C-Trucks for GE U-Boats

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bob turner
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Re: C-Trucks for GE U-Boats

Postby bob turner » Sun Mar 19, 2017 8:15 pm

In all the excitement I forgot that for a while one could get similar trucks including gears, motors, and side frames, for $75 from Atlas or Weaver or somebody. I got a couple pairs at that price - I shall post a photo. Soon.

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De Bruin
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Re: C-Trucks for GE U-Boats

Postby De Bruin » Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:23 pm

True Bob, thanks for refreshing my memory. Atlas indeed floated out a version of the off-set trimount on their Trainman RSD4/5, a nominally good running out of the box locomotive
that (opinion) is otherwise flawed with the usual terrible visual "fails" typical of the PRC "genre," issues that I feel get regularly beaten to death over on NK so I'll save everyone that tedium in favor of more of my own; also (opinion) but the Kemtron version is at least visually superior in virtually every respect including the appearance of the trucks relative to the car body size. FYI my Trainman RSD's side frames scale out to approximately 16.5' in length.
As an aside I employ the RSD-4 on my bankrupt CNJ freight mu'd with one of those Atlas SD-35's, both factory CNJ, again details aside, look good to me, run great and can pull easily forty plus cars on "track-world." I'd be more of a stickler for the whole PRC detail issue, but find myself working on doorstops these days so you know, can't be bothering me that bad right?

Finally as I write this I remember I have one of those Weaver RSD-12's, with equally wretched car body details in the queue awaiting a date with a razor and drill to replace all the cast on grabs etc. I will compare the tri-mounts on it to the Atlas versions, and report back though I suspect they're the same length, it's a good runner too.
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R.K. Maroon
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Re: C-Trucks for GE U-Boats

Postby R.K. Maroon » Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:27 pm

It appears that GE used the tri-mount for only a few years. They replaced this with the FB-3 truck, starting with the Phase 2 U28C. It seems most of the GE C-trucked U-boats were equipped with some version of this truck, but it is complicated by the fact that there were two suppliers of the sideframes (General Steel Casting and Adirondack) and four different arrangements of the brakes and other elements on these trucks. All four versions were available with both sideframes, so there are eight versions all together. Understanding this helped me finally understand why I have several similar-but-different versions of these trucks in my possession. Here is the first set:

GE FB-3 #1 GSC 2HCS_02.jpg
GE FB-3 #1 GSC 2HCS_02.jpg (372.79 KiB) Viewed 4225 times

These are GSC sideframes in the "2HSC" configuration (if I have decoded this correctly). The GSC sideframes curve up and over all three axles, whereas the Adirondacks only go over the center angle. I have a set of Adirondacks I will post but others of course may choose to jump in here and post some prototype photos to illustrate the difference. The "2HSC" configuration is notable by the angles brake lever under the truck. There is a brake lever missing on the right hand side of the truck shown, but it is not angled.

GE FB-3 #1 GSC 2HCS_01.jpg
GE FB-3 #1 GSC 2HCS_01.jpg (360.19 KiB) Viewed 4225 times

I don't really know who made these trucks. I would guess Gilmaur but I am unfamiliar with their truck offerings. These are really pretty nice -- The castings are certainly clean. My only complaint is they were assembled with epoxy, making servicing the CLW gearboxes a bit tough. Yes, I know that CLW are not supposed to need servicing but I have gotten into the habit of drilling out the case rivets and cleaning and lubing everyone of these I get. I then put in wheel wipers, held in place with machine screws in the rivet holes.

More sets to come
Jim
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bob turner
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Re: C-Trucks for GE U-Boats

Postby bob turner » Tue Mar 21, 2017 11:01 pm

Neat idea! How come I never thought of that? I have been making complicated spring - loaded boxes. This is better!

They may be Loco Works Brittania metal?

When Lou does a run of E44 trucks let us know. I have some spare bucks.

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R.K. Maroon
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Re: C-Trucks for GE U-Boats

Postby R.K. Maroon » Fri Jun 08, 2018 1:43 pm

I am going to bump a few threads so they don't drop off in the next purge. I am bumping this as I still have a couple of Penn-Erie C-truck U-boats in the queue. I was also given a kit recently for a cast white-metal U50. I'll have to get photos and post. You can only imagine how heavy it must be.

Jim
Slow progress is better than no progress

bob turner
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Re: C-Trucks for GE U-Boats

Postby bob turner » Wed May 29, 2019 7:59 pm

I think I shall bump it again - did anybody find out for sure if Houlemarde is casting Wolfer trucks? There was some discussion on NK about GG1 trucks disintegrating, and I mentioned the exquisite Wolfer/Duddy truck. Anybody know where all that went?

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R.K. Maroon
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Re: C-Trucks for GE U-Boats

Postby R.K. Maroon » Thu May 30, 2019 1:36 pm

I haven't contacted Lou about the Wolfer trucks. I have it on my list to order some truck springs from him, so I'll put it on my list to get both of those done.

In the meantime, here is a version of the tri-mount trucks I haven't seen before:

Image

These are Penn-Erie. I have never seen cast bronze trucks from them before, but I would guess they are early. They are not very inviting to assemble. The all springs and brake shoes are cast as together and have to be separated, cleaned up, and then soldered in place. Ugh.

Jim
Slow progress is better than no progress

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R.K. Maroon
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Re: C-Trucks for GE U-Boats

Postby R.K. Maroon » Fri May 31, 2019 4:48 pm

I inquired with Lou Houlemarde regarding the Wolfer tri-mount trucks from the ELC/EF-4/E33 and the E44 electrics. He said that long ago he sold the Wolfer truck tooling to Ed Duddy. He does not know what became of it. He does have the CLW tri-mount for the Alco RSD:

attachment=0]CLW Alco RSD Tri-Mount Truck.png[/attachment]

I did not inquire further, as these are a lighter weight (and, it appears, a bit shorter) version of the trucks that went under the U25C and early U28C locomotives.

Jim
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CLW Alco RSD Tri-Mount Truck.png
CLW Alco RSD Tri-Mount Truck.png (403.49 KiB) Viewed 3894 times
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