Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Dynamometer Car

5394 views
7 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Saturday, April 7, 2018 10:50 AM

NWP SWP

Here's a model I found online.

I figure it's a kitbash.

 

 

Looks an awful lot like one of those MDC kitbash things, though I can't find anything on them doing a dynamometer car.  So I'll assume it's a do-it-yerself.

It does have the flavor of a dyno car, though.  Only thing is it would have been better to have the cupola moved over to the left.  Still.  Pretty darn neat, though.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Saturday, April 7, 2018 10:38 AM

A bit more research:

 

model:

 

 

real one:

 

 

 

The car was built for NKP in 1924 or 1927 by Standard Steel Car.  As Jim said, it was apparently (I use that word because I haven't found info on the Alco times) transferred to Alco.  And Alco gave it to the Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum.

So.  The model is good for the Alco and NKP versions.  And anyone else who did a copy.  As you can see by looking at the photo of the Burlington car, there were some that were awfully close.  A person might wonder if the Burlington car could be properly done by using a caboose cupola.  I'd wanna see a right side photo before hacking up a model, though.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • 2,980 posts
Posted by NWP SWP on Saturday, April 7, 2018 10:04 AM

Here's a model I found online.

I figure it's a kitbash.

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: SE Minnesota
  • 6,847 posts
Posted by jrbernier on Saturday, April 7, 2018 9:48 AM

  I suspect that Alco bought it 'used'.   It would have been used for steam in 1930. 

Modeling BNSF  and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, April 2, 2018 11:31 AM

Yea, the Walthers car seems to be a little of both.

Not sure if this is allowed, but Geoff Bunza did a write up on one he made digital, with lots of cool pictures.

Mike.

EDIT: Never mind, the link didn't work.

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Monday, April 2, 2018 11:01 AM

It sounds like you are asking about the prototype of the Walthers dynamometer car.

 

This one looks strikingly similar:

As you can see, it is owned by Alco.  The photo was probably taken about 1965, and the location might be Hillyard WA.  It was undoubtedly built by Alco.

 

This one also looks strikingly similar:

 

It was built by the Burlington itself in 1930.  Note that the cupola doesn't quite match the Walthers one, which gets me thinking Walthers might have done a copy of the Alco version.  And the Burlington one looks so close that it gets me thinking they might have sorta copied the Alco one.

Another railroad might have bought a copy of the Alco.  Most of the photos I see of this kind of car seem to show every one different, though.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, April 2, 2018 10:32 AM

The prototype measured a locomotives performance, such as tractive effert, speed, power, etc.

Mike.

EDIT:  From the ad in Walthers for their car, it does measure pulling power, which is the tractive effert.

Mike.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 259 posts
Dynamometer Car
Posted by Christian H on Monday, April 2, 2018 10:25 AM

Hi,

long time ago Walthers release a Dynamometer car .My question:What did this car as prototype and what can the walthers car?

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!