Normal Direction of Travel

Summary: The Normal Direction of Travel or NDOT determines the direction and operation of lighting. It is Bit 0 of CV29 and is usually set to 0 (Off).

The Normal Direction of Travel is configured with CV 29. Changing CV 29 (Bit 0, Direction) will reverse both the locomotive's direction of travel and its lighting effects.

Early diesel locomotives were constructed with the cab at the front (cab/carbody units), such as the EMD/GMD F and E series, the ALCO PA/FA, and FM's C-Liners. With the appearance of the hood units (ALCO's RS series, EMD/GMD GPs or FM's HH series such as the Train Master), many railroads opted to run them long hood forward, with the engineer and fireman in the cab toward the rear, like a steam locomotive, for crew safety. Later many were converted to short hood forward for better visibility.

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  CN FPA4 6764 with Train 49, the Tecumseh at Sunnyside Station, Toronto, July 2, 1966. Note the A-B-A arrangement of locomotives.

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  Example of a Cab unit, ALCO PA and EMD F unit.

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  FM Erie-built AT&SF90, note that the A unit at the end is reversed.

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  EMD GP40, configured for long hood forward. The "F" isn't visible. This example is a hood style locomotive

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  Fairbanks Morse Trainmaster, example of a hood unit. Note the F indicating the front. These units were delivered for long hood forward operation. This unit was converted in 1959/1960, and repainted to match the CPR paint scheme with the grey nose.

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  S3 Locomotive

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  VIA 6759, March 1981 in Toronto, ON

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  BNSF GP60B 346, note the F on the right walkway, below the road number.

If the motor was mis-wired resulting in the wrong direction of travel, the proper solution is to reverse the wires. The Direction bit may be used for something else, and altering it unnecessarily could create problems later.