Andy et all:
Sperandeo Hi Dave, A drawing in the 1970 Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia gives 36'-9" as the bolster center measurment for the C-430. Of course by then it wasn't an Alco, but shown as an "MLW-Worthington" locomotive. Since no 430s were actually built after 1968 or in Canada, I take that drawing as representing the Alco specification. So long, Andy
Hi Dave,
A drawing in the 1970 Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia gives 36'-9" as the bolster center measurment for the C-430. Of course by then it wasn't an Alco, but shown as an "MLW-Worthington" locomotive. Since no 430s were actually built after 1968 or in Canada, I take that drawing as representing the Alco specification.
So long,
Andy
Andy,
I have that Cyclopedia but that particular drawing is suspect in that it shows a fuel tank integral with the frame. Certainly none of the PC/Conrail C430 units I saw had such a frame. My understanding is that the only US domestic Alcos with that type of frame were the C-855 and the H-430.
That frame design was used on Australian built DL 500G units dating from 1970, and hence licensed from MLW and not Alco. These used MLW-Dofasco trucks as used on M and MX series units.
Of course, that doesn't mean that the dimensions are wrong, just that no units were built to that design.
M636C
The Tiger Valley C-430 measures 36' 9". I also have a Tyco shell (which is about a 1/4" longer than the TV shell). I scratch built the chassis in brass for the Tyco and comprimised with a 38' 6" spacing and a lengthening of the fuel tank by 1/8" to keep the proportions right, this is not noticable even with the two running together. Both have the TV Hi-Ad sideframes. Only a rivet counter armed with a scale rule would know the difference.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
Pardon my fumblefingers, that should have read, "I found 36' 9"...."
Dave
Andy:
Ironically, the 37' 1" dimension comes from the September, 1986 MR, pages 78-79. I found 37' 9" in the November, 1985 issue of "that other publication."
Everyone's assistance is greatly appreciated. I hope I made it clear that this is a "curiosity question", as logically I'm going to match the Hobbytown underframe (with Tiger Valley hi-ad sideframes) to the Alco brass model.
Andy Sperandeo MODEL RAILROADER Magazine
Two different drawings used as the source, one may have been a preliminary, or there may have been a design change mid-production.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
(I submitted this once before but can't find that it was ever posted - if it's a duplicate and I'm just not looking in the right place my apologies.)
What was the truck centers dimension on an Alco Century 430? I have found two different drawings in the model press; one says 36' 9" and one says 37' 1". The Alco Models version measures 37' 0", close enough to the one drawing. I also have a Tyco body mounted on a Hobbytown drive that's currently set at 39'; I'll be shortening that and my research as to what it ought to be is what uncovered this discrepancy.
Thanks in advance,