Here are two links

that may shed some light on your question.

http://dieseldetailer.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=yack&action=display&thread=7309

http://www.6axlepwr.com/CC_CAB_3.html

Bernd

The reason was...

They had dual controls on both sides of the cab, so the extended cab was allow the operators to be able to move past them...

This is one issue with modeling the Reading and in particular the SD45's, the Athearn & Kato models do not have the prototypical cab extension.  If you want to model it, it's a Cannon Cab and some scratch building.  

I have lined up a build of Kato Undecorated SD45 that will be getting this very treatment, so at least one of my SD45's will have the prototypical cab extension.

Jas...

It doesn't make sense to me

As an engineer on Ns, I have seen a fair number of locomotives with dual control stands.  The N&W had quite a few, and none of them have special extended cabs.  It doesn't even make sense to me that the cab extension shown would make a difference, since the control stand would still butt up against the shorter part of the cab walls.  It makes more sense to me that it would have been to make it easier to get into the bathroom, as some of those low nose SD40's were a royal pain in that department.

I wonder if some railfan who knew the engines had dual control stands simply assumed that it must have been the reason for the cab, and now it's been repeated as "fact" by other railfans.

Read Carefully...

The Reading SD45's featured dual control stands and had an extended cab face like the PRSL GP38's that went on to PC/CR then into the second hand market. All of the Reading SD45's were scrapped.

I think you are right, Ken.

If you read the post carefully, you'll see that it doesn't say that the reason they had the extended cab front was because of the dual controls. It just says they and dual controls and extended cabs. (Sorry, Jason).

George

Only Quoting the subject matter experts...

George,

No problem, no need to apologise either...  I'll throw this line in which is a direct quote from the "Reading Modeler" website and the information they have listed about the SD45 cab extension.

The five Reading's SD-45s were delivered with dual control stands in the cab, a feature unique among the 1260 units produced by EMD.  To allow the necessary space for this equipment, the front windshield was built out by eleven inches, as can be seen by the detail photo below.  Most EMD locomotives had the windows flush with the cab front (compare photos of the GP-35s found  here).

I may not be an expert on the Reading SD45, but I would regard these guys as pretty close... 

Jas...

Still not sure, but it's fascinating anyway

I would really like to see the interior of that cab.  I'm not saying they're wrong, but it doesn't fit with what I know of other dual control stand locomotives which EMD built at the same time.  Of course, it is entirely possible that Reading used a different style of control stand than the N&W did, or placed it in a different position.  I just cannot figure out how a second control stand would somehow require more room in an SD45 than in an SD40.

I am always careful when using model railroad data to learn about the prototype.  A wonderful example is the ongoing debate among Southern Ry. steam modelers regarding the color of the cab roof.  All the available prototype data says it should be black, and yet many modelers insist that it should be red.  The entire misunderstanding (I am in the black roof camp) comes from a single article published in Model Railroader some 50 or 60 years ago, and it has been repeated as absolute fact ever since.  So, just because the Reading Modeler says it, I do not automatically assume that they know any more than I do.  It's a good indication, but not proof in my eyes.

Of Course

Jason,

Of course I thought you were only going by the reference link provided by Bernd.

A floor plan of the Reading 45s or even some interior photos might shed some light on this conundrum.

George

Unfortunately I've never seen

Unfortunately I've never seen any interior photos of any of the Reading SD45 as that would really help with this question. 

One thing that I've read about the units is they were equipped with a "tandem" cab control located in the center of the cab which would allow easy switching between directions, but were very large and needed the larger cab for the space.   However again I haven't seen any proof and all of the units are no more.

I have been looking at the possibility of doing some work with creating a 3d printable cab model for the units but still working on how feasible that would be.

Rob Hinkle

Modeling the Reading Company Lebanon Valley Branch in 1969

Another Discussion About Extended Cabs

I ran across this discussion on another forum.  A fellow going by "Golden-Arm" (who apparently was an engineer running these extended cab units) says that the second, rear facing control stand wasn't up against the wall like the primary stand.  It was set back to allow clearance for an access door on the firewall to swing open.  The rear of the stand was so close to the rear wall (actually, the front wall of the cab) that the offset was there to provide enough clearance to squeeze around the control stand.

Here's the link to the discussion:  http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=55092

I spent some time on the T&P as a brakeman in the early 70s, and we ran a couple GP9s with dual control stands.  As Ken says, there was no offset in those standard size cabs...they were simply crowded.  Apparently there was no access door in the firewall in those units to interfere with the control stand.

-Jack

RDG SD45 extended cab

PRSL also had GP38's with similar extended cab and dual control stands.

GM6C

I've long been a fan of electric locomotives. The one off GM6C heavy electric locomotive demonstrator had a similar cab front.

George

Nice cab

Neat!  Do you know whether or not it had dual controls as well?  It looks like that cab was something EMD was doing on occasion, for multiple railroads.

Something of note, the NS

Something of note, the NS fleet of dual-control stand locomotives have the control stand centered on the side of the cab,so that the operator is better off facing the stand, and turning his head to look out the window...

The CR/PC control stands were angled to look out the front (short nose) and rear windows more than any NS engine I've ever been on.  I needed that extra few feet of cab space provided by the cab bumpout to get around the end of the rear-facing control stand upon entry to the cab.

Interesting

It's interesting to hear from someone who's been on and operated these units.  You're absolutely right about the NS control stands, too.  When switching, I tend to sit facing the stand, but when running on the main line I really appreciate the extra leg room (I'm 6'3 with size 13 work boots) that the "straight" control stand provides.  Those angled stands leave no room to put my feet.

Ex-PRSL GP38

IAIS 600 is one of those ex-PRSL GP38s with the extended cab face.  There are some details about how I modeled it using Atlas cabs at http://www.iaisrailfans.org/info/Modeling600 .  It was really not a difficult project.

Heh..

I've never been in one of those engines in my life, but bathroom was my first guess!

John

RDG SD45 extended cab

Hi all:

From what I've heard, The control stand was in the middle of the floor. There were duel controls on each side of the stand. I'm pretty sure the controls were mechanically interlocked so when one throttle was moved the other moved. The thing was about three square and about as high. The front was extended to walk around the front and get into the restroom. They couldn't push it back because of the electrical cabinet. 

I saw similar control on the Rock  Alco C-415 center-cab switchers. No body liked them.

Roger Kujawa

Morton, Il.

See my Atlantic and Great western at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AtlanticGreatWesternRailway/

Neat! Do you know whether or

Yes, both the GM6C and GM10B were built with Dual controls.  This was reasonable considering the market they were trying to sell to,  Penn Central and Conrail.   All contemporary electrics, with the exception of the ex Virginian E33s,  were either dual controlled (E44) or dual cab locomotives (GG1s, E60s, etc).   

I'm told that the CNJ's GP40Ps were also dual controlled, but they appear to have a standard GP40 cab,  so there was probably some sort of alternative set up.