As I said - it's been 20+ years and you have jogged my memory. I think you were right - the xSP C415 did have a duplex stand.

For those not familiar what the difference is - Many diesel-electric (and electrics) were built with two sets of engineer's operating controls in the same cab, typically one on each side of the cab facing in opposite directions. This allowed the engineer to always be facing forward sitting on the right side of the cab, and to be able to take hand signals from either side of the cab when switching (long before radios were in use). This was common in steel mills who had them on engines as small as a GE 45 ton. Many railroads ordered them on engines that would often be operated on the main as single units in either direction. SP had some GP9s in passenger/commuter service, the first order of SD39s intended as single unit helpers (IIRC), all of WP's GP7/GP9/GP20/GP35s. Didn't either Southern and/or N&W have double controls even on their late high nose designated as long hood front? Some of the older BN GPs (xGN?) had double stands with 6BL brakes, but were supposed to be long hood forward even after chop-nosing.

There were two different arrangements of controls. The first was to put a complete second control stand on the other side of the cab. This isn't too bad in the cabs I've been in or run. There still isn't an easy place for a third seat, and the conductor is stuck with a control stand behind him. I know many of these stands are wired in series, so the dead unused stand has all the switches turned on, the brakes cut out, and the reverser removed.

Duplex stands by comparison are a miserable cab arrangement, and the only advantage they might have is that the engineer could easily trade between sides while switching if they could get around the seats. In the EMD duplex stands I've dealt with, there is a "master" control (typically on the right) and a "slave" mounted on each side of a huge cabinet that dominates the center of the cab. The reverser and throttle and interconnected by levers. You move the lever on one side, the other side also moves. The 26C automatic brake on the slave side is just a handle connected by a chain and sprocket drive to the other side. There is a real SA26 independent brake valve on each side connected through double checks. The control and headlight switches are located on top of the box in the middle, so you might have to stand to change them and really can't see them.

Eureka Southern had four xPRSL/CR GP38s that later went to DM&E. Two had dual stands (EUKA 32 & 33?) and two had duplex stands (30 & 31?). EMD had pushed the front windshield out almost a foot over the nose, but it still didn't offer enough room with a duplex stand. I remember real well having to sit in a folding chair sideways wedged between the duplex control stand and electrical cabinet because I was the third one in the cab. The other issue with the duplex stand is you can't cross the cab to get out the door without tripping over the other cab seat. This must have been really miserable on the SP C415s with their elevated cab seat platforms.

All the technical info I have makes me believe that EMD made the center control cabinet standard on the SW1000/1001/1500, but it would only have controls installed on the right side unless they ordered duplex controls. I think many railroads (including SP) paid the extra money for the optional "SW1200" arrangement that put a single traditional control stand on the right side. The GE SL series switchers have a similar single/duplex control stand arrangement in a large cabinet that dominates the center of the cab.

Here is a photo of WP 1503 SW1500 controls. This is the engineer's or master side of the standard arrangement. This is NOT a duplex stand, but the slave side would look the same. On a duplex stand the control and headlight switches to the right of the throttle would be mounted on the center top of the control stand, and an engine shut down toggle would be just above the throttle. [www.wplives.org] The amp meter was actually an EMD option.