Greetings all,

I understand several more modern-era "Super Power" steam locomotives were equipped with engineman's *achem* facilities. Can anyone shed light on this truth or myth?

I know of only one steam locomotive that had a toilet on it, and that was a rebuilt PRR K4s that was streamlined for the Broadway Limited.

There may have been others, but I am not aware of them.

The Virginian Railway was installing electric water coolers on quite a number of engines in the late 1940s. Did anybody else follow this practice?

I tend to think that with plenty of stations enroute, there was no problem finding a place to go, but out in the boonies if your stopped at a field, mother nature rules.

Back in my youth during the couple of summers I spent on the old "Southern" Steam Program, we just stepped back into the tender and used the coal pile. Tough to do on an oilburner, though.......

That's what the coal scoop was for...

Steve Hunter
Cardinal, ontario

Recall that in the age of steam the "100 mile" day was the norm. One of two scenarios ensued: either the run was fast and the assignment only a few hours long, or the run had numerous stops offering some strategy for bathroom breaks.

The diesel changed all this. It allowed longer runs (no water stops, no ash dumps), and it had a fundamentally cleaner work environment that did not allow use of coal piles or shovels as toilets.

Why do you think there's a nice bunker of sand in the cab, cleaning flues and giving the frothers nice 'pitchers? ;)

(And if the stories from old SP heads are to be believed, the traditional scoop-and-throw disposal method gave more than one brakemen an—achem, [insert certain word that rhymes with "city"]—day.

.

.

That's where the "Westinghouse Steam/Air toilet" comes in, Kelly. The air moves the contents of the hopper to a chamber just outside the blowdown valve, and the steam...

We have completed the conceptual design for a new ladies lavatory which will be installed upon the rear high porch of the 614's main tender ( where the head end brakemans " doghouse" was often carried).

It will be fully air conditioned, have surround sound, plasma 42 inch tv,and the latest in terlits.

This way 614 will be fully compliant with the new equal employment opportunity requirements and sufficiently " PC" to carry her well into the 21st. century.

Oh yea, it will be off limits to the male gender!!

Ross Rowland

Hmm. An all-female relief station would admit of a fuzzy seat cover and no need to return the seat to the upright position :)

In another thread, the public wondered about the facilities in the "dog house" on the back of some more modern steam locomotive tenders. I asked if calling the occupant the "head brakeman" had anything to do with the nautical term for a sanitary device and referred to the contents of his shelter.

Or more to the point, no upright position at all...the fixed position seat as it were...

Cheers, Dave

We gave a Microphor a try on 1522, but it didn't work out well. Fireman complained too much as did the pilot.
First attempt, somebody connected a steam line instead of a cold water flush line.