Steve,
Your comments are absolutely correct. In the EMD production process,
each model had a standard drawing list; the basic locomotive for
which there was a price. Any changes desired by the customer required
re design and generated a document called an EDL (Exception to the
Drawing List). That list showed all of the drawings that had to be
removed and all of the new drawings required to incorporate the
change into the production locomotive. Nothing happened in the
manufacturing facility without a drawing, a parts list and a process
description. In some cases, an EDL could be used more than once such
as when the same modification was used on another customer's order
for the same locomotive model or when the option required no change
from model to model for the same customer. This latter circumstance
seldom happened. Even if only one part changed from model to model, a
new EDL had to be issued. However, it really was just a revision of
the previous EDL, so a lot of work may not have to be repeated.
There were thousands of EDLs at EMD over the years, each with it's
own identifying number. In the days before computers, EMD maintain a
large library of every EDL ever issued for reference purposes.
Similarly, all drawings were kept on file in hard copy. Someone was
assigned the task of maintaining an inventory of all of these
documents so that they could be easily referenced when needed.
On any locomotive order, if the customer wanted an option that
changed the basic locomotive, there was a charge or option price for
that change. In some cases, the change resulted in a price reduction,
but in most cases, it resulted in a cost increase. To price the
option, the cost of the deleted material was calculated and removed
from the base price and then the cost of the new equipment. was added
in. Frugal Q probably decided that the cost of the chain and ramp
elimination was more expensive than they thought they could do it
themselves. Thus, the locomotives were delivered one way and changed
shortly thereafter. RRs in those days, often didn't have a good
handle on their cost structures. They didn't figure in such things as
locomotive down time, shop overhead, etc. In true cost, it probably
cost more to do it themselves than to have it delivered they way they
wanted it in the first place. In the period after WWII, it was very
common for RRs to receive new locomotives and spend a day or more
installing their equipment, such as mirrors, radios, seats, sometimes
toilets, supplies and storage racks, etc. Later, they apparently
became more aware of cost structures and began ordering locomotives
fully equipped by the builder, even ordering things like engine oil
(over 400 gallons on a 16 cylinder engine) and sometimes a full fuel
tank. BN even arranged to have the fuel delivered to the EMD plant so
that they could fill the tanks before shipment. Of course, there was
a charge for that, but the RR only had to push the start button to
get the new locomotive underway after delivery. After 1970, when
Illinois adopted a new constitution which eliminated sales tax from
capital goods, many RRs took delivery of new locomotives at BN's
Clyde Diesel Shop in Cicero and then had the locomotives work over
the BN to their home road.
Bill Barber
Gravois Mills, MO
On Aug 10, 2011, at 2:28 AM, CBQ@yahoogroups.com wrote:
> Re: Drop Steps On Diesels
> Posted by: "Steve Haas" Goatfisher2@comcast.net goatfisher
> Tue Aug 9, 2011 7:11 pm (PDT)
>
>
>
> <<I'll assume these were "standard" appliances on EMD loco's, but
> one would
> think they could have saved a few bucks by having EMD delete them.>>
>
> When it comes to removing standard items from a basic unit, it
> often costs
> more, not less to have the items excluded from the order because of
> the
> extra costs associated with tracking the "exception to the rule"
> through the
> manufacturing and billing process. This _may_ have been the case here.
>
> Steve Haas
> Snoqualmie, WA
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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