Ah, often in my hometown where I am now. Used on the "Smoky Valley Line" between Austin and LaCrescent, MN because of the very light rail (I believe there was still some 40 pound rail in some places) and bridges.The line was torn up in the late seventies - early eighties. I used to see them many times tied up outside the engine house or heading southbound out of here in the sixties. Doug
Never heard of one. Christmas Bonnet? ETA Never mind, I looked up V.B. Can't disagree, but I'm not going to type it out. It's dinner time somewhere.
Draper Taper was the nickname for the GE version, the Dash 8, while the Red Barn was the GMD (EMD Canada) version, if I recall. The infamous Vomit Bonnet. Yup, I'll say it anyways...
Somehow that distinction became muttled up by the time they started showing up down in these parts when locomotives became interchanged more like freight cars.
I have never found an employee who referenced them as such. Almost all queried had never heard the term. It seems to be an obscure, but real, reference made by a few foamers. Have not heard or read it in years and had forgotten it myself!
A couple of days back I was watching an old episode of 'Banana'. As usual, Joe was a jilted lover, Pa was upset about something, etc, etc.
At first they were not a willing buyer. GE offered all twenty to the MILW, plus spare parts, plus converting them to US standard gauge, etc, for one million dollars. The MILW balked. STUPIDLY. At the time there were some fools starting to push for ending the electrification. (This was right in the middle of the court proven conspiracy by a group of companies to end interurbans, and more.) After five were sold to the Paulista in Brazil, and three to the CSS&SB, Milw bought the last twelve for more than GE's original offer, no spares and did the conversions themselves (Additional $$$$. Stupid. Really, really stupid.) Also, I need to add that only the twelve owned by the MILW were nicknamed "Little Joes". I have never looked at the Paulista for any nickname, but on the CSS&SB they were known by their numbering series, simply as "800's".
Any unit with the indented carbody side was built using the design by Draper. So I would believe that technically 'Draper Taper' is correct to any and all.
