diesel loco specs

[Anonymous]

I was given history of railroads. In it they refer to Bo-Bo's and Co-Co's Is this in relation to the wheel configuration.

[Anonymous]

Good guess. The terms refer to "B" and "C" type trucks. A "B" truck has two axles, a "C" truck has three axles. With very few exceptions, diesel locomotives have two trucks, hence BB or CC, sometimes expressed as BoBo or CoCo. J.D. Nomad

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Bo-Bo and Co-Co are the European notation for wheel arrangements in which each axle is individually powered. B-B in European notation would denote one motor powering both axles, not unlike a GE 45-tonner with one traction motor and side rods on each truck. C-C would probably be the notation for the SP/D&RGW Krauss-Maffei torque-converter drive locomotives in which the axles were connected by cardan shafts.

The AAR system, which is used in North America, does not make the distinction that the Europeans do. The GE 45-tonner and an NW2 would both be B-B and the Krauss-Maffei and an SD24 would both be C-C under the AAR system.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, CSSHEGEWISCH, Your answer was far better than mine. I don't think i've ever heard it broken down like that, so I learned something too. Gee, the older I get & the more I know, the more I realize how much I DON'T know. --JD

[CSXrules4eva]

Humm . . . .Wheel Arangements it took me a while to understand them but I cought on to it. I'll explain it to the best of my ability. Here goes it.
B-B Configuration:
B = stands for a two axle truck that is powered. Both axles are powered. So B - B means that a locomotive has two trucks that each have two axles that are powered.
C-C Configuration:
C = stands for a truck that has three powered axles. So C-C means that a locomotive hads a total of two trucks that each have three axles that are all powered.
A-I-A Configuration:
This means that a locomotive has a total of two trucks each having 3 axles. In this case on a truck the two end axles are powered and the center axle is non powered "idler axle".