Model Train Journal

I was asked to look at a locomotive chassis for a friend recently. The chassis appears to be a scratchbuild for an early diesel, as it has cast bronze Blunt truck sideframes on it. The unit is equipped with axle gear boxes as shown:





I have seen these gearboxes before and was surprised to see them here. The gearbox case is made from bent brass and is riveted together. The gears were machined down in thickness from a larger gear. It is not clear why machining was necessary, unless it aids in the assembly perhaps? As it is, I have four pairs of these, all of which came on three-axle Bloomberg trucks for an E-Unit. I have not seen an E-unit with these gearboxes installed. The trucks and gearboxes could have been sold separately but I would guess instead they were original equipment on some model. I have seen most of the old E-unit ever offered, but not all. One guess would be the pre-war B&O EA from Scale Model Railways. I recall that IMP or some other early importer had a PA (not well received and thus rare), so maybe there was an E-unit too. These have the cheap-assembly aspects of a very early import. Having said that, I have to say that this switcher chassis actually runs pretty well.

Any clues? I will dig out the truck assemblies I have with these drives in them when I get a chance and post photos.

Jim

I think the E-unit boxes were International. Do not expect longevity out of brass gears.

I have hijacked an old obscure post of mine rather than start a new one.

I have been sorting and organizing my parts collection as part of moving into the new shop. I found a lot of trucks, wheelsets and drive components that I cannot identify. I will start with these 36" wheelsets:



My guess is that these are quite old, in part because they are rim insulated but also by the odd use of a nut to hold the wheels on and the presence of fiber gears.

Does anybody recognize them and know the manufacturer?

Jim

Possibly Lobaugh. The Climax was done that way. The worm gear on one of them looks like CLW.
Usable, if you skinny up the nut.

Gotta say, never seen a Woodruff key on an axle in 0.
Handy. Gear won't slip.
My starter and generator armature shafts have them....
Has to be power brick...and like Bob says, Climax would work. Can't see trying to fit those in freight trucks with nuts on axles.

I have used the 42" variety on big Diesels. The hub of the wheel is inset, so if you skinny up the nuts you have the proper sideframe spacing for .172 wheelsets.

Interesting. I know you can see the rub marks from sideframes on the outside of some of those nuts.

Thanks for that input, gentlemen. If I recall correctly, the Lobaugh Berkshire has one or more woodruff keys. Maybe the other Lobaughs do as well.

As to prototype, the EMC/EMD E-units used 36" wheels, but I think not many other diesels did.. Gas electrics, interurbans and M.U. cars might be other possibilities.

Jim

Lobaugh and Pearce used Woodruff keys on all drivers and axle gears. Not sure why that smaller axle is keyed - maybe Rollin did the power sections for Pomona Valley Diesels.

bob turner wrote:Lobaugh and Pearce used Woodruff keys on all drivers and axle gears. Not sure why that smaller axle is keyed - maybe Rollin did the power sections for Pomona Valley Diesels.

Bob's comment got me thinking. I don't have a Pomona Valley diesel, which were all pre-war, but I do have several Fernando Valley units, all of which were post-war. The only known connection between the two companies is their LA-area location. Here are a couple of (lousy) photos of a FV truck:





The wheelsets do indeed have the nut, but not the extended shaft for the journal bearing like the loose wheelsets shown in the earlier post on these. Also, the wheels here are not black anodized. Still, I would not bet against the possibility that these are Lobaugh wheelsets. Both Lobaugh and FV were on the west coast, we know the Lobaugh used woodruff keys and black anodized wheels, and Bob says these wheelsets are similar to those on the Lobaugh Climax. Maybe this will be solved someday, or maybe not. I hope to find a use for them someday.

Jim