NS questions for you all

[TRNBUF]

I recently got some of my old train videos out for my Son and I to watch.   And one we watch was "Illinois Hotspots", I bought it back in the early 90's.  In the video it showed NS trains going through Centralia, Mt. Vernon, etc. and all the lead locomotives were all facing backwards, where the cab was towards the back.  Why were they like that?  Even the ones that supported the white flags.  Why I didn't notice this earlier gets me. 

Also it showed NS 123 and NS 124 on the IC, now CN,  getting on at Cairo.  Then hopping off the IC in Centralia on to the NS main. 
What ever happened to those trains?  And again those locomotives were facing backwards.  I would have to say that most of the NS locomotives were GP38-2 but I did see 1 train with a lead engine C40-9.

Thanks,
~Mike

[Michael Knight]

Well, some might say that those were the "good old days". Those with that opinion probably did not have to try to keep a look-out while running long hood forward- unless they were referring to the better labor agreements at that time.  It can be very difficult to see, and there are many blind spots while running long hood forward. 

The reason why you saw all of these trains operating this way is because this used to be the preferred way for N&W, Southern, and the early NS. One reason for this was, at least on the Southern, to avoid having to turn units at outlying points. Safety has also been touted as a reason; however, a study conducted in the early 1990's revealed that, in the event of a collision, when locomotives were running long hood forward, the locomotives were more prone to fires from ruptured fuel tanks. Thus, possibly posing a greater danger for the crew ( being behind the fuel tank, instead of ahead of it).

Also, in the 1990's, new labor agreements went into affect on certain areas of the system. These specified that locomotives would be run short hood forward whenever possible in order to avoid exhaust fumes from entering the cab, specifically in tunnels. The above mentioned issue of crew visibility was also a contributing factor. However, locomotives can still sometimes be seen running long hood forward due to specific situations, such as swicthing and yard service.

[JCagle]

There are still several guys that run out of Charlotte and Linwood LHF when they get in some of the dual stand power that is easily capable of running that way. It's always kind of thrilling to take a trip down memory lane when I see them running that way.