Remember that most of these spent their last days on the flats and particularly between Oakland, Tracy and Roseville. In urban areas and in the wind the splitter probably created a smoke nuisance. You would want that exhaust up and away as far as possible. I still recall three cab-forwards following a 20 mile an hour west wind through Livermore with a fruit block. Most of the smoke had followed them from East Pleasanton. I think a couple of them still had splitters.....it was a sight to behold, something on the order of an approaching tornado.
ARD