As far as I know, the Dofasco truck was not used in any US production, although a few 2nd hand 6-axle MLW's have now migrated south from Canada. It is distinguished from ALL the various American GE (and Alco) designs by its short wheelbase. I understand the advantage of the short wheelbase was less weight transfer and hence better adhesion. The disadvantage was a rougher ride for the engine crew.
I am guessing that the improvements in microprocessor control superseded truck geometry as the way of future improvements in pulling power.
John
The GSC truck was made by General Steel Castings, and the Adirondack truck by Adirondack Steel Castings.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=420920&nseq=0
Dofasco is indeed based in Hamilton, Ont, and owned by ArcelorMittal.
IIRC, Adirondack was based in Albany, New York and is defunct.
Absolutely, enthusiastically, what I was writing about.....and the rear truck is the Dofasco....the front the GSC.
Am I wrong? Adirondack was an AKA for Dofasco? or some other variant of the manufacturer's name?
Thanks for not pointing out that the AD truck was what I was "talking about." I was told the AD's came from Hamilton, Ont.
The subject trucks of the ML630 groups, MLW & Bombardier,and maybe heritage ALCO 's can be sorted out as on a card table; our responders clues will cement it.
Looking at the truck-frames of late 1990's GE 6-axle locomotives, to throw some gasoline on the fire, anybody seen U of SA and read USA?
oltmanndI think those might be Adirondak (rear) and General Steel Castings (front) trucks... The Defasco designed trucks have closer axle spacing.
Yes,
Sources indicate both GSC and Adirondack were classified by GE as FB-3
MLW truck:http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1738179
GSC truck:http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=741970
EMD HTC made by Dofasco:http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=892255
Another mismatched UP locomotive:http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2607446
And a PC mismatch:http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=522101
NorthWest efftenxrfeIn the 70's GE engines had interchangeable C-trucks with distinguishable side frames---Dofasco with abrupt declinations above the journals---Commonwealth with a greater slant. This is a UP Dash 8-41CW, which has had a truck swap in maintenance. Are these the trucks you are talking about? http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2722086
efftenxrfeIn the 70's GE engines had interchangeable C-trucks with distinguishable side frames---Dofasco with abrupt declinations above the journals---Commonwealth with a greater slant.
This is a UP Dash 8-41CW, which has had a truck swap in maintenance. Are these the trucks you are talking about? http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2722086
I think those might be Adirondak (rear) and General Steel Castings (front) trucks... The Defasco designed trucks have closer axle spacing.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
It's interesting to note that the MK5000C's built by MK Rail for UP and SP rode on Dofasco trucks. IINM, they still are so equipped in their second lives on Utah Railway (having been repowered with 16-645 engines)..
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
If this is able of being continued:
The first sentence connected to the last's question.....the arts' state experienced a revolution, governed by steerable and/or hi-ad trucks 6-axle, and 4-axle hi-ads.
In the 70's GE engines had interchangeable C-trucks with distinguishable side frames---Dofasco with abrupt declinations above the journals---Commonwealth with a greater slant.
The later Dofasco truck that included a shorter, appearing so, wheelbase wasn't touted as an adhesion-enhancing truck, like the Alco C-636 truck was; so was the C-430's.
The Dofasco and Commonwealth Steel Castings versions of the 70's truck, the C's, on the GE U28C ,U30C and U33C'S performed identically to my engr's hand ot the throttles to each.
Oscillations, vertically, laterally, along vertical, (between the rails) axis were moderate.
What is above refers to mostly stick, not CWR, and its history....
I made EMD's work heavy grades using reduced throttle notches and independent brake against wheel spin....don't remember stalling with Alco's or GE's. Stalling means being unable to keep the train moving, using throttle reduction, independent brake wheel slip apprehension to keep the wheel-spin hardware form killing progress and momentum.
On the lines I worked at or near home, we if the train stopped unable to continue, we "stalled."
I worked where trains that stopped unable to drag the train higher had (?)engineers that said, SHE LAYED DOWN ON ME.
Crew, eng, what?
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IIRC, the truck was discontinued with Bombardier's locomotive manufacturing in 1985. But, GE's Dash 8-40CM were built with these trucks from M series locomotives.
One of the advantages of the MLW M630 and M636 was that they had a state of the art truck that resulted in more pulling capability than its main competitor, the SD40-2. In fact, CP was not really happy with the SD40 in mountain service initially, and had opted to purchase a small number of M series locomotives for use in BC. I understand that other problems with the MLW units eventually saw them replaced in favor of the SD40-2, but what ever happened to the MLW/Dofasco truck design? Was it adopted by one of the other builders?
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