Slug/cow/calf???

[tatans]

Does or has any manufacturer made an HO slug, and and a cow/calf model?? Are(were) these ever powered? I would assume you would never see one of these units operating by itself, these engines are a great mystery to me.

[Javern]

I know Con-Cor made some powered cows

[Anonymous]

Athearn (used to) make cow/calf SW-7 models. The calf just had the cab area filled in. I haven't seen nor heard of the for quite some time, so don't know if they are still being offered. I have a pair. They could be either powered or not. The idea behind the pair is the one with the cab would operate them together. They would be used mostly in yards, where there was no need for a cab in both units.

Bob Boudreau

[mcouvillion]

tatans,

Athearn's Cow/Calf was essentially the SW-7 with a cab and without. If you look closely at the calf's cover where the cab should be, there are gauges molded into the end of the hood, probably representing the Hostler's controls for moving the calf around slowly when not attached to the cow.

I've seen at least one brass slug model, but don't remember who manufactured it (probably Overland Models) as I couldn't afford it and did not spend time dreaming about something I could never afford.

Mark C.

[Anonymous]

Discount trains still has unpowered calves in CP and CB&Q .....

http://www.discounttrainsonline.com/HO-Scale-Locomotives-Athearn/HO_LOC_140_14.html

They look cool in a yard or an industrial area.

Jim

[tatans]

Great answers, thank you all, one more goofy question. Did any loco manufacturer ever make slugs/calfs exclusivly? and were ONLY SW-7's used as slugs, no more questions, honest.

[jrbernier]

The only RTR cow/calf swither in HO scale are Athearn, IIRC. Maybe there was some brass imports that I am not aware of.

The 'real' cow & calf's:

EMD produced a some TR sets for IC - They basically looked like extended swwitchers with FT?? trucks/internals. After WWII, EMD markets 'Transfer Sets' that amounted to a pair of NW2 switchers drawbar'ed together in the familier 'cow/calf' configuration, This was model TR2. That set of gauges mention were not 'hostler' controls. They were the normal gauges, so the engineer could see the operational status of the 'calf'. This twin unit combination was consider 'one' locomotive. In 1949, the TR4 was introduced, which was based on the follow-on SW7 locomotive. There were even single stack versions built on the 600/800/900 hp models(I think some steel industry company got them).

The CB&Q had their TR2 sets broken up, cabs added to the 'calf' units and they were made in plain NW2 switchers. The Milwaukee Road replaced the drawbar with a coupler and mixed the units with additional engines when they need more power for hump yard service in later years. The C&NW rebuilt the 'calf' units to 'slugs', and later broke up the TR2 sets they aqquired from the CGW with couplers and full MU control.
Another thing to note on the Athearn 'calf' is that there is a set of steps on the back end. The real cow/calf units only had those steps behind the cab of the 'cow'.

Jim Bernier

[Anonymous]

I don't know of any RTR slugs. The "converted" ones (as opposed to a very small number of factory-built examples) were built on a real range of bases - SW7s being just one. Basically a sound trame and trucks with good traction motors was all that was needed so they'd rebuild pretty much anything. I think CSX operate some GP38s? as slugs nowadays - power unit replaced with a concrete ballast block but otherwise unchanged in appearence.

If you want to build a typical switcher-based slug in HO I'd suggest looking at one of the cheap (and nasty) Model Power or Mehano switchers - take the motor out, cut the bodywork down, and you have a slug for very little outlay. Kadee couplers and maybe new wheelsets would finish it off, along with some detail parts. I'd add as much lead as I could physically fit into it to avoid problems with heavy trains or running slug-first in yard service. Hope this helps!

[WSOR 3801]

Slugs are kinda like four-wheel-drive for diesels -- they draw off the main unit for more traction. MILW had F7A-slug-F7A combos in Washington state and in Indiana. They had a switch in them, that essentially turned a F7 into a SD7 -- more traction, but no added HP. These particular slugs were made from F7Bs, with concrete replacing the weight of the prime mover, fuel tank, etc. C&NW did something similar to RS-3s hooked up between C425s in South Dakota, except they plated over the cab windows. CSX converted some GP30s and GP35s to slugs; the long hood was filled with concrete, but the control cabs were retained, along with the dynamic brakes. Usually paired up with a GP40 mother unit. GP40 is kinda slippery, but by adding 4 more axles it pulls nicely.

Mike

[ericsp]

Southern Pacific had some TR-6s.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=26163
http://espee.railfan.net/sptr06.html