The Southern Pacific developed the Cab Forward type locomotives to deal with a problem unique to that railroad.  They had long tunnels and snow sheds in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and with a conventional locomotive, the exhaust fumes from the locomotive could well suffocate the train crew.  Using the Cab Forward design, the crew was protected from the fumes, as the exhaust was behind them.   MTH brought out this excellent scale model, one of the largest that I own.  The detail is excellent.  That's an MTH Burlington Northern husky stack on the next track over, with the operating water tower looming in the background.  Some slightly different versions of prototype Cab Forwards are shown below.

Ten years after issuing the first model of the Cab Forward, in early 2008 MTH brought out a new model, greatly improved in detail and available with either the original, as-built cab front, or the more modern rounded cab front that was given to the locomotives as they were rebuilt.  It's the latter one that I got and as you can see from the following photos, it's a superb model!  The first photo shows the locomotive broadside.

The next photo shows the tender (SP used oil burning steam locomotives).

The third photo shows the rear of the locomotive -- on most steam locomotives, this would be the front!

The next shows the detail around the rear drivers.  These are the ones that are articulated.

Here's the detail around the front drivers.  Note the complex linkages!

Here's the front end of the locomotive.

Finally, here's the "face" of the locomotive.  You'll notice that it more closely resembles the prototype photos shown above.

Last updated: 24 Feb 2023

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