I Learned Something New Today

[Anonymous]

You know, its funny, while I know the majority of O-Gaugers know what a "4-6-6-4" and "4-8-0" steam engine is, I just figured it out earlier today for the first time. I realize that for instance a "4-6-6-4" steam engine would mean 4 wheels in the front (the leading wheels), 6 driver wheels on the front truck, 6 more driver wheels for the rear truck, and finally 4 more wheels for the trailing truck. This would signify that its a Challenger.

Or for a Berkshire, a configuration would be "2-8-4" with 2 wheels for the lead, 8 wheels for the drivers and the remaining 4 wheels for the trailing truck.

I guess up until now, I really did not have a clue as to what those numbers meant when I see people or read in the catalogs refer to those type numbers. Now that I know, it will be easier for me to ID what type of engine that it could be.

Learn something new everyday! [:)]

[Craignor]

And you call yourself the Trainmaster?[oX)]

[Frank53]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Craignor

And you call yourself the Trainmaster?[oX)]

that was cold.

funny, but cold [:D]

[FJ and G]

Just wish diesels were as easy. Differentiate, pray tell, a GP38-2 from a GP 38 or GP40

[traindaddy1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Craignor

And you call yourself the Trainmaster?[oX)]

Hello, It's me again! This is a side note to CRAIG. I just looked at your layout. What a 'clean looking' beauty!! (Makes me want to take a second look at my "mish-mash"

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Craignor

And you call yourself the Trainmaster?[oX)]

Heh, even guys who been in the hobby for years learn new things each day, maybe even the ones who work in the real RR's. [:)]

[Craignor]

Trainmaster,

I apologize, I was just joking around.

I read your post, looked at your screen name, laughed, and couldnt resist.[:)][:)][:)]

[Craignor]

Traindaddy,

Thank you.

[pbjwilson]

Don't dis the Trainmaster, he's from Holland, MI. Home of the Tulip festival, Hope college, Baker furniture, some art school Blue something-or-other. You got my props Traimaster dude, Word up.

[poppyl]

Trainmaster;

You have three more steps to take before you can join the secret club -- names associated with the multitude of wheelsets, manufacturers of the locos, and the various series that they were produced in.. To reach the ultimate pinnacle, you must also demonstrate a knowledge of the different features on each series of each wheelset.

Just kidding -- but you have just opened the door to another world of knowledge.

Poppyl

[overall]

Trainmaster,

Something to remember is that different companies can make a given wheel arrangement. For example, Lima and Alco both made 2-8-4 Bershires for Nickle Plate Road. They were all known as "Bershires". The wheel arrangement of a diesel is designated using letters of the alphebet ,for example, a GP-38 is a B-B. It has two four wheel trucks, two on each side and B is the second letter of the alphebet. An SD-45 is a C-C because it has two six wheel trucks with three wheels on each side and C is the third letter of the alphabet. Non-powered wheels on a diesel are designated by numbers. The middle wheels on an E-8's six wheel trucks are non-powered so the E-8's wheel arrangement is A-1-A A-1-A.

George

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Craignor

Trainmaster,

I apologize, I was just joking around.

I read your post, looked at your screen name, laughed, and couldnt resist.[:)][:)][:)]

Hehe Craig no worries, im not offended. [:)] It would seem ironic that one with such a nic would know just about everything about trains.

@pbjwilson, thanks for your vote of confidence. [:)]

@overall, I know there are alot of different configurations on the wheelsets and such that the manufacturers make for their locomotives. I guess it really depends on what the modeler would want to specify for their railroad. It's easy to get lost at times when you see alot of alpha-numeric type figures used when they talk about specific engines. But its fun to learn these things though.

[darianj]

Yes...you learn something new everyday. Now when you find out what the leading wheels and the trailing truck are for, please let ME know.

[tintrax]

I may as well chip in here too! Trainmaster mentions that a 4.6.6.4 loco has 4 wheels at the front, 6 wheels on the first powered truck, another 6 on the second powered truck and 4 trailing wheels. OK, but I presume in the USA, the same as here in NZ, (except we call them bogies) the term TRUCK means a swivelling unit. Now the second group of 6 wheels mentioned above on the real loco are not swivelling, but fixed as a non-articulated loco, so therefore are not a truck! BUT, toy & model versions do have these made to swivel to get around our sharp curves (sort of cheating really) -so i suppose you can call them trucks.

[Anonymous]

In the U.S., it's known as the Whyte Classification System, and you can learn more about it here:

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/misc/wheels.shtml

[FJ and G]

Allan,

Thanks for that useful site. It is the most comprehensive I've seen. I bookmarked it.

[mickey4479]

These are nice posts. Makes you want to come back and ask questions and learn in a polite atmosphere. [tup][tup]

[poppyl]

Oh yes, I almost forgot another factoid that you must learn in order to join the secret club and that is the diameter of the driver wheels of each wheelset and series. Very important in determining draw bar tonnage and the horsepower/speed curve.

Poppyl

[1688torpedo]

Ah! Now I understand where Dave Vergun got the name BB for his Beagle from; A GP-38 Diesel Engine![;)][:P][:)][:o)][8D] I wonder if her Bark sounds like a GP-38 Diesel Horn?[;)][:o)] Take Care all.

[palallin]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tintrax

I may as well chip in here too! Trainmaster mentions that a 4.6.6.4 loco has 4 wheels at the front, 6 wheels on the first powered truck, another 6 on the second powered truck and 4 trailing wheels. OK, but I presume in the USA, the same as here in NZ, (except we call them bogies) the term TRUCK means a swivelling unit. Now the second group of 6 wheels mentioned above on the real loco are not swivelling, but fixed as a non-articulated loco, so therefore are not a truck! BUT, toy & model versions do have these made to swivel to get around our sharp curves (sort of cheating really) -so i suppose you can call them trucks.

Technically, the driver + cylinder + valve gear set on articulated locomotives are called "engines." Thus, a 4-6-6-4 has two engines, an erie Triplex has three.

The pilot trucks' function is described by the name: they guide the locomotive through turns. Long-wheel base 4-wheel pilots are better suited to higher speeds, so, as general (and often violated) rule, single axle pilot trucks are common on (slower) freight engines, mainly of the drag-freight era design. Two-axle trucks generally are found on passenger and high-speed freight engines. 4-8-4s were generally dual-service and reflected the railroads' desire for higher speed across the board. (It is an interesting irony that the advent of the FTs threw the railroads backwards by tempting them back intot he drag-freight mentality, thereby actually undermining their efflorts in competing with the trucking lines).

Trailing trucks support the weight of wide (too wide to put between the frames) fireboxes. The addition of trailing trucks allowed the fireboxes--and therefor the grate area--to increase dramatically. When Lima introduced its Superpower enignes, the grate area had become so large that two-axle trailing trucks were necessary.

[Anonymous]

OK got it. We talked about steam & deisel.Now does anyone out there have an idea what all those letters A A BB CC & numbers mean when you classify the electric locomotives????? Easter

[lionelsoni]

Same as Diesels.

[Anonymous]

easter,

There's a start: in paragraph one of the link below:

http://www.spikesys.com/GG1/tech.html

wolverine49

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TheTrainMaster

You know, its funny, while I know the majority of O-Gaugers know what a "4-6-6-4" and "4-8-0" steam engine is, I just figured it out earlier today for the first time. I realize that for instance a "4-6-6-4" steam engine would mean 4 wheels in the front (the leading wheels), 6 driver wheels on the front truck, 6 more driver wheels for the rear truck, and finally 4 more wheels for the trailing truck. This would signify that its a Challenger.

Or for a Berkshire, a configuration would be "2-8-4" with 2 wheels for the lead, 8 wheels for the drivers and the remaining 4 wheels for the trailing truck.

I guess up until now, I really did not have a clue as to what those numbers meant when I see people or read in the catalogs refer to those type numbers. Now that I know, it will be easier for me to ID what type of engine that it could be.

Learn something new everyday! [:)]

How long have you been a model trainfan? lol