I will post this in the locomotice section of the forum but I want to post it here first due to more viewers in the 'general discussion'.
About 8 or 10 years ago my late brother and I took a mini road trip to Grafton Ohio. We were on the road outside of an industrial site and saw a small diesel 2 axle switcher. This locomotive had steam engine style driving rods connecting connecting the front and rear axles. Has anyone seen or heard about this kind of locomotive?
Sorry I do not have more details.
Rich
Plymouth and Whitcomb produced side-rod switchers. There are probably others.
Hi, the early GE45 tonner has side rods connecting the front and rear wheels on each truck due to having only one traction motor on one axle per truck. I believe later models used a chain drive to connect the wheels. This allowed all 4 axles to be used for pulling as most 4 axle have diesel locomotives have a traction motor on each axle.
MARTIN STATIONHi, the early GE45 tonner has side rods connecting the front and rear wheels on each truck due to having only one traction motor on each axle per truck. I believe later models used a chain drive to connect the wheels.
Here's a picture from McHugh that shows how the chain drive trucks look
There are a number of reasons why this idea was used -- traction motors were expensive, and do not 'do well' geared directly to more than one axle (unless you enjoy regularly Lidgerwooding your wheels to keep them at common diameters!). The rods are a cheap way to drive additional axles with 'steam era' maintenance, and permit the use of one larger motor in place of two (or economize further if you want to use gearmotors for better slow-speed performance)
The English locomotives use one relatively big motor in a 'safe' location away from dirt and weather (but close to the generator, without the need for flexible leads hanging down under the chassis) and relatively cheap rods and bearings that steam shedmen understood. There are some dynamics issues involved with keeping the motor mass relatively high up in the chassis, too. A couple of representative builders were English Electric and Bagnall's.
At the Fox River Trolley Museum, we have a 1946 45 ton GE diesel Electric Locomotive #5 that uses side rods to couple the two axles on each truck together. It was built new for the Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric Company which was built in 1896 and operated from Yorkville through Aurora, Elgin and ending in Carpendersville. It was primarily an interurban and an Electric COmpany. It ceased passenger service in 1935. A segment runing from the Illinois Central RR to the state mental hospital in Elgin Illinois survived and continued hauling coal to the hospital using electric switching motors until after WWII when the diesel was obtained. When the FRTM began in the early 60's the #5 was still operating but in about 1972, the environmental climate caused the hospital to convert to gas and the A.E.& F.R. ceased to operate and #5 was sold to a quarry operaion on the other side of the river. The museum bought the RR and when the Quarry closed, the #5 was donated back to the museum where it still is operated. Tje unit has two small (150 hp) diesel engines and each powers one motor on one axle of truck. The side rods distribute that power to the axle with out the motor. You can see the side rods and their counterbalencer in the photo below. The locomotive is being used to pull the caboose which is serving as a work platform for work on the trolly wire.
You can read more about the museum at http://www.foxtrolley.org/
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.