BNSF GP60B #346, a rare example of a B unit still in service in 2005.

A B unit, in railroad terminology, is a locomotive unit (generally a diesel locomotive) which does not have a driving cab, or crew compartment, and must therefore be controlled from another, coupled locomotive with a driving cab (an A unit). The term booster unit is also used. The concept was largely confined to North America. Elsewhere, locomotives without driving cabs were rare. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2168x1594, 606 KB) Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway diesel locomotive, an EMD GP60B. This is a rare example of a cabless B unit still in use today. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2168x1594, 606 KB) Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway diesel locomotive, an EMD GP60B. This is a rare example of a cabless B unit still in use today. ... The BNSF Railway (AAR reporting mark BNSF), headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the largest railroad networks in North America (only its competitor, the Union Pacific Railroad, is comparable in size). ... SSW (SP-owned) 9673, a GP60, leads an eastbound train through Caliente, California, in the late 1980s. ... Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. ... A locomotive (from lat. ... Great Western Railway No. ... Cab Short for cabriolet, a light, horse-drawn carriage which replaced the heavier hackney carriage in the 19th century as the vehicle for hire of choice in Paris and London, and were the forerunners of modern taxicabs. ... Generally, coupling means a mechanical connection between two things. ... An A unit, in railroad terminology, is a locomotive (generally a diesel or electric locomotive) equipped with a driving cab, or crew compartment, and the control system to control other locomotives in a multiple unit, and therefore able to be the lead unit in a consist of several locomotives controlled... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the...

Some B units cannot be moved without a controlling unit attached, but most have some simple controls inside, and often a side window at that control station. For example, B unit versions of the EMD FT with conventional couplers had a fifth porthole-style window added on the right side only for the control station. Other models used existing windows. These controls enable a hostler to move the B-unit locomotive by itself in a yard or shops. A hostler is an employee permitted to move locomotives within the confines of a yard or shops complex, but not on the main railroad. B units without controls are generally semi-permanently coupled to controlling units. EMD FT - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

The reasons railroads ordered B units included the fact that a B unit was slightly cheaper. With no driving cab, B units lack windshields, crew seats, radios, heating, and air conditioning. There would also be no toilets, which were usually found in the short hood of an A unit. In the early days of dieselization, there was also no argument from the railroad unions that a B unit deserved a second crew; this was a major point of contention for a while. Additionally, at first, railroads bought multiple-unit diesel locomotives as one for one replacements for steam locomotives; the flexibility of interchangeable units which could be assembled into any power output the railroad desired was not well realised. When a three or four unit locomotive was considered an indivisible unit, there was no point in the intermediate units having cabs. Finally, B units gave a smoother line to the train for passenger service.

B units were commonly built in the cab unit days in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. When hood unit road switchers became the common kind of diesel locomotive, some B units were built, but many railroads soon came to the opinion that a cheaper B unit was not worth the lack of operational flexibility. Few B units have been built in the last 40 years. Railroads that kept ordering B units longer than most were largely Western roads, including the Union Pacific, Burlington Northern, and the Santa Fe. Santa Fe ordered the GP60B model in 1991, which were the final B units built in North America as of 2005. A cab unit and a carbody unit, while closely related, are not exactly the same thing. ... // Events and trends A public speech by Benito Mussolini, founder of the Fascist movement The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the global depression. ... // Events and trends World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... // Events and trends This map shows two essential global spheres during the Cold War in 1959. ... A GP40 running long hood forward A hood unit, in railroad terminology, is a body style for locomotives. ... A road switcher is a type of railroad locomotive used for delivering or picking up cars outside of a railroad yard. ... The Union Pacific Railroad NYSE: UNP is the largest railroad in the United States. ... Categories: Rail stubs | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | California railroads | Colorado railroads | Idaho railroads | Illinois railroads | Iowa railroads | Kansas railroads | Kentucky railroads | Minnesota railroads | Missouri railroads | Montana railroads | Nebraska railroads | North Dakota railroads | Oregon railroads | South Dakota railroads | Washington railroads | Wisconsin railroads | Wyoming railroads ... The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AAR reporting mark ATSF), often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the largest railroads in the United States. ... SSW (SP-owned) 9673, a GP60, leads an eastbound train through Caliente, California, in the late 1980s. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In some cases, a B unit is converted from an already existing A unit. The cab is either removed or has its windows blanked out (Such as on CSX GE BQ23-7 units) , and all non-essential equipment is removed. The degree to which this equipment is removed depends on the railroad, but may (and usually) include the removal of the speedometer, event recorder, horn, headlights, toilet, and cab heaters. And in some rare instances, B units were converted to incorporate a cab, such as on the Chicago & North Western Railway in the 1970s with some EMD E8 B units bought from the Union Pacific. Categories: Companies traded on NYSE | Railway companies of the United States | Alabama railroads | Connecticut railroads | Delaware railroads | Florida current railroads | Georgia railroads | Illinois railroads | Indiana railroads | Kentucky railroads | Louisiana railroads | Maryland railroads | Massachusetts railroads | Michigan railroads | Mississippi railroads | New Jersey railroads | New York railroads | North Carolina railroads | Ohio railroads | Pennsylvania... The GE BQ23-7 was a variant of the B23-7 built between 1978 and 1979, the Q stood for Quarters. Identical to a regular B23-7, but equipped with an enlarged operating cab for accomodating the train crew, thus making a case for eliminating the caboose from the rear... The Chicago and North Western Railway (AAR reporting marks: CNW, CNWS, CNWZ) was a Class 1 railroad in the United States. ... Rock Island E8 #652, operated by Midland Railway of Baldwin City, Kansas. ... The Union Pacific Railroad (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad in the United States. ...

In rare instances, a B unit will run at the front of a train. This is avoided because it limits visibility from the locomotive cab. See this photo for an example.

List of B unit locomotive models

These are all known B unit models, with discrepancies settled by the later (Marre) reference. At least one of each model was manufactured. All units below contain one or more engines and traction motors, so slugs and snails are not listed. Cow-calf units are also not listed, since these were considered a single locomotive. For other meanings, see Slug (disambiguation) Cabless slug Cabbed slug A railroad slug is an accessory to a locomotive. ... A rotary snowplow from the Oregon Short Line on display at the Mid Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, WI. A rotary snowplow is a piece of railroad snowfighting equipment. ... In North American railroading, a cow-calf set is a pair of switcher-type diesel locomotives: one (the cow) equipped with a driving cab, and the other (the calf) without. ...

• ALCO/MLW - Black Maria Booster, DL-110, FB-1, FB-2, FPB-2, FPB-4, PB-1, PB-2, C855B, M420B
• Baldwin - AS-616B, DRS-6-6-15B, DR-4-4-15B, RF-16B, DR-6-4-15B, DR-6-4-20B
• EMD E units - EB, E1B, E2B, E3B, E4B, E5B, E6B, E7B, E8B, E9B
• EMD F-units - FTB, F2B, F3B, F7B, F9B
• EMD Hood units – DD35, GP7B, GP9B, GP30B, GP60B, SD24B, SD40B, SD40-2B, SD42B, SD45-2B
• Fairbanks-Morse - B Erie, CFB-16-4, CFB-20-4, CPB-16-4, CPB-16-5
• GE Transportation Systems - UM20B, B30-7A

The American Locomotive Company, shortened to ALCO (or Alco) was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States. ... Montreal Locomotive Works builders plate, 1913 Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) was a Canadian railway locomotive manufacturer which existed under several names from 1883-1985, producing both steam and diesel locomotives. ... The Santa Fes locomotive during WW2. ... Baldwin Locomotive Works builders plate, 1922 The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. ... Baldwin Locomotive Works produced several different Baldwin DR-6 models of 6-axle passenger train-hauling diesel locomotives between 1945 and 1948. ... Baldwin Locomotive Works produced several different Baldwin DR-6 models of 6-axle passenger train-hauling diesel locomotives between 1945 and 1948. ... Categories: Stub | EMD locomotives ... B&O EA 55 and trailing EB at Chicago, Illinois, 1939. ... ATSF E1 #7 at Los Angeles, CA, 1940. ... The first E2 set for the City of San Francisco, units SF-1, SF-2 and SF-3, jointly owned by the UP, the C&NW, and the SP. The second E2 set for the City of Los Angeles, units LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3, jointly owned by... Kansas City Southern Railroad E3 #3 at Kansas City, Missouri, 1940. ... The Seaboard Air Line was the only E4 purchaser; this is locomotive #3003 and another at Richmond, Virginia in 1939. ... Preserved EMD E5 at Illinois Railway Museum The EMD E5 was a 2,000 hp, A1A-A1A passenger train-hauling diesel locomotive manufactured by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois, and produced exclusively for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (The Burlington Route) during 1940 and 1941. ... Rock Island E6A #630, operated by Midland Railway, at Baldwin City, Kansas on November 28, 2004 . The EMD E6 was a 2,000 hp, A1A-A1A, passenger train locomotive manufactured by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. ... Southern Pacific Railroad E7 ABA set for hauling the Golden State Limited, 1947. ... Rock Island E8 #652, operated by Midland Railway of Baldwin City, Kansas. ... Southern Pacific Railroad E9 #6048 hauling The Lark through Glendale, California in 1958. ... EMD F-units were a line of diesel locomotives produced between November 1939 and November 1960 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. ... EMD FT - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The EMD F2 was a freight-hauling diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between July 1946 and November 1946. ... Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad F3 #120, a 4-unit ABBA set built in 1947, hauling a 51 car freight in 1950. ... D&RGW F7 #5634 in 1950. ... D&RGW F9 #5771, 1960. ... General Motors Electro-Motive Division (normally shortened to GM EMD or just EMD) is the worlds largest builder of railroad locomotives. ... A GP40 running long hood forward A hood unit, in railroad terminology, is a body style for locomotives. ... Two DD35s between a lead SD45 and an unknown trailing unit, 1970. ... Illinois Terminal Railroad 1605, preserved in operational condition at the Illinois Railway Museum. ... A Canadian National Railway GP9 leads a train up Yellowhead Pass. ... WC 715, a GP30 on display at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, WI The EMD GP30 was a 2,250 hp (1,680 kW) four-axle B-B diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois between November 1963 and January 1966. ... SSW (SP-owned) 9673, a GP60, leads an eastbound train through Caliente, California, in the late 1980s. ... The EMD SD24 was a 2,400 hp (1,800 kW) C-C diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois between July 1958 and March 1963. ... An EMD SD45-2 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division beginning in 1972. ... Fairbanks-Morse, located in Beloit, Wisconsin has specialized in the manufacture of opposed piston diesel engines for United States Naval vessels and railroad locomotives since 1932. ... Back-to-back Erie-built cab units lead the Milwaukee Roads Olympian Hiawatha passenger train through Butte, Montana in June, 1949. ... Canadian Locomotive Company #4105, a Fairbanks-Morse Model CPA-16-4 C-liner decked out in Canadian Pacific Railway livery. ... Canadian Locomotive Company #4105, a Fairbanks-Morse Model CPA-16-4 C-liner decked out in Canadian Pacific Railway livery. ... Canadian Locomotive Company #4105, a Fairbanks-Morse Model CPA-16-4 C-liner decked out in Canadian Pacific Railway livery. ... Canadian Locomotive Company #4105, a Fairbanks-Morse Model CPA-16-4 C-liner decked out in Canadian Pacific Railway livery. ... GE Transportation Systems is the division of the General Electric corporation producing railroad locomotives and electrical and propulsion equipment for transit cars. ... This locomotive model was offered first by GE in 1977, featuring a 12 cylinder motor. ...

References

• Marre, Louis A. (1995). Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years. Kalmbach Publishing Co. ISBN 0-89024-258-5.
• Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. Kalmbach Books. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 66-22894.