The extra equipment box on NH RS3s

[OldEastRR]

Funny I never noticed it in photos before but after seeing an MR article about painting these engines, when I looked for it, there it was, a box on the walkway right next to the cab on the long nose RH side. Except upon examining the photos closely (none was side view) I saw it wasn't just a box, it had pipes coming out of it and going into the hood. I assume the NH had Alco build these boxes at the plant, because every NH RS3 I've seen has one. Does anybody have a close-up photo of one? What were the pipes for? Why did NH have Alco add them? Did any other RR also have them on their RSes?

[railnerd]

Some of the B&M units also have that box on the long hood, too.

[Point353]

[bbussey]

It's a PRR cab signal control box.  They were on nearly every piece of NH road-unit motive power, not just RS units.  All passenger power, definitely.  Steam.  Diesel.  Electric.

[Joetrain59]

LIRR units had them too. Hay Bros. Garage makes these.
  Joe D

[Ed Kapuscinski]

LIRR units had them too. Hay Bros. Garage makes these.
  Joe D

Hay Bros does a good box, but it's not THESE boxes. These are slightly different.

These are more like what you want:
http://www.keystonedetails.com/products/n-scale-details/2016/9/3/n-scale-prr-2-latch-tool-box-4pk?rq=box
http://www.keystonedetails.com/products/n-scale-details/2016/9/3/n-scale-prr-3-latch-box-4pk?rq=box

[bbussey]

the Hay Bros boxes are the final version, common to CR-era equipment.  He made them when I was looking for a couple dozen and I equipped all of my CR power with them.  The Keystone Details boxes are the early and mid-century versions, first used on steam power and then salvaged for diesels and electrics.  John designed the early (larger) version for me and the EP-3.  The medium version would be found on K-4s.  Bachmann has theirs molded into the K-4 walkway if I remember correctly.  The M1A I think has the larger early box, but I don't remember where it is on the model.

[OldEastRR]

So the device on the hood wall above it is a generator? Or pump?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

So the device on the hood wall above it is a generator? Or pump?

A generator.

Also, are you also talking about the other box up by the radiator?

[OldEastRR]

Just wondering about the generator -- I fabbed up some styrene into a box but now have to add the generator to make it look correct. Now gotta find a generator and angle bracket in my junk box.  Looks like the paint matched the NH green.