What is This Thing?

[High Hood]

So I’ve seen several people add see though grills to their Kato SD70ACe’s long hood. It’s a cool mod, but it’s missing something.

When I’ve been up close to real SD’s, I’ve noticed there’s some sort of thing you can clearly see inside the see-through area. What exactly is it? Pics linked below.

http://www.nsdash9.com/images/NS2685emb4.jpg
http://www.nsdash9.com/images/NS1002km1.jpg
http://www.nsdash9.com/images/NS1003km7.jpg

[Chris333]

Just a guess: traction motor blower?

[C855B]

Me, too. My edumaguess is a high-velocity traction motor blower. The size of the motor and its position relative to what appears to be a squirrel cage scroll leads me to that conclusion.

[Steveruger45]

My thoughts too. You can make out the electric motor attached to fan casing.

[Hawghead]

So I’ve seen several people add see though grills to their Kato SD70ACe’s long hood. It’s a cool mod, but it’s missing something.

When I’ve been up close to real SD’s, I’ve noticed there’s some sort of thing you can clearly see inside the see-through area. What exactly is it? Pics linked below.

http://www.nsdash9.com/images/NS2685emb4.jpg
http://www.nsdash9.com/images/NS1002km1.jpg
http://www.nsdash9.com/images/NS1003km7.jpg

What your seeing through the grill is the air compressor.  Just about all locomotives now have air compressors driven by electric motors vice mechanically driven.  It's very rare for me to get an engine with a mechanical air compressor in the consist anymore.

Scott