chuck wrote:None of the PRR E7 or E8's had the lead coupler cowling depicted in the painting. That feature seemed to be linked to FM and Baldwin.
HOGWASH! From the PRR T & HS Keystone Modeler no 81 Summer 2012:
"ENCLOSED COUPLER PILOTS
The PRR opted to have their entire fleet of E-units (except
the original experimental E7 pair 5900A/5901A) built with
EMD’s “passenger” or more accurately, “enclosed coupler pilots.”
This was EMD’s answer to the PRR’s requirement put
forth in early 1947 for the passenger units to have a pilot that
would “lift an object and throw it to one side”. All the E8A’s
had the same pilot arrangement as that on the last (1949) order
of E7A’s save for the uncoupling levers.
The pilot doors had a rounded corner bulge to cover the
retractable couplers. The doors had vertical handholds on
each side of the bulge and locking handles near the outer
edges of the doors. In order to lock the doors in the open
position, vertical slots were provided in the pilot sheets,
forward of the steps, in which to engage the locking devices
by rotating the handles. The pilot steps and grab irons above
were located as far rearward as possible to provide clearance
from the doors. The horizontal grab mounted above the steps
was located in the center slot of the anti climber. Visually,
only the steel strap supporting the step formed the squaredoff
rear corner of these late pilots. As a result, the rear edges
were vertical at the bottom.
The removal of the doors was eventually approved by the
ICC and the doors began to be completely removed and the
pilots reconfigured in 1955.
UNCOUPLING LEVERS
The uncoupling lever handles on all the E8 enclosed
coupler pilots incorporated a bent rod that hung vertically
downward behind the rear edge of the pilot, on both sides of
the locomotive.
BUFFERS
All the units had a buffer built into the center of the
anticlimber. The buffers protruded out beyond the anticlimber
by several inches and were essentially flat across the center
and had a radius at the end corners."
If you look at the link below, about half way down, there is a side shot of an E8 with facctory coupler doors.
http://www.prrths.com/Keystone%20Modele ... 202012.pdfI am fairly sure the PRR mandated that ALL engines had coupler doors at one point. There were some shop made versions that were what I would describe as a bit more bulbous (rounded) on both E's and F's. The other makes (FM, ALCO< Baldwin) were more "boxy" or "angled".
There were even a couple F units (9518 & 9519) that had "freight" style pilots. They ended up with shop made coupler doors. The doors on some of the early F's were squared off.
The pilots of the original E7's (5900 & 5901) were styled like FT pilots. By the time 5901 made it to Strasburg, the original had gone away.
Don't know exactly when the coupler doors went away, but obviously they did!
PS: That rendition of the E8 in the calendar doesn't look that bad to me!
