Cab Forward in the rain

[OldProf]

Saw a comment somewhere on RWA recently about rain on the forward windows of the Cab Forward and the lack of windshield wipers. I've been test driving the engine and have some suggestions:

1) Hover your mouse around the upper-right area of the front window. A hand icon will appear. Dragging it around a bit will cause the upper 1/6 or so of the window to tilt open. Rain still obscures the window glass, but there's a bit of a clear view.

2) Hover the mouse as above, but when the hand appears drag it toward the left (right if your in the other seat) to slice open the outer half of the window. This will result in the inside of the cab, including some of the controls getting wet--not to mention diluting your coffee, but you'll have a clear view down the track.

3) Use the head-out view (maybe you should open the side window first?) and keep the wipers on your glasses going.

4) Come back on a dry day.

[NickF]

Thanks for the advice. Sunday afternoon I was running uphill, and decided to open the front window. As soon as I did I got a nice cool breeze through the room. Thought to myself, this is a really well-designed model.

Then realized my home air conditioning had kicked in.

[buzz456]

Thanks for the advice. Sunday afternoon I was running uphill, and decided to open the front window. As soon as I did I got a nice cool breeze through the room. Thought to myself, this is a really well-designed model.

Then realized my home air conditioning had kicked in.

[OldProf]

Thanks for the advice. Sunday afternoon I was running uphill, and decided to open the front window. As soon as I did I got a nice cool breeze through the room. Thought to myself, this is a really well-designed model.

Then realized my home air conditioning had kicked in.

Ahhh ... just let yourself believe in that cool breeze (whereas the truth is that RSC has just programmed your AC unit) !!!!!

[ricksan]

Actually, I programmed it.

Like most steam locomotives I am aware of, the AC cabs were not equipped with wipers. Strange, given that diesels were already making inroads. Anyway, the crew had to do exactly what you are doing: open windows, or lean out. Luckily it doesn't rain much in central California -- but snow it does!

We could have left off the rain effect entirely, but this approach is what we ended up choosing.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Most modern US steam engines had very big boilers and wide fireboxes. Even though the engineers side of the boiler was usually kept free of clutter and piping, except for the throttle rodding and perhaps a check valve. Forwards vision from the cab windows was severely limited and engines were dirven "out of the window". You always see engineers in bibs, with gloves, cap and goggles.
Of course the Cab Forward was specifically designed to overcome this handicap and the problem of smoke and suffocation in long tunnels and snowsheds.

IIRC, DB (German Federation railways) did mount rotating disc windows in the cab fronts of its 80 MpH class 01.10 and 01.12 express passenger steam engines in the late 60's.

All UK steam engines in Railworks get their front windows wet so I think wipers were never considered.

[OldProf]

Actually, I programmed it.

Like most steam locomotives I am aware of, the AC cabs were not equipped with wipers. Strange, given that diesels were already making inroads. Anyway, the crew had to do exactly what you are doing: open windows, or lean out. Luckily it doesn't rain much in central California -- but snow it does!

We could have left off the rain effect entirely, but this approach is what we ended up choosing.

I think that your choice is exactly right ... the original did not have wipers for those large front windows (perhaps because they slid open?) that would certainly have collected rain and snow, so the model should and does follow suit. It's a beautiful locomotive and I like driving it. However, my Italian computer doesn't handle the Donner Pass very well in terms of fps, so I'm thinking of trying your Cab Forward on the B to SB, whether that's historically correct or not. Perhaps it will be hysterically correct?

Thanks!

[johnmckenzie]

Small detail for UK steam locos - GWR King class 4-6-0 express passenger engines were built with a windscreen wiper on the engineer's side. These were removed at some point during their working life. I don't know of any others.