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 Posted - May 31 2016 : 3:38:13 PM
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Who made this? When? Was there a prototype? I pulled this out of
Diane's model train estate sale and it runs nice.
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waw47
Hudson
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Posted - May 31 2016 : 4:12:18 PM
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| Mantua
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Posted - May 31 2016 : 5:41:13 PM
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Mantua and not common
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - June 01 2016 : 11:25:22 AM
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Mantua, definitely.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - June 01 2016 : 3:14:12 PM
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Does it have a prototype? And was technology insufficient
that they had to resort to a side rod? Most interesting
riddle.
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Posted - June 01 2016 : 3:33:23 PM
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quote:Does it have a prototype? And was technology insufficient
that they had to resort to a side rod? Most interesting
riddle.
Originally posted by Chops124Â -Â June 01 2016Â :Â 3:14:12 PM
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Traction motors are expensive, and for a low-speed switch engine you might not need 2 to handle the engine's power, so coupling together the axles is economical. Gears or cardan shafts with all their associated bearings and housings are not cheap either, and they are buried between the wheels. Coupling the axles with side rods is a good solution because it's simple and it puts the mechanical drive out in the open, where it can be greased easily without crawling into a pit.
With higher speeds, the inertial forces of fast-moving side rods on small wheels become harder to tolerate, and the greater power required to move fast makes multiple motors more desirable.
You can see this thinking in action with the GE 45-tonner, which with 300 hp, a 20mph top speed, and double reduction gearing in the trucks, only needed 2 traction motors. These used rod coupled axles. Later ones used internal chain drives, which is another low-cost mechanism, albeit less accessible for maintenance.
The 44 tonner, about the same size, had more horsepower and was intended for more speed (supposedly up to 45mph), so four traction motors were used.
Traction motors are also heavy, which on a light switcher is not undesirable (45 tonners were ballasted to that weight) but on a fast passenger loco does become a problem, particularly when a lot of the weight is carried on the unsprung axle, as it is in the typical US nose-suspension arrangement. Some French locos therefore used a monomoteur truck, with a single motor geared to both axles. Since the object here is to save weight, rather than cost, and users can be expected to have well-equipped shops, more elaborate gearing or cardan shafts are used.
As to prototype, the Mantua engine is supposed to be a Davenport, I think, and it isnt too far off though it is rather large like most HO RTR critters.
Edited by - Autobus Prime on June 01 2016 3:45:22 PM
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Posted - June 01 2016 : 4:52:29 PM
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Often these little 2-axle switchers were diesel mechanical, rather than diesel electric and had a transmission driving just 1 axle. Typically the other was driven either via a chain or connecting rods. I've run both, and the one with connecting rods is easier. Chain drives usually have a little slack in them and it's sometimes a challenge not to jerk the chain too badly.
Last weekend, I spent a fair amount of time running this Davenport D40:
D40 stands for Diesel, 40 tons. It really weighs in around 44 tons. The operation of the side rods seems to be fairly smooth. The transmission, on the other hand, has gear whine enough to keep the ear plug business going for years to come.
Carpe Manana!
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Posted - June 01 2016 : 5:09:25 PM
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quote:Often these little 2-axle switchers were diesel mechanical, rather than diesel electric
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Thats a good point too. I was hung up on electric I guess because I used to work at GE which did make rod-coupled switchers at one time, and was of course quite hung up on electric transmission. :)
The diesel-mechanicals you ran, did they have a clutch / gearing etc, or a fluid coupling drive?
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Posted - June 01 2016 : 6:21:23 PM
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| Thank you very much, most informative!
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Posted - June 01 2016 : 9:46:22 PM
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quote:The diesel-mechanicals you ran, did they have a clutch / gearing etc, or a fluid coupling drive?
Originally posted by Autobus Prime - June 01 2016 : 5:09:25 PM
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The D40 had, in this order: engine, clutch, torque converter and transmission. The transmission has forward, neutral and reverse. High and low gear ratios are handled by the torque converter.
The chain-drive wonder (a Brookville) has: engine, clutch, transmission, forward/reverse gearbox and chain drive. The transmission has neutral, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear which with the separate forward/reverse control are usable in either direction.
Carpe Manana!
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