, I have chosen to do another product review.  This time, I will be reviewing the new SD70ACe, which has been added to Athearn's Genesis line of products.  This locomotive was offered as a direct model, or with DCC and sound installed.  I bought a pair of the locomotives, both of which have DCC and sound on board.  Before I get started, I just want to say, EMD designed some really ugly locomotives this time around!  Personally, I think these are ugly, yet somehow really attractive.  Having said that, I do think Athearn did well representing these units.  Let me explain.

Exterior:
The paint job on this locomotive is excellent.  The paint is very crisp, and all the lines are neat and clean.  The model I have represents a BNSF Railway locomotive, and the paint scheme is very accurate when compared to the prototype.  The details on the model are outstanding.  Warning signs are in the correct locations, and most are readable under magnification.  Additionally, all the reflective safety strips are in the correct positions.

The individual details on the locomotive are all factory applied and separately applied.  The details are what you would expect to find on a brass model.  All the grab irons and hand holds can be found on the locomotive and they are delicately thin.  All the hand holds, grab bars, ladders, windshield wipers, pipes, air hoses, and cables are present on the model, and are in their appropriate places.  Fan grilles are see through.  One grille is definitely wire, but the other two are hard to tell if they are plastic or wire.  Because they are so thin, it seems like they would have to be wire.  Other grilles and vents are see through, and even have equipment behind them.

Interior:
That is right folks, I am talking about the interior on a locomotive, and I am not talking about the engine room!  The cab roof is attached to the locomotive by a pair of magnets.  The roof can be lifted off the locomotive by carefully grabbing the sides and simply lifting.  Inside the cab, you will find three seats in their proper locations.  You will also find controls modeled somewhat roughly, although basically accurately.  The controls are modeled accurately on the engineer's side of the cab, as you would expect, and also on the conductor's side and the back wall of the cab.  Additionally, there is an event recorder on the cab, behind the conductor's windshield.  All of these interior details are visible through the cab windows.

Operation:
The SD70ACe operated moderately well at low speeds.  Right out of the box, the DCC model jumps to a start, however by adjusting the starting voltage settings, this minor problem can be eliminated.  Once eliminated, the locomotive starts quite smoothly.  The locomotive accelerates and decelerates smoothly.  It runs  well, with a minimal amount of motor noise.

Out of the box, the locomotive operates with directional headlights and ditch lights.  In the DCC model, the ditch lights can be programmed to flash alternately, burn steadily, and they can be turned off using a different function than the headlights.  Headlights can also be programmed to have a dim and bright setting.

Sound:
When the locomotive is placed on live rails, the engine goes through a startup routine.  The locomotive will not move until it has completed the startup sounds, just as the prototype would be unable to move under its own power until the engine is running.  The startup routine includes an alarm, followed by the starter motor noise, and then the loading up of the engine.  After a couple of seconds, the engine settles into a fairly quiet idle.  When you throttle up, the engine takes a minute to load up, and then begins to move in response to the throttle change.  Out of the box, the locomotive goes through the throttle notches automatically.  This can be set to be controlled manually.

Besides basic engine sounds, the locomotive also includes horn and bell sounds, are dryer and compressor sounds, brake sounds, coupler sounds, dynamic brake sounds, radiator fan sounds, and an engine shutdown sequence.  Coupler sounds, dynamic brake sounds, and the engine shutdown sequence must be activated by the user.  Once the engine has been shut down, the locomotive will not respond to throttle commands until it is started up again.  The air compressor and air dryer sounds, as well as the radiator fan sounds are activated automatically.  The radiator fan sound can also be activated by the operator.

Out of the box, the volume was a bit loud for my taste.  Of course, this is a matter of operator preference.  The volume can be adjusted by changing a configuration variable value in the decoder.  Instructions on how to do this, as well as other things are included in the documentation that comes with the locomotive.

Overall, I am very pleased with this locomotive.  As I mentioned, I do think it is ugly, but that is more a concern with the design department at EMD!  Athearn has very faithfully represented the latest addition to the AC locomotive fleet.  The model has outstanding detail, excellent sounds, and a high quality paint job.  I was not disappointed at all with this purchase, and I anticipate that it will spend many hours pulling coal on my railroad.

Prototype Railroading: GE vs. EMD

Yes, you are getting two posts from me this week.  Why?  Well, I have two days off this week.  Trust me, this is going to be more of an exception than the rule.  But enjoy it while it lasts!

First of all, before I get into everything I want to talk about, I want to open this particular series up to all of you.  If you would like to see me to talk about something in particular when I write this series of stories and experiences, please feel free to email me, and I will do my best to put something together.  If you have questions, again, please send me an email at ogden.bros.trains@gmail.com, and I would be happy to help.  I would love to hear from you!

Today I want to talk about variations in locomotives.  Now, I like to consider myself to be fairly observant, but sometimes I do not notice the little details.  Well, at least not until they matter.  As far as relatively modern diesel locomotives go, I would have told you as a railfan that I like those built by EMD better.  The reason why was simple--looks.  I simply think they are better looking diesels.  I would not say I hated the locomotives built by General Electric, but I did think they were less attractive.  As a railfan, where my only concerns were realistic modeling preferences and good photographs, that is all that mattered really.  If it looked good in photographs I took, and it looked good on my model railroad, I was a happy foamer!  Working for the railroad has made different things important, at least in daily operations.

For the last five days, I have been working a utility position in the yard at Glendive.  The utility crew is responsible for putting locomotives on trains before the train crew gets there, so that their train is ready to go when they are.  Glendive has a locomotive servicing and fueling facility.  Because of this, nearly all the trains that arrive here have their locomotives taken off and brought to the roundhouse for servicing.  The servicing can be extensive, making major repairs, or it can be as simple as topping off the fuel tank before continuing the trip.  Almost every locomotive has a control cab, so in theory, an engineer could do all this moving by himself by changing which cab he operates form whenever he changes direction.  While this is often possible, it is very impractical.

To make moving locomotives around the yard more practical, and faster, a conductor is also on the crew.  Since most movements require the engineer to operate in reverse, usually with one or more locomotives between him and the back of the consist, the conductor is his eyes at the point, or leading end of the movement.  The conductor can give him instructions over the radio, but most conductors prefer hand signals for their convenience.  This means that the conductor must be in a place where he can be seen by the engineer.  The best place for that is the bottom step at the leading end of a locomotive.  There he is close enough to the side of the engine to be seen by the engineer in most situations, while still in a position to hang on during the ride.  In such an operation, the size of that step makes a big difference!

Besides being required to ride equipment, the conductor climbs on and off equipment a lot.  During one move, the conductor usually has to climb on and off of locomotives several times to line switches or couple locomotives to cars.  This is another reason the size of the steps make a difference.  Once a locomotive, or a consist of locomotives, is coupled to the train it belongs on, the air hoses must be coupled for the air brakes, the hand brakes on the locomotives must be set, and each locomotive needs to be electronically isolated from the others, for added safety.  All of this requires more climbing on and walking around on locomotives.  Doing all of this is where I started to notice some details that I had not noticed before.  Lets take a look.

Image from www.bonanza.com

First off, lets look at the steps on a typical locomotive built by EMD.  I realize the photo is a model, but this was the best photo I could find of a pair of steps on a locomotive, and I really have not had a chance to take any myself.  These steps are steep, as usual on a locomotive, so you would climb up and down them more like a ladder, facing the locomotive as you do so.  There are a few things I really do not like about these steps.  First of all, as you climb higher on them, they get narrower.  This locomotive is not so bad, but some of them, with more steps, give me just enough space to squeeze both feet up against each other on the top step.  Fortunately, it is pretty rare that you would need to spend any time standing on the top step.  Also notice that the steps cut into the walkway.  This means, once you have climbed to the top, you need to hang on while you swing yourself around that corner, back over the steps, to get around to the side.  Usually this is more noticeable if you are coming from the end and walking around to the side, because you have to hang on to something and watch out for that hole.  Another thing, which you would never notice until you have climbed on and off of several of these, is the positioning of the handrails.  It does not look like a problem, but consider that as you climb up the steps, you are moving closer to the center of the locomotive, and the hand rails, which are more or less vertical, really are not.  By the time you are on that top step, the hand rail is behind you, even if you are leaning back a bit as you climb up.  Again, this is more of a problem on locomotives that have more steps.  I am not sure that can be avoided, but it can be annoying at times!  I will say, EMD has corrected this on their latest units, the SD70M-2 and the SD70ACe.  They have steps which are almost identical to those on GE locomotives.

Image from www.actionroad.net

Now, let's look at the steps on a GE locomotive, and hopefully you see why I like them better.  Basically, they are easier and more comfortable to use.  First of all, they are all the same width.  As you climb up the steps, they do not get smaller on you.  The handrails turn toward the center of the locomotive more than on the EMD counterparts, which makes them closer to you as you climb up.  As you get to the top, you still run into the problem of having the handrail on the locomotive side get behind you, but not nearly as much.  Also, notice that the bottom step sticks out quite noticeably.  This gives the conductor a great place to stand while giving hand signals to the engineer.  On EMD locomotives, the bottom step is the largest, but it does not stick out nearly as far.  I would go as far as to say the bottom step on a GE locomotive is downright spacious!  It is really nice when you need to turn around to check on something.  You can move around down there without having to worry about falling off!  Also, up at the top, there is more space to get around the steps, if you are simply trying to walk past them, from the side of the locomotive to the end.  I know the picture really does not show that in this case, but look at the bright side, at least it is a photograph of a real locomotive this time!

Now the steps are not the only issue I want to mention.  I will not get into locomotive handling or response or anything like that because I am a conductor.  I just do not deal with that kind of stuff.  That is all up to the engineer.  Maybe when I get to that point I will talk about my thoughts.  I want to talk about the cabs though. I am not going to get into wide cabs versus standard cabs, but I do want to talk about visibility.  Nearly all the trains we send out over the road have wide cab locomotives, so we are just going to go over those, from a conductor's perspective.

Image from www.railpictures.net

As a conductor or engineer, you want a pretty clear view of what is coming at you.  Visibility is very important, but so is comfort, because the cab is a home away from home for many hours each day.  The conductor needs certain things on his side of the cab, such as a speedometer, radio, desk for paperwork, an emergency brake, and a horn button.  Now, my short experience has shown that generally, the GE locomotive have a little better visibility.  This shows the conductor's side of a typical GE widecab locomotive.  Specifically, this is a typical model of the Dash 9-44CW.  However, even in more recent models, the area has evolved very little.  The speedometer is that black square thing on the left.  The emergency brake is that red lever in the center.  To the right is the radio handset, radio keypad and the locomotive number.  Down below the surface of the desk is the yellow horn button. You will notice that the speedometer, emergency brake, and radio keypad are designed to be right in front of the conductor, but they are not high enough to block the view out the front.  The conductor can slouch a bit, and even put his feet up, and still have a decent view of what is to come.  That is not to say I would ever slouch or put my feet up on the job! :)  Also, having the radio down below the desk means that the wire is not in the way or your paperwork when you are trying to talk to the dispatcher and copy a track warrant.

Image by Mike Bates, www.railpictures.net

Now, with EMD locomotives, I think their earlier wide cab units had better visibility.  Also, it seems to me that the conductor's visibility has gotten progressively worse with every model!  An older, SD60M, had great visibility! The only problem with it was they put the emergency brake below the desk and the speedometer up in the ceiling above the desk.  There is absolutely nothing to block the conductor's view, but that is not entirely a good thing.  To see the speedometer, the conductor either has to stand up and take a step back or lean back really far in the seat and squint a little.  While the visibility is great, it is still not the most practical design.  With later models, things got better.  To the left is a picture of the conductor's side on the SD70MAC, which has its pros and cons.  The biggest pro is that the speedometer is in a place where the conductor can realistically see it and read it--right in front of him. One of the biggest cons, the speedometer is mounted on a panel the size of a country in Europe, so the only way you can see over it well is if you are sitting up straight all the time, and who does that?!  The radio keypad is also on that surface, moved down form the ceiling, and the radio was moved up from under the desk, which is okay, but the wire can get in the way sometimes.  Usually to solve that problem, the wire gets wrapped around one of the sun visors on the ceiling.

Photo from www.railpictures.net

The newest EMD locomotives, the SD70ACe has solved a few problems and created a few more.  Take a look.  The speedometer panel has not gotten any smaller, but it has gotten lower, which seems to help with visibility.  The emergency brake and horn have moved above the desk.  The radio is also up top, but off to the right, where the wire does not get in the way of the paperwork.  So several problems were solved.  However, this is my least favorite cab honestly.  The desk area is very small.  That has to handle a signal awareness form, which you take notes on regularly, and track warrants, which you also write on regularly.  Besides all that, it must also hold the general track bulletins, work orders, and any used track warrants and speed restriction forms you may have received.  I usually end up with three or four piles of paperwork, and this desk gives you space for two.  The visibility seems to have improved, however this cab has smaller windows, and you sit farther back from them, which means visibility over the desk is better, but not the visibility out to the track ahead.  Having said all that, these are some of the quietest locomotive cabs around, unless you left the window open.  With the doors and windows all closed up, you hardly feel like you are on a locomotive with a massive diesel engine roaring behind you.  Isolating the cab from the noise and vibration was done very well, and that helps to make up for the other problems.  The biggest problem with this cab is the fact that the desk does not continue to the right.  There is nowhere to put your feet up!

Some locomotives are better than others, and generally speaking, cabs and locomotives have improved in comfort in newer models.  However, the person designing locomotives is still sitting behind a desk, not in the locomotives he or she designs.  As long as that is the case, there will always be things that bug the people who  spend all day on the locomotives.  What seems like a good idea on paper is not always a good idea on the road.  Using locomotives regularly has started to change my opinion about them.  I still think EMD builds prettier locomotives, with the exception of the SD70ACe.  But given the choice, I would rather work on a product of General Electric.  I like that spacious bottom step for giving hand signals to an engineer three locomotives away.  It just makes work easier.  I like having a desk in the cab big enough to spread out three or four piles or paperwork and put my feet up while we sit for hours in a siding.  So I will take a GE to work with, but an EMD to photograph and play with.