They had to, somehow, install batteries in at least one of the A units. FTs depended on the batteries for all control circuits and for excitation for the dynamic brakes. That's why they sounded different -- there was no need to rev the engine to use the dynamics. The A-B-B-A FT sets would have been quite distinctive, with the two short boosters. Randy Brown - -------------------------------------------------------------- Got a question maybe for Paul or one of the DL&W guys, As I was growing up in Scranton I used to see the FT sets on a daily basis grinding up the hill past my Grandfathers house at the end of Myrtle St across from the Petersburg Silk Mill. Sometime in the 50’s the 602 set had its booster taken out and the cabs were coupled back to back with drawbars, same with the 603 set, I believe the 602 booster was put in the 601 set, and the 603 booster went to the 604 set making them both 4 unit sets with all units having drawbars between units. As the locomotive diagram for these units show that the boosters were the only units with batteries and toilets, how did the double A unit couplets get started and how did they use them without toilet facilities, seems to me the unions would have pitched a gripe, Also the 602-603 AA sets lasted for years in pusher service, even into the EL years as 6021-6024,6031-6034, both coupled back to back and pushing up the hills. . . Another memory was the dynamic brake sound on the FT’s again it sounded different as they would head eastbound around the super elevated curve just past Ash St. and down the hill to the tunnel. - -- The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List Sponsored by the ELH&TS http://www.elhts.org ------------------------------
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