What's a Critter?

[Anonymous]

Hi Everyone,

Soon Roundhouse Products will be releasing in 6 different color schemes an EMD Model 40 Phase 1 Diesel, which is called a Critter. You can see it at their website here: http://www.mdcroundhouse.com/ . I've done a search on the web as well as consulted my limited resources here at home for some information on this prototype. I've come up empty handed. My biggest question is when this unit was built and where was it used? Yard only? Deliveries? How many cars did it move? Since I've never seen any photos of something so small, is it real? Where can I find more information on this guy? Any information on this would be greatly appreciated.

[DSchmitt]

From the Second Diesel Spotter's Guide[:)]

EMD Model 40: industrial switcher produced in the US, 11 built from 1940-1043. Two Detroit Diesel Model 71 six cylinger engines driving two traction motors on a rigid four wheel frame.

According to June '93 Model Railroader:

issue #53 of the magazine Extra 2200 South (1975) has complete roster and scale drawings.

44 ton industrial switcher. standard EMC/EMD switcher cap with two short hoods to house the diesel engines. single generator under the cab. Majority went to Nave Department and War Department during war.

One owner was Penn Dixie Cement of Winterset FL.

According to April '95 Model Railroader:

A unit formerly owned by McDonald Douglas was donated to the Los Angeles Parks Dept Travel Town, and the Southern California Scenic Railroad Assaociation was going to restore and operate it.

[johncolley]

Hi, Hawk, Your army base is big enough to use one of these, or a regular yard switcher such as an NW-2, or more recent SW-12, if you are going to move cars around the base after having the road switcher drop off a block . This was typical practice for many large industrial complexes to do their own switching. One of these days, stop and really look at , go aboard the one at Discovery Bay, it's a little bigger. Get an idea what the engineer's view was. John

[rogerhensley]

A little background on critters.

As I recall. a locomotive of 45 tons or more required a full crew of Engineer and Fireman and possibly a COnductor and Brakeman as well depending upon the state. Thus the 44 tonner or less. This could be operated by a one man crew. Most critters were limited as to their pulling power and were used for switching of two or three cars around a grain elevator or industrial plant.

As most tended to be a bit on the ugly side, the name critter seemed to follow the little locos and as many were original homebrewed out of parts, they really were 'critters'. :-)

[ndbprr]

It was an offering as stated to compete with the GE 44ton unit that was getting some sales. If you look closely you will see that the basis is the standard EMD switcher cab with short hoods on it. My recollection say's that all the initial sales were military in nature and subsequent users would have purchased them from the military. Designed solely to get around crew limitations neither was as succesful as hoped. On the PRR the GE 44 tonners couldn't do what an 0-4-0 switcher could and they were soon pretty much relelgated to extremely light duty until they could be disposed of. they just didn't have sufficient weight to have enough tractive effort to pull more than a few cars at best.

[dknelson]

Here in Milwaukee Sgt Dave Meyers is an expert on military railroads and gives many excellent slide presentations. he gave a presentation on the huge Badger Ordinance Works near Baraboo WI. They had, literally, crates filled with critters that the military ordered, stored there, and then sold for scrap -- brand new, never run, never used, never uncrated! These were little locomotives with couplers, lights, brakes, a cab, horn, etc the work. When Sgt Dave showed the slide of an entire warehouse filled with crates of new critters being sold for scrap as surplus because the military no longer needed rail service at various locations -- the entire audience (of tax paying railfans) groaned.
Dave Nelson

[Jetrock]

"Critter" is a fairly generic term for a small locomotive--typically with a gasoline or diesel engine, but diesel-electrics were also included.

The 44-ton GE diesel was on the higher end of this spectrum, and they did have their applications--many were purchased by electric lines switching to diesel power, and on the West Coast, 44-tonners took the place of GE and Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecabs on lines like the Sacramento Northern, Central California Traction and Tidewater Southern. While these engines were later supplanted by heavier roadswitchers, they did provide mainline service for decades, pulling the same short trains the electrics had.

Some 44-tonners are still in use today--the Sacramento Southern, the CSRM's museum/exhibit line, uses a 44-tonner (along with an SW-1 and some other antique diesels) to switch lumber from the UP to a commercial customer reached via the museum line.

Smaller "critters" were used in all sorts of applications--narrow-gauge gas critters were used in World War I as a compact "trench railroad", many of which were sold as surplus to industrial lines. The Grandt Line 23-ton and 25-ton diesel boxcabs certainly count as "critters" and there are many other examples out there--mostly homebrew jobs, as many "critters" were not standard offerings!

[Anonymous]

Were there many 44 tonners used in dockside operations? Bob T

[Anonymous]

I recall watching a documentary about Nuclear testing in the Nevada desert - one of the early ones where they parked a few old boxcars in the blast area to see what effect the nuke would have. There was a brief glimpse of a 44-Tonner which hopefully was removed before detonation! Just thought this info might be of interest (The documentary was on the History Channel and was very good)

On a more closely-related note to the topic, does anyone have any experience of the Model Power critters? They seem to offer two different 4-wheel diesel switchers which look as though they could be improved to look like a convincing model (not sure if they're models of a real prototype but they look the part). Does anyone have any information relating to their running qualities? A hobby store near me has them for £10, which is ludicrously cheap by UK standards, hence my interest!

[Jetrock]

rt2907: They certainly were--they were common in ports and other places that required a light locomotive that could get into tight spaces. Think of them the way you'd think of an 0-4-0 "Dockside"--not much for mainline hauling but they'll fit places where other locomotives won't.

I think I know the Model Power four-wheel diesels you're talking about--one is basically the Athearn "Hustler" while the other is a bit lower-profile? They would be okay for industrial locomotives but they are probably not the smoothest running things ever made. One nice thing about the Bachmann 44-tonner is that it is great at low-end crawling, which, as a switcher, it will do more of than highballing!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jetrock
I think I know the Model Power four-wheel diesels you're talking about--one is basically the Athearn "Hustler" while the other is a bit lower-profile? They would be okay for industrial locomotives but they are probably not the smoothest running things ever made. One nice thing about the Bachmann 44-tonner is that it is great at low-end crawling, which, as a switcher, it will do more of than highballing!

Those are the ones. Was considering one of the lower ones as a curiosity - maybe to run with my Walthers Oscar and Piker cars (The loco is available in Amtrak livery which would match the cars, and even an Athearn SW7 looks oversized with these!). I'll probably pick one up next time I'm in the hobby store fairly near me that stocks them - they're the only place I know of that does and I don't get up there very often - quite a long way and not a good road!