First American Diesels?

Dtsteam

Dtsteam

G Scale, Travel, Steam Boats, Mechanical Music
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The earliest series production loco was the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALCO_boxcab < Link To Alco boxcab in the 1920's . No one makes a model of these, but GRS did make basic kits for a variety of versions. There is an excellent build of one of these kits on here:http://www.gscalecentral.net/Boxcab-Build-GRS-Kit-m325 < Link To Doug's Boxcab
300px-1926_AlcoGEIngersoll-Rand_Boxcab_Locomotive_11.jpg

Another possibility is the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_44-ton_switcher < Link To GE 44T switcher produced in the 1940's, and modelled by Bachmann, although only available second-hand.
300px-General_Electric_44-ton_switcher.jpg
 
I have recently seen examples of the GE 44 tonner on ebay, in the yellow and the red livery. I believe the BIN price was in the region of £140.
I have seen a model of a boxcab as shown in the first of Dtsteams pics bashed out of a pair of cabooses and some power bogies.
The F type was introduced in the 1930's models of this are made by either/or USA Trains & Aristocraft.http://www.usatrains.com/usatrainslocof3.html
I,m sure we have all seen the film of one of these running parallel with the LMS's Coronation making it look outdated before its career had started.
 
55.5 said:
What/which were the first diesel types to be introduced in the USA and does any manufacturer produce models of them?
Click to expand...

Ho, now you're asking. As said, Alco were dabbling in diesels away back in the 1920s, but the first genuine long distance diesels were the Zephyr sets of EMD (GMC), but to sort of say where did it really begin in earnest you would have to say the EMD "E" and "F" units of the thirties/forties. Then you get involved with the development and finally the introduction of GEC who had rather let EMD run away with it for a long time. Along now comes Dick Dilworth of EMD and says, you guys are going to buy what I make, not what you think I should make, and he changes the shape of the diesel electric for all time.
Fascinating tale, throw in a few foreign manufacturers such as Krauss-Maffei, plus other US guys like Fairbanks Morse and you've got a right melange.
Who makes models of the early days? Haven't a clue. Plenty to choose from later on though
 
For standard gauge modeling, USA Trains offers a 44-ton centercab as well. Nice little hauler, has dependable bricks and tractive effort to spare. I'd risk a flame war and say that its the diesel counterpart to the dependable little Stainz.

Come to think of it, if you aren't a scale purist, they don't look to terrible next to eachother (at a station, even I wouldn't run them doubleheaded)
 
"Along now comes Dick Dilworth of EMD and says, you guys are going to buy what I make, not what you think I should make, and he changes the shape of the diesel electric for all time.
Fascinating tale, throw in a few foreign manufacturers such as Krauss-Maffei, plus other US guys like Fairbanks Morse and you've got a right melange"
Hi all.
EMD were quite pig headed about their products, when SP and D&RGW were asking about a high horsepower loco they were told that EMD wouldn't make any and they should just by more small loco's! Krauss Maffei said they could do a 4000HP loco and so a total of 21 high horse power loco's appeared in the US which gave EMD a big shock. The end result was that EMD were almost forced to listen to their customers and produce big loco's like the SD40.
Cheers
Rob
 
Yes quite so Rob, I would agree that EMD were very arrogant about the whole affair, or was it GMC who wert the arrogants? After all, GM wanted to get rid of EMD for a long time, it was just a nuisance factor. Also they had the market to themselves for so long until GEC ditched their alliance with Alco and said, we are now going to build the best diesel in USA, and along comes the U25B. Then EMD had to look to their laurels. Who owns EMD now anyway?
Whatever, it's a fascinating tale, the rise of the US diesel-electric. I am losing touch a bit with the story these days. Has the AC motor turned out to be the great thing it was supposed to be, or does the DC just do the job just as well despite things like better regenerative braking and so on?
 
55.5 said:
What/which were the first diesel types to be introduced in the USA and does any manufacturer produce models of them?
Click to expand...
Interesting question. Got me looking around. Try this link first http://www.chipexpress.com/articles/a-closer-look-at-the-history-of-diesel-locomotives/ then take a look at the linked sites to it. The first of which deals specificaly with the early ALCO/GE/Ingersoll Rand diesel-electric offerings. Interesting stuff. I see some kitbashing projects here for someone and perhaps some more subject matter for "Maybach" to look into ?

Max
 
The question asks about diesels.

Some of the very early boxcabs were petrol, by the time diesel power units were being developed boxcabs were on the way out. That's not to say that there weren't any diesel boxcabs, but there were far more 'gas-electrics' than 'diesel electrics'.

I've been looking at this for some time on the 'net, and am still trying to decide whether I can afford a GAL line boxcab - well I can afford the boxcab kit, but I can't afford the umpteen thousand dollars for transatlantic shipping :thumbdown::thumbdown::thumbdown:
 
I haven't been able to find many, because that particularly was where I was searching.

Red River had one with rounded ends, looking a bit like a US version of Sarah Siddons if you get my drift.
 
for a rough idea of a early us loco, look at the ford Diesel that's now on the Kent and sussex railway

http://kesr.org.uk/stock-register/diesel-locomotives/no-40 < Link To http://kesr.org.uk/stock-...esel-locomotives/no-40

This was built in 1931, allthough built to british loading guage, it's very similar to the alco boxcar
 
[h2]"USA Trains offers a 44-ton centercab as well."[/h2] USATrains discontinued them about 3 years ago( If not more). I missed that last one offered on e-bay.
I'd love a SF or GN version.
 
The other one not mentioned is Bachmann's GE 45 tonner.

The GE model was manufactured on a variety of gauged trucks from 2' 6" to 5' 3"
 
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