Caboose question

[NW Mailing List]

On 11/26/2021 10:52 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> From just these two responses and what I have found the questions I 
> now have are:
>
> 1.  What determined if the C31P got the LP tank on the under frame, I 
> have seen pictures with and without that are random, 555630 is one 
>  without.
>
> 2.  The numbering were the C31’s all in the 518000 series and C31P’s 
> 555000 series?  The numbers seem random and mixed with C32P  numbers.
>
> 3.  When was the change in the truck generator?  The one drawing I 
> found in the archives shows 1979, revised 1981 for the Dayco generator 
> drive.
>
> Would the Caboose book help me in additional info?


James,
     One thing that you need to keep in mind is that the C31P & C32P 
cabs as built are not the same as today. For whatever reason, NS has 
mixed and matched the numbers around so as who knows what is what anymore.
That said, all of the C31P cabs were numbered 518XXX and all of the C32P 
cabs were numbered 555XXX.
The LP tanks were already on the C31 cabs when they went to be converted 
as they were heated and with propane. The lights were even propane.
C32P cabs were brand new from the factory and came with generators.
C31 cabs got their generators when they were converted to the "P" spec. 
What kind it was? We didn't give a hoot...as long as it worked!
Yes, the caboose book is a good book. Very useful. However, one thing 
does stick out in my mind. It seems to me that the book makes a 
reference to the C31 cabs being converted to the "P" spec before the 
C32P cabs arrived. This is not true. The paperwork may have been done, 
but, the C32P cabs arrived on the scene before the C31P cabs made it out 
of the shed.

A couple of thoughts. They C32P cabs came with high back bucket seats. 
These seats had the ability to flip over so you could always be seated 
in the direction of travel. Now, while some of you may think that these 
seats were a cool thing to have in a cab, they were uncomfortable 
because of the angle of the seatback and the padding in the head area.
The "P" cabs also were equipped with very strong stainless steel screens 
for the windows. Yes, they would keep out a thrown rock, but, they also 
kept out a lot of the breeze needed to keep cool on hot days. As the 
screens were considered a safety feature and if you got caught with them 
open, some fool supervisors used that as an excuse to write you up!
The C31 cabs with their coil springs (I don't understand why they had 
them in stead of leaf springs in the first place) could ride quite stiff 
at times. We had one conductor that would have you get some oil out of a 
car that had a plain journal box. He would then put the oil on only one 
side of the truck frame where the bolster slid. This would help the 
ride. Now, if you happened to oil both sides by mistake, then things 
really got bouncy!

Jimmy Lisle
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