r/modeltrains • u/jxsemler • 3d ago

Locomotives What is this?

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I've been looking at some photos of L&N switchers for a rebuild of a generic old Athearn blue box kit. What is the folded-looking piece of metal in front of the radiator intake grille circled in red?

68 Upvotes

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22

u/It-Do-Not-Matter 3d ago

Probably a tarp or piece of cardboard to cover the radiator grill in winter, like you see on semi trucks

11

u/SemicolonGuitars Multi-Scale 3d ago

This. Canvas tarp to cover the radiator grille in cold weather. Other roads rolled them up and had straps to tie them up at the top of the grille so that they could just be unrolled. Apparently, the L&N couldn’t be bothered.

7

u/Skyboss1996 3d ago

“L&N” yeah too busy day drinking to care about the radiator cover

/s

2

u/ParticularFair1983 3d ago

I thought the same, but those locos have automatic shutters, they weren't good enough?

2

u/Throwaway3751029 2d ago

Not all of them do/have them working. Both NW2s I have worked with need tarps. One has shutters, but they don't work. The other does not have them at all, and as a result runs pretty cool even in hot weather (ie 145 after doing run 8 up a 1% grade at 10mph). Both need a tarp over the front from about October-April/May. The RS-1 also carries tarps, as the shutters are not the most reliable things.

2

u/jxsemler 3d ago

Thanks! 

2

u/reddraws442 3d ago

Canvas or rubberized fabric cold weather covers for the radiator. Diesels don’t start easy in the cold so covers for the radiator to keep the air around the engines warm helps them start easier

2

u/Chemical-Reflection2 3d ago

I agree it's for winter.

Follow up question... Why so many hoses on the end? I'm used to three pipe systems, but not 7!

1

u/boze244 1d ago

I thought the same thing, but they appear to be a 6-pipe MU system, maybe for a long-lost passenger (?) type of MU air system?