SPSOT fan Yes, but remember that the centipedes were originally intended for the top PRR passenger trains, until unreliability bumped them into helper service. Therefore, in their original intended purpose, dynamic breaks where not really necessary.
Yes, but remember that the centipedes were originally intended for the top PRR passenger trains, until unreliability bumped them into helper service. Therefore, in their original intended purpose, dynamic breaks where not really necessary.
I remember reading an article in Trains on the Centipedes, and the shop forces at the end of the Centipede era avoided changing the brake shoes as there were so many of them on the locomotive and they were hard to get to.
Rick Jesionowski
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
The way I've always understood it, from both literature (susepct of course) and accounts from those who ran them, the Baldwin air throttles incorporated an anti-slip system, so even rather rough handling wouldn't cause wheel slip - instead, maximum power was apllied to the limit of adhesion without having to feather the throttle. In a way, the Baldwin system was ahead of its time. ANd of course, different from the others so misunderstood and unloved by railroads who liked to have everything the same.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
KemacPrr Also the Centipedes did not have dynamic brakes.
Also the Centipedes did not have dynamic brakes.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
The issue of dynamics on BP20s is a bit more complicated. As far as I know, none had them even experimentally, perhaps due in part to concern over excessive wheelslide on A-1-A trucks in that era.
But the whole splendid history of these engines on the Long Branch service would have been greatly enhanced with proper dynamics, something explicitly said to me by one of the men who loved running them. The test conversion to 'freight' power would certainly have benefited from at least some DB capability of its own, and the same is true for the documented freight use of the B units after the A's went East. Hopefully someone like Allen or Will is going to read this and comment.
The MU incompatibility with Sharks was far more related to their throttle controls. Most Baldwins used an air throttle that was incompatible with 8-notch Woodward-governor relay control, and only relatively late in production did Baldwin offer an 'electric' MU option.
Transition is more of an internal function on locomotives; the concern in MU support being for manual up and down on the trailing units, and that could have been provided relatively easily as contactor/relay control -- had the throttle issue been addressed first.
We might recall the fiasco with newly-surplus E units on PRR while the BP20s were still nearly new: freight engineers expected automatic back transition not on passenger engines, and it wasn't too long before TrucTrains were making unscheduled stops in Flashover City...
oldline1 I don't knowabout the BP-20s but according to this the RF-16s had them. https://www.american-rails.com/rf16.html oldline1
I don't knowabout the BP-20s but according to this the RF-16s had them.
https://www.american-rails.com/rf16.html
oldline1
Deano
Mark all the freight Sharks BF-15 and 16 on the PRR had dynamic brakes. The passenger sharks the BP-20's did not. Also the Centipedes did not have dynamic brakes. ---- Ken
According to Wikipedia, none of these locomotives ever came equipped with dynamic brakes. But, there may be someone else out there with more knowledge of these locos that could confirm if this is true or not.
Did the PRR BP20 Baldwin passenger units and the sharknose freight units have dynamic brakes?
Mark Vinski