Railroad Trademarks

Joe wrote:AHEM! THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN ALCO BLOMBERG. Alcos didn't ride on Blombergs. They rode on ALCO trucks.

I thought they were AAR trucks...I read this somewhere.

Correction: They are called AAR-B trucks. I also knew there was something wrong when he referred them to as Blombergs...

Back to the topic.... C&O SD18's riding on ALCO Tri-Mount trucks.

It's not really nit picking. Apparently some folks have no idea what a Blomberg truck is. That's fine, we all have things we don't know which is the value of these forums. It's advisable however not to go around using names and descriptions unless you have a reasonable idea what you are talking about.

And this brings up a question. Blomberg trucks were found under EMD locomotives of course. But we have seen a few EMD's with ALCO trucks from trade-ins. Has anybody ever seen the opposite - a Blomberg installed on an ALCO? Sometimes railroads took innovative steps to solve shortages or save a few bucks. Did anybody ever shove Blombergs under an old ALCO to get a few more miles, or are the center plates etc enough different to prevent this?

Here's another:

"L" shaped engineer's front window on a U-33-C or SD-45 = Southern Pacific.

I know, the D&H SD-45's had them too but the "L" was an eSPee thing!

Aji-tater wrote:It's not really nit picking. Apparently some folks have no idea what a Blomberg truck is. That's fine, we all have things we don't know which is the value of these forums. It's advisable however not to go around using names and descriptions unless you have a reasonable idea what you are talking about.

And this brings up a question. Blomberg trucks were found under EMD locomotives of course. But we have seen a few EMD's with ALCO trucks from trade-ins. Has anybody ever seen the opposite - a Blomberg installed on an ALCO? Sometimes railroads took innovative steps to solve shortages or save a few bucks. Did anybody ever shove Blombergs under an old ALCO to get a few more miles, or are the center plates etc enough different to prevent this?

I've never seen Blomberg trucks under an ALCO, but there are plenty examples of them under GE's. SCL's U33B and U36B, WP's U23B for example.

Stuart

thebigc wrote:Here's another:

"L" shaped engineer's front window on a U-33-C or SD-45 = Southern Pacific.

I know, the D&H SD-45's had them too but the "L" was an eSPee thing!

The D&H SD45's were ex EMD demos.

Stuart

Aji-tater wrote:
And this brings up a question. Blomberg trucks were found under EMD locomotives of course. But we have seen a few EMD's with ALCO trucks from trade-ins. Has anybody ever seen the opposite - a Blomberg installed on an ALCO? Sometimes railroads took innovative steps to solve shortages or save a few bucks. Did anybody ever shove Blombergs under an old ALCO to get a few more miles, or are the center plates etc enough different to prevent this?

Who would trade in EMDs for Alcos?!?

mp15ac wrote:The D&H SD45's were ex EMD demos.

Stuart

Yes, that's correct.

And I believe some of those iron ore carriers in Australia had some L-window Centurys.

Hey, how about those Frisco GP-35's with roof mounted main reservoir tanks??

Who would trade in EMDs for Alcos?!?

New York Sesquhanna & Western who else just kidding they would lease there large EMD's and GE's out for money and run ALCO's

That's a strange arrangement, isn't it? Did those SD-70s ever see NYS&W rails? Then they're leased to an even shorter short-line.

thebigc wrote:That's a strange arrangement, isn't it? Did those SD-70s ever see NYS&W rails? Then they're leased to an even shorter short-line.

the SD70's did see some action. I rember seeing one on occation show up in Syracuse in DeWitt yard to interchange cars with CSX a few times a week. I don't rember what the agreements were on there lease.

Milwaukee- it's FP45's w/o dynamic brakes! And it's single and two digit numbers for most of its six axle power too!

Those SD-70's from the "Q", are seeing a lot more miles, and tonnage, than they ever would have, on the Suzy. The I&O is longer, runs faster track speeds, carries more tonnage, on more trains, that the Suzy does. They are almost never idle (except when they are broken), and excepting the 4054, which last time I heard, was still in the deadline, with generator and electrical damage, those other 2 are being run into the ground! And besides, you can see an SD-70 almost anywhere. HOW ABOUT THEM ALCO's !!!!!! Well worth a "trade", in my opinion. Regards

Aji-tater wrote: But we have seen a few EMD's with ALCO trucks from trade-ins. Has anybody ever seen the opposite - a Blomberg installed on an ALCO? Sometimes railroads took innovative steps to solve shortages or save a few bucks. Did anybody ever shove Blombergs under an old ALCO to get a few more miles, or are the center plates etc enough different to prevent this?

I've never seen it, but the Denver & Rio Grande Western reportedly converted an Alco PA B- unit to a power car and added Blomberg trucks along the way. Last I heard it was stored in Denver as back-up for the Ski Train. Technically you could add it to the list of surviving PA's, although it's much-modified.
-d

Aji-tater wrote:
And this brings up a question. Blomberg trucks were found under EMD locomotives of course. But we have seen a few EMD's with ALCO trucks from trade-ins. Has anybody ever seen the opposite - a Blomberg installed on an ALCO? Sometimes railroads took innovative steps to solve shortages or save a few bucks. Did anybody ever shove Blombergs under an old ALCO to get a few more miles, or are the center plates etc enough different to prevent this?

Looked at this very seriously. The problem is that the ALCO center casting has a larger diameter than does the EMD center casting.

That is not the only problem, if I remember correctly. The entire traction motor blower cooling air system would have to be modified.

Now, trucks from from ALCO S4's (AAR truck)can be easily modified to operate under EMD switchers. You only have to add an insert inside the ALCO truck center casting and then make an adapter plate to reduce the size of the traction motor blower duct on the bolster