Group,
A few points about the C430 and the four axle Hi-Ad truck.
- The Reading units did receive the trucks, as well as the traction motors, auxiliary generator and main power contactors, all rebuilt from 2 RS-3's that were traded in. Even if they had wanted Hi-Ads, they were not availiable yet, and, if they were, it is doubtful that the Reading would have been interested, as they would not be interchangable with the large number double equalized trucks already in use by the Reading.
They did, however, own C630's with both Tri mounts and the six axle Hi-Ad. I do not have an answer for why as of yet, hope to have more info to go in Volume two of the series on the Centuries for Withers.
- Keep in mind that none of the railroads that ordered C430's wanted the Hi-Ad. The NYC's reasoning has been stated above, as with the Readings and the GB&W took them to stay within weight limits, as they were approx. 8,000lbs lighter than a set of double equalized trucks.
-By the way, GB&W 315 is preserved at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay.
- As for the M&E its experience woth HI-Ads, I remember talking with Ben Friedland while working on the C430 articlew for Diesel Era in the mid 1990s. He said that they had problems with the Hi-Ads cracking, I believe that everybody did, and that, being a casting, you could not just repair the cracks with welding alone, they had to be stress relieved. He looked for spare trucks, I remember talking about a trip to Nalarano to look at the trucks from the former Long Island C420's, but they were worn out and of no use. You could have put double equalized trucks under them, same as Reading 5211 and 5212, but they did not ride as well. What he was thinking about was finding some Blombergs and trying them. Although this was not an easy fix, it makes sense, as parts for the Hi-Ads were expensive, and parts for the Blombergs would have been much easier to get.
Hope this helps,
Stephen McMillan
A few points about the C430 and the four axle Hi-Ad truck.
- The Reading units did receive the trucks, as well as the traction motors, auxiliary generator and main power contactors, all rebuilt from 2 RS-3's that were traded in. Even if they had wanted Hi-Ads, they were not availiable yet, and, if they were, it is doubtful that the Reading would have been interested, as they would not be interchangable with the large number double equalized trucks already in use by the Reading.
They did, however, own C630's with both Tri mounts and the six axle Hi-Ad. I do not have an answer for why as of yet, hope to have more info to go in Volume two of the series on the Centuries for Withers.
- Keep in mind that none of the railroads that ordered C430's wanted the Hi-Ad. The NYC's reasoning has been stated above, as with the Readings and the GB&W took them to stay within weight limits, as they were approx. 8,000lbs lighter than a set of double equalized trucks.
-By the way, GB&W 315 is preserved at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay.
- As for the M&E its experience woth HI-Ads, I remember talking with Ben Friedland while working on the C430 articlew for Diesel Era in the mid 1990s. He said that they had problems with the Hi-Ads cracking, I believe that everybody did, and that, being a casting, you could not just repair the cracks with welding alone, they had to be stress relieved. He looked for spare trucks, I remember talking about a trip to Nalarano to look at the trucks from the former Long Island C420's, but they were worn out and of no use. You could have put double equalized trucks under them, same as Reading 5211 and 5212, but they did not ride as well. What he was thinking about was finding some Blombergs and trying them. Although this was not an easy fix, it makes sense, as parts for the Hi-Ads were expensive, and parts for the Blombergs would have been much easier to get.
Hope this helps,
Stephen McMillan
