Is depleted uranium available commercially?

[Seamonster]

I heard that Jim Fitzgerald, of N-Trak fame, weighted his locomotive, The Cotton Brute, with depleted uranium to set a pulling record. I believe he worked for NASA before his retirement. I never heard where he got the uranium though.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by davekelly

Don't want any Spy vs Spy activity around the layout! (weren't those the funniest comics?)

When I was a kid those were some of my favorite parts of MAD magazine. I used to have a book full of Spy vs. Spy cartoons but I think it's either buried somewhere deep in my closet under a mound of old clothes and other old magazines or got lost while moving.[V]

[TrainFreak409]

YES! I had a copy of the January 1981 issue of Model Railroader!!![:D] I remember reading in the article that the Cotton Brute was a record holder.

Jim Fitzgerald built the Cotton Brute from two Minitrix U30CGs, and classified his as a U60CG. It featured an lengthened frame, but still only had two trucks. He remotored it with a more powerful motor, and used dual flywheels if I remember correctly. All the space inside the shell that was not taken up was filled with lead. (But that has already been pointed out in this thread.)

[chutton01]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TrainFreak409

YES! I had a copy of the January 1981 issue of Model Railroader!!![:D] I remember reading in the article that the Cotton Brute was a record holder.

Jim Fitzgerald built the Cotton Brute from two Minitrix U30CGs, and classified his as a U60CG. It featured an lengthened frame, but still only had two trucks. He remotored it with a more powerful motor, and used dual flywheels if I remember correctly. All the space inside the shell that was not taken up was filled with lead. (But that has already been pointed out in this thread.)

Ah, but did this have the other part of this Scale Urban Legend, which is that the wheel treads of the Cotton Brute were coated with diamond dust?

[jeffshultz]

So does anyone know where pictures of the famed Cotton Brute (without having to buy back issues) can be found?

Google seems uncooperative.

[jeffshultz]

Okay, I e-mailed Jim FitzGerald to ask if he had any photos of the Cotton Brute available. He e-mailed one to me - but the important part is this (I hope he doesn't mind my posting it here):

QUOTE:
The attached photo is a composite showing the complete engine in the
foreground and an exploded view. The long fuel tank/frame is indeed
depleted uranium. Where I worked we had made some experimental gyros
of the material. Other materials were easier to precisely machine.

The top weights are machined from lead and completely fill the thin
shell. The engine weighs 24 oz, 1-1/2 pounds and has a Sagami 1630
motor. The longest train with just the Cotton Brute on the head end
was 560 Kadee (MicroTrains) two bay coal cars. The custom layout had
72" minimum radius curves in a folded dogbone shape.

So part of the Cotton Brute was indeed Depleted Uranium.

[R. T. POTEET]

Iran will have some on the market shortly. (I know - "taint funny, McGee")

rtpoteet