MP-54 Cab Stand Shots

Does anyone have or can direct me to pictures of the MP-54 control stands, for the life of me I have Googled every variation & the best I can find is an obscure engineers window view from a Westbound train on the Atlantic Avenue Viaduct, the control stand is not even visible, thanks in advance & a happy & safe weekend for all.

Somewhere in my pile of stuff, I think I have digital copies of the pics I took of the control stand to one of the remaining MP-54s up in Maine. It really wasn't much, just a brake valve, the controller (much like a Silverliner), some gauges, and the cab signal display. No speedometer, even

Simply, a vertical mounted rotary controller (right for forward throttle, left reverse, basically reverser integrated into controller).

The closest you can get today would be a Silverliner IV controller.

If the MP-54's didn't have speedometers, how could the engineer comply with the speed displayed by the Automatic Speed Control lights, since he couldn't know how fast he was going?

Instinct based on experience, and a warning whistle giving him 6 seconds to apply the brakes.

Why didn't they have a speedometer?

As ExCon said, discerning speed was instinct to an engineer. In the old days, railroads printed "speed tables" in their Special Instructions which listed the time for a train to travel the mile between mile-posts at different speeds. Thus the engineer could calculate his speed. The MP-54's were based on 1906 technology.

There simply weren't affordable and reliable speedometers back then, and certainly the PRR wasn't about to spend one dime on anything that wasn't necessary.

Thanks all for your very informative replies, back in the day when I was a wee one I always took the train between Flatbush Avenue to Hempstead or central Islip, by the time I ran up to the front of the MP's the engineer always had the storm door shut so I couldn't see a thing. Never got a chance to ask for a look see at CI since the long hood forward Alco's continued on to Ronkonkoma, I was always facinated by the Hicksville gate guards. Thanks all.

I rode the Long island for three years between Hempstead and Penn 1963 - 1966,. I'd often watch from the front window on the MP54s. I remember hearing the speed warning horn when the train entered a restricted speed area. Often the engineer's door would be open and I could watch him. It was pretty spartan in there. Brake, throttle, horn cord, deadman's switch, and max speed indication (three lights?). One motorman mentioned that the more cars the train had, the better it braked.. seemed illogical to me, but hey, he was running the train.

Oh how I wish I had taken photos... ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!! Great time.. I saw the FM baby trainmasters, the C-Liners, the new Alco C420s, the change to the World's Fair colors. And the apparently one-day-only nativity scene at Hall Tower.

Got trapped in Penn for four hours during the 1965 blackout - sitting in a double decker that had just arrived on the 5:35 to Hempstead.

Scopelliti, you're right about the 3 ASC lights. They were labeled 15, 30, MAS if I remember right.

And ACMOTORSTOP, I remember the crossing watchmen at the crossings by Hicksville Station during the elevation project construction. They were grouchy guys who used to chase away us kids trying to watch trains in the afternoon after school circa 1963. But I guess they had their hands full in the afternoon with all the downtown traffic, crowds exiting the trains, etc. Used to be two guys at each crossing. One to crank the gates up and down, and one with a whistle and flag to stop traffic.

I must have Googled this like a hundred ways, this is what I came up with:

http://www.trainsarefun.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; "THE LIRR EXTRA LIST"

Thanks all.

I forgot about these...

I zoomed this a bit. Perhaps folks could help point out the various components? I understand the right circle below the window is the cab speed indicator. #3

If I remember right, numbers 1-2-3 are the speed-control lights. They were labeled 15, 30, MAS.

I have a drawing that I made about 1951-52 showing the detail of the MP-54 control stand. I will dig it out hopefully this week and post it. The original ASC lights displayed MAS (green), 30 (amber) and 12 (red). I do not recall when the 12 was changed to 15. I also recall that the display on the MP-70 double-decker cars was vertical with MAS (green) on top.
Pappy