Here's the photo: Here's the question (please pardon my ignorance): What's that flat thing that's almost horizontal and looks like a waffle iron located between the wheels on this GP10 truck. I notice F units have them as well. In fact, any locomotive with two wheel trucks seem to have them. Does it have something to do with heat dissipation?
Gerry No mystery here..... That is the leaf spring (suspension) that smooths out the ride on the trucks. DB
It's the bolster's leaf-springs. Most of the modern B-B trucks have a different type of bolster spring.
You guys got in while I was typing! HA! Gerry, that is where the crew cooks their waffles for breakfast! That is a set of leaf springs, some trucks have coil type springs that do not stick out that way, so are not as noticable. You should have seen the size of the leaf springs on the steam engines! But then a steam engine weighed around 400 tons too. Diesels are around 250 -300 tons best. Yellowstones were over a million pounds! [ 13 April 2001: Message edited by: watash ]
Those are what is known as "Outside Spring Hangers" and are designed to cushion a locomotive's side to side Movement. The truck style is known as the "Blomberg B Truck" and was used on almost all EMD/GMD (General Moters) F and GP units up to the dash 2 series as well as on many dash 2's up to the "40" series. Switchers used a different style (Blunt, AAR and Flexicoil), while Alco, GE and early FM 4 axle units rode on AAR type B and Westinghouse trucks. Later FM 4 axle units rode on C Line trucks and later GE 4 axle units were equipped with "Floating Bolster" trucks. Most EMD/GMD Dash 2 units ride on Hi-Adhesion B trucks. Hope I haven't Baffled you too much Gerry! Happy Modelling. Cheers! Terry
Thank you all for the enlightenment. Terry, your encyclopedic knowledge never fails to amaze me. I still think it looks like a waffle iron...