| Here we see time honored ritual of the conductor and engineer comparing time pieces and train order set. This is real railroading; time tables, train orders, communication whistle signals. Nothing hi-tek. Sometimes referred to as SW1200RS, unit has full m.u. connectors, oversized number boards and Flexicoil trucks. The ditch lights are not yet a factory option. They were bolted to the hand rails, adjusted so the beams, as I recall, crossed 50 feet ahead of unit. Heat and juice for passenger cars provided by the steam generator car behind 1279. Top speed on the Skeena Sub was 45 for passenger trains. Because of the short wheelbase, engines lurched and yawed and crews disliked them. I rode several times in second unit, and it was dramatic! After some months, Geeps took over the varnish. |