Brothers and sisters,
In preparation for the ALP-44 "Reliability Rebuild" we have worked up a short list of the deficiencies have been compiled so far on the ALP-44. Add your own “List of Limitations” and suggestions for improving the ALP-44 locomotive to ours and we will put it before the mechanical department whenever we can. To fix some of these deficiencies during the "Rebuild" is sheer wishful thinking but most are not and many have plagued the engineers since the units were first introduced into service. A few will be addressed in the rebuild (electric wipers and electronic bell) but most will not.

Unfortunately, The Locomotive will be overhauled in kind only to help to improve the reliability and availability of the fleet. The Mechanical Department only has a fixed amount of money to overhaul the O and E Series locomotives, so they are limited in what they can do for some of the issues that we have brought to their attention.

What this means is do not expect the stink from the toilet to be addressed in any significant way. Perhaps the addition of sound insulation will help remediate the problem of the incredibly loud and distracting mixing transformer noise in the cab as it is a major health problem as well as a detriment to communications both across the cab and on the radio.

  1. Rebuild as a single cab locomotive. This would allow more room for some below listed improvements without lengthening the frame and possibly lower the cost of the rebuild and reduce future maintenance costs.
  2. Longer cab to allow both seats to be moved back to the full travel without blocking the  doors. Cab doors should be, in no way, restricted from opening fully to at least a ninety degree angle, or more, from the car body.
  3. Longer cab for more legroom and an ALP-46 seat. Fireman’s seat of the same type as the engineer’s. Seats must meet the FRA’s recommendations  at a  minimum. See http://www.ble272.org/Cabseats.htm  
    Items 1, 2,  3, and 6 will not be considered in the rebuild program as the car body itself is not being modified. It is unlikely that an ALP-46 seat will fit in an un-enlarged cab although the Mechanical Department says it will explore the possibility.          
  4. Better sound insulation behind the cab to keep ”ALL” noise from the machine room out of the  cab. A sound test of the interior of the cab under working conditions to certify that the volume of sound will not injure the hearing of the engineer.
    Item 4 has been discussed with the possibility of adding additional insulation to the cab wall to improve sound insulation.
  5. Control desk with a IDU and analog gauges like the ALP-46.
    Item 5: The control desk will be rebuilt like the "M" model.       
  6. Rain gutters constructed so that they don’t allow water to splash into the cab when the window is open as they do now.
  7. Electrically operated windshield wipers.    
  8. Electronic bell.      
  9. Throttle with detents for  each throttle position. Present throttles wear to the point where the throttle handles slide to full throttle unless held by the engineer.
    Item 9: The current throttle will continue to be used over our protests..  
  10. Maintain the three pedals with a floor that raises and lowers. Make sure the door override pedal works as intended.    
  11. Clipboard spring between the throttle and brake valve for paperwork. Weld it to the  desk top and make  it bulletproof.    
  12. Separate radio and PA heads.    
  13. All resets and engineer specific switches and circuit breakers inside the cab. The engineer should not have to leave the cab to do a routine six.     
  14. Electric handbrake like the ALP-46.
    Item 14: They are looking at an electric handbrake if they can find one that fits the foot print of the one presently installed. I believe the present handbrake is an injury waiting to happen.        
  15. New toilets built to FRA recommendations with proper ventilation of the retention tank to the outside atmosphere so the smell “NEVER” enters the  machine room or cab causing a health hazard to those working on the locomotive. See http://www.ble272.org/Toilet_construction.htm   
    We are told that there  is no room to place an enclosure around the  toilet area.                
  16. Non-reflective light absorbing paint for the cab interior.    
  17. Top of control stand that is wide enough to prevent the reflection of gauges, SDU, and IDU on the windshield.    
  18. Position gauges so they are never covered by the movement of the brake valve or throttle.     
  19. Secure box for the reverser if removable.    
  20. No additional boxes or valves installed that restrict the engineer’s or fireman’s legroom.
    The obstructions already in place in the leg area should be removed and moved elsewhere.    
  21. Brighter, focusable, and dimmable order lights that are separate from the cab overhead lights.    
  22. Better door latches for access to the machine room. Machine room access doors that do not interfere with the cab entry doors in any way.
  23. Paint the roof over the cab's) white or silver to reflect some of the radiant heat.
  24. Seal the underside of the control desk, so as to keep hot air from roasting the engineer's legs, as on some of the ALP-44s. 
    The cabs will be  rebuilt in kind, but they will look at the cost of doing this .
  25. Change the type of latch on the outer doors so that they can be adjusted for wear.
  26. The fireman’s side mirror should be mounted so the engineer can use it to look over the fireman’s side of the train.
  27. Keep the present sun shades on the windshields.
  28. Sturdy sun shades on the side windows to match the material and operation of the windshield sun shades, not a cheap acetate material.
  29. Heat and A/C should be controllable both in fan speed and temperature like a car climate control so you can have heat and A/C at the same time with a quieter fan.

  30. Keep the present sun shades on the windshields.
    Sun shades, A/C, and heating system will remain as built.

     

If  you have more suggestion please contact a member of the Ergonomics Committee so that if, someday, we can get another meeting with the Mechanical Department we will bring up more deficiencies and, hopefully, address them in upcoming new locomotive programs.

We can't make this happen without your input.

Steve Kay
Chairman
BLE&T Ergonomics Committee

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