Gotta love it! The manual shows two different charts and transistion sequences for the same gear ratio, five steps versus seven. The motor connection cahnge from 3S-2P to 2S-3P is still at about 20 mph, so would be noticeable if they were accelerating a commute out of a station.

I know SP first used the FMs out of Texas for freight service; was this to avoid Kalifornia's taxes? If they always had the "freight" gearing and steam boilers, it makes you wonder if SP didn't intend them to be commuter power from the beginning.