Looking through the old Locomotive Cyclopedia that I borrowed, I have come across many interesting locos from the "less successful" locomotive manufacturers, which would be interesting to have modelled.
For a start does anyone know if any HO maker ever modelled some of the big central cab dual engine transfer locos like the Lima Hamilton LT-2400 below?
That almost looks like a shorter RS1 cab. Do I see 3 axle trucks? or am I just seeing black shapes in a black and white photo. To me it looks like something that could me be made my cutting and splicing, but I'm a newbie and just starting to know stuff, plus I would think that would require buying all the different body shells of the various loco's that share the general body configuration of the Lima and that could get expensive. I'm also assuming that the Lima had at least two diesels since both ends of the hood seem to have radiator grills...never mind I just saw the two sets of exhaust stacks lol.
Hallmark once imported HO-scale models of these locomotives. Their current market value is about $300 each. Baldwin built the prototypes using two 1000-horsepower engines and two generators. They cost about $200,000 in the late 1940s. Personally, I prefer the looks of a cow-and-calf set of AS-616 and ASB-616 road switchers. Overland is bringing out a variety of those models this year in painted brass at a unit price of around $900.
Mark
MILW-RODR That almost looks like a shorter RS1 cab. Do I see 3 axle trucks? or am I just seeing black shapes in a black and white photo.
That almost looks like a shorter RS1 cab. Do I see 3 axle trucks? or am I just seeing black shapes in a black and white photo.
The pictured Baldwin locomotive had two sets of three-axle trucks. The locomotive had two 1000-horsepower engines, two generators, six traction motors, and a single chassis. It was nine feet longer than an SD-45.
Think of it like say two AS-616's back to back sharing one cab. The Illinois RR Museum has a Baldwin centercab from the Minneapolis Northfield and Southern. Although I grew up along the MNS, I never saw these run - the centercabs and SD-39's were too big / heavy for the "high line" branch were I was.
Division Point made HO models of these not too long ago in brass.
http://www.ejearchive.com/images_models/ho33.jpg
Almost reminds me of the Tyco GG1 model.
The LT-2400 was produced by NJ Custom Brass. .It measures 10-1/4 inches from coupler pocket to coupler pocket. Definitely only for a bigger layout.
Sorry, I confused this Lima locomotive with the very similar Baldwin DT-6-6-2000. The Lima locomotive had 2500 horsepower (it had turbochargers), and all 22 of its type were purchased by the Pennsylvania, The model was the last Lima produced before merging with Baldwin.
A prototype plan and photo of the PRR Lima Hamilton transfer locomotive is in the May 1964 Railroad Model Craftsman. What the notes point out is that there were two batches of these engines and some detail differences existed -- the plan is of the first batch of 13, from 1950-51. The plan and photo are reprinted in Carstens' Loco 1 The Diesel plan book of 1966 -- right across from a drawing of the Lima Hamilton 1200 hp yard switcher showing that it was not exactly the same hood, doubled, but similar.
For kitbashing potential, the center spacing of the trucks is 49' but this is a bit misleading since the trucks, Baldwin style, are not symetrical in axle spacing.
Dave Nelson
Kit bash time
Stewart offered an AS616; so there are trucks out there.
There are Baldwin and Lima switchers for the hoods and cabs.
Have fun.
This is a Lima-Hamilton 2500hp transfer locomotive manufactured at the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio in 1950 and 1951. LIke the visually similiar Baldwin center-cab transfer units they ran over Commonwealth CC trucks. Pennsy was the only purchaser of this design and production ceased when the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton merger was effected in late-1951. A photograph of PRR unit #5676 appears on page #359 of Kalmbach's DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES: THE FIRST 50 YEARS.
I once encountered a brass(?) model of this locomotive on a layout tour someplace; I misidentified it as a Baldwin unit.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
nfmisso Kit bash time Stewart offered an AS616; so there are trucks out there. There are Baldwin and Lima switchers for the hoods and cabs. Have fun.
I remember when the Stewart AS-16 / AS-616 there was talk in my area about how easy it would be to do a kitbash of an MNS Baldwin Centercab...but AFAIK no one every did, least I never saw one. I'd use the AS-616 bodies for the kitbash. The long hoods were long...it may not show in the pics but the Baldwin ones were HUGE engines.
Sorry, I too confused Baldwin / Lima and B-L-H, original pic was a Lima unit.
BTW the reason these type engines came out in the forties was that the RR unions were arguing that their contracts said every engine had to have a crew, so if you m.u. two diesels together, each one needed a crew. These centercab transfer engines were meant to give you the power of two large engines in one, but clearly being only one locomotive. (That's also why so many early F units came in sets all with the same number, so the RR could say that say an F3 A-B-B-A set was all one engine, but in sections kinda like a mallet.)
Why were they called transfer locos, they sure are monsters.
loathar Almost reminds me of the Tyco GG1 model.
trainfan1221 loathar Almost reminds me of the Tyco GG1 model. Aah yes, the only GG1 ever to have a fuel tank.
A very early hybrid?
Transfer locomotives for hauling cuts of cars between not-very distant railroad yards. Since these cuts were often long and the usual switcher might not have sufficient tractive effort to effectively move the train, special powerful, special low-speed locomotives were sometimes used. For instance, while a yard's normal switcher might be an 0-6-0 or 0-8-0, or a 1000 horsepower diesel, the transfer locomotive might be an 0-8-8-0 or a 2000 horsepower diesel. As far as early diesels, transfer locomotives were typicall, a cow-and-calf switcher combination (one locomotive is cabless) of two 1000 or 1500 hp units, or in the case of the subject Lima and Baldwin double-engined locomotives, two engines placed onto one frame with a single, centered cab.
don7 trainfan1221 loathar Almost reminds me of the Tyco GG1 model. Aah yes, the only GG1 ever to have a fuel tank. A very early hybrid?
There are a series of books called "The Diesel Spotters Guides". There have been four updates over the years. I believe they were published by Kalmbach. You can find them at RR book dealers and at train shows. These are execellent sources for all types of information on diesels.
"I've spent most of my money and time on trains, the rest I've just wasted."