I have an N scale Kato Norkfolk Southern C30-7. I have been looking at these ex-N&W engines on a website and notice that these ex-N&W engines all have three external brake cylinders on each side of the big GE six axle trucks. My model doesn't have any of those. Were these added or were they an option from GE? Has anyone else corrected this on their similar engine?
Most likely factory option. Thumbing through a couple of roster books it looks like six-axle GEs and EMDs delivered new to NW from about 12/69 through the 70s were equipped with triple brake cylinders.
Just browsing a little, I didn't see any U28C, U30C, U33C, or U36Cs with external brake cylinders. The C30-7s and C36-7s had either two or three external brake cylinders per side on each truck.
I remember way back when, the locomotives could come with either GSC or Adirondack trucks. The Kato model may be the one without instead of with (I forget how to tell the two trucks apart).
N&W specced clasp brakes on all thier six-axle locomotives (they never opted for extended range dynamics), right up the the SD50S' and C36-7s... Of interest, on N&Ws U30Cs and C30-7s, look closesly at the trucks and how they're mounted... kudos to the first person who can tell me what the difference is between them and all other GEs
>Of interest, on N&Ws U30Cs and C30-7s, look closesly at the trucks and how they're >mounted... kudos to the first person who can tell me what the difference is between >them and all other GEs Duct tape? Seriously, Robbman, what's the answer?
All six-axle GE trucks, up to the bolsterless Hi-Ads and radials, have offset axle spacing. On all six-axle GE's expect N&Ws U30Cs and C30-7s, the smaller offset is always facing towards the cab on both trucks. On N&W U30Cs, C30-7s and C36-7s, the offsets face away from each other... in other words, the truck on the long hood end is turned around. So while all still have the same 40' 11" bolster spacing, the center axle to center axle spacing on N&Ws GE's is 2" wider, 41' 1" (all other GEs, becuase the bolster offset is 2" rearward of the center axle on both trucks, the center axle to center axle stays 40' 11")
