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 Posted - July 13 2009 : 11:09:22 PM
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Did Tyco base their "vampire" trucks on those the PRR E44 locomotive carried?
Of course we'll never know for sure just what they were thinking ( ), but I'd like to hear what everyone else thinks of this idea.
    
- Matt -
Edited by - MM 1498 on July 13 2009 11:15:55 PM
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Posted - July 14 2009 : 11:59:56 AM
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MM,
I think it's posted elsewhere here but I couldn't find the link. The Phase I Super 630 had trucks exactly like those on the electric and they were from a Rivarossi Ubout and mechanicals. . When the S630 arrived with PT power it had the design of truck that you show in your picture.
The vampire, I dislike that term, 630 truck design is fine with me although not as prototypical as others would like.
Look at GoinginCirclez posts on the 630 for a better explanation.
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Posted - July 14 2009 : 12:37:56 PM
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Ahh yes, right you are. I thought the design was almost too familiar. Now I remember where I saw it:
I can't say I like the Tyco trucks, but I certainly don't dislike them. I just don't understand why they didn't make them look more prototypical. Surely they had to make new molds for these trucks, they could've just copied the Rivarossi version!
- Matt -
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Posted - July 14 2009 : 3:22:14 PM
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There was one overriding design criteria for Tyco's revised "630" sideframe: It needed to be symmetrical. Secondarily, the journal bearings needed to be centered on the drive axles.
Now take another look at the real-life (and Rivarossi) Alco C trucks: They are asymmetrical; the center axle has an outboard bias on each truck.
Since the PT drive had a symmetrical layout, re-using the Rivarossi sideframes - even if scaled to fit - would have looked odd.
Remember the PT was designed as a cheap modular one-size-fits-all drive, and the AAR and Blomberg sideframes also have resultant dimensional issues. They were designed as an afterthought for fit, not scale.
So why do the fanged sideframes have such a fanciful appearance? Good question. The stylings are fairly close and reasonably authentic, if a bit too compressed. It may be once proper design symmetry was achieved, little room for further detail embellishments remained.
Personally I've always wondered if the Fang truck was developed at roughly the same time as their GG1 shell. If you consider the profile, curvature, and striping on the GG1, the curves on the spring & bearing bolsters (or whatever you call that part of the truck) seem eerily close in design and style. Since Tyco must have known their GG1 was going to be a fanciful stretch even by their own standards, perhaps they sought a design compromise, in the spirit of what Altoona might have done had they made a diesel GG1?
Of course the GG1 came out 3 years after the fang truck, which possibly hurts my theory. But I still say the designs are too complimentary to be an accident.
Edited by - GoingInCirclez on July 14 2009 3:32:52 PM
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 Posted - August 05 2009 : 10:23:04 AM
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I was sideswiped with a true "EUREKA!" moment yesterday, as the true answer may have finally come to light!
Found an original copy of "The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide" from 1973 at the Haunt yesterday. Picked it up, mostly for the fantastic pictures of all the wacky one-offs and prototypes from the experimental heydeys of 1935-1950.
Anyhow, on page 246 is a picture of a Seaboard Alco RSC-3 with a set of trucks unlike anything else seen in the book - the caption even makes note of them. They are a modified Tri-mount, double-equalized with centered axles! The equalizer profiles are *VERY VERY CLOSE* to the Tyco "Fang" truck... the only difference is that Tyco's truck is still shorter, and so the center "fangs" are a little compressed. But the bolster curves up to the outboard journal bearings are dead-on accurate! They even have the large, single coil springs as found on Tyco's truck. And the equalizer bolsters have a "flat" bottom like Tyco's, as opposed to the gentle curves of a standard Trim-mount.
After seeing this, there is no question in my mind that the Tyco "Fang" was indeed closely based on a real truck - albeit, in true Tyco fashion, one that was scarce as to almost not even exist (RF-16, C430, C630, anyone?)...
Edited by - GoingInCirclez on August 05 2009 10:38:07 AM
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