GP35 - Units SLSF 725-731 Equipped With American Association Of Railorads (AAR) Type B Trucks

Discussion in 'GP35' started by meteor910, Nov 16, 2010.

  1. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    My favorite Frisco GP35s were not the "torpedo tube" units, but instead the seven of them, SLSF 725-731, that ran on AAR Type B trucks from trade-in Alco FA-1 and FB-1 cab units.

    I liked almost anything that ran on those trucks. A result, I think, of my childhood Lionel Union Pacific (UP) Alco FA-FA locomotive, which I dearly loved.

    Following are pictures of two of those GP35 units, SLSF 726 and SLSF 730. Please forgive the 730 pictures as they show the unit wearing its late-in-life "gangrene" colors! I do not recall ever posting a BN gangrene unit on frisco.org before. :eek: I am doing so now only to show the detail shot. :eek: I will try not to post anything in gangrene again! ;)

    Photograph 1 - GP35 SLSF 726 is shown on a Sunday afternoon in 1980 highballing a freight out of St Louis' Lindenwood Yard down the Rolla Subdivision. GP35 SLSF 726 is in the lead with SD45 SLSF 919 following and another SD45 behind that. The train was moving pretty fast, and I snapped the shutter a bit too soon.

    But, you can clearly see the former Alco AAR Type B trucks under the GP35. The location of the picture is at the familiar intersection of Big Bend and Geyer roads in Kirkwood, where the Frisco crosses through the middle of the intersection on the diagonal. The former Frisco commuter station of Windsor Springs was just ahead of the train, behind where I was standing.

    Photograph 2 - GP35 SLSF 730, BN 2580, is shown in her gangrene colors at Cherokee Yard in Tulsa, OK in the summer of 1982. This shot was taken during the FMIG meeting held in Tulsa that year, which included a very informative visit to the yard.

    By that time, many of the former Frisco GP35s had been put on a reserve basis and were sitting idle there waiting their future fate. SLSF 704, BN 2554, was coupled to SLSF 730 in the same situation.

    The GP35 was a good locomotive, but suffered from frequent performance troubles resulting from having to pump 2500 HP out of an overtaxed EMD 567 powerplant. The next EMD locomotive models, the GP/SD 38/40/45 series, introduced the new EMD 645 engine, which proved to be much more comfortable with higher horsepower outputs.

    Photograph 3 - The final picture is a detail shot of the front truck and front of the fuel tank on SLSF 730. Note the details - the AAR Type B truck with its roller bearings, the speed recorder cable, the hand brake chain to the aft brake cylinder, the locomotive bell, the fuel tank fill pipe, the fuel tank level sight glass, and the front of the air tank.

    Shots like this are very useful for detailing locomotive models, which is why I took it.

    Ken

    Edit 3/1/2024: The trucks under these units are American Association of Railroads (AAR) Type B trucks.

    These two axle trucks are often misidentified as "Alco trucks". The same trucks were used under the majority of General Electric's (GE) UxxB and Bxx-7 series B-B units. In fact, most of Alco's early production models used electrical components and truck traction motors supplied by General Electric.

    In addition to Alco and GE, other locomotive manufacturers also used this style truck including Baldwin and some Fairbanks-Morris (FM) units. Most locomotive manufacturers had the trucks cast for them by General Steel Castings (GSC).

    The AAR Type B trucks had a standard gear ratio of 74:18. This gear ratio was slightly different than the comparable General Motors (GM) Electro-Motive Division (EMD) design Blomberg B two axle truck. The Blomberg B, and its subsequent M and X variations, standard gear ratio was 62:15.

    The AAR Type B truck is distinguished by its double drop equalized side frames. The Blomberg B truck is distinguished by its outside swing hanger and leaf coil springs design. The later M model featured a snubber shock absorber type dampening strut on diagonal journals.

    Added additional information concerning AAR Type B trucks.
    MKD
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 2, 2024
  2. Sirfoldalot

    Sirfoldalot Frisco.org Supporter Frisco.org Supporter

    Good photos, Ken.

    I have a desire to model a Frisco GP35s with the "torpedo tubes", SLSF 700-716, but I wanted the AAR Type B trucks on it as well as the black and yellow paint scheme.

    I realize that it would not be prototypical, but I may eventually do it anyway.

    I submit to Rule #1. :)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 1, 2024
  3. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    How many GP35s had the Alco trucks?

    What numbers?

    See GP35 SLSF 730 in the Frisco Archive photograph.

    Thanks,

    Tom G.

    Edit 3/1/2024: The trucks under these units are American Association of Railroads (AAR) Type B trucks.

    These two axle trucks are often misidentified as "Alco trucks". The same trucks were used under the majority of General Electric's (GE) UxxB and Bxx-7 series B-B units. In fact, most of Alco's early production models used electrical components and truck traction motors supplied by General Electric.

    In addition to Alco and GE, other locomotive manufacturers also used this style truck including Baldwin and some Fairbanks-Morris (FM) units. Most locomotive manufacturers had the trucks cast for them by General Steel Castings (GSC).

    The AAR Type B trucks had a standard gear ratio of 74:18. This gear ratio was slightly different than the comparable General Motors (GM) Electro-Motive Division (EMD) design Blomberg B two axle truck. The Blomberg B, and its subsequent M and X variations, standard gear ratio was 62:15.

    The AAR Type B truck is distinguished by its double drop equalized side frames. The Blomberg B truck is distinguished by its outside swing hanger and leaf coil springs design. The later M model featured a snubber shock absorber type dampening strut on diagonal journals.

    Added additional information concerning AAR Type B trucks.
    MKD
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 2, 2024
  4. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Tom,

    The third SLSF order for EMD GP35s, SLSF 725 thru SLSF 731, rode on "Alco" type trucks received from FA/FB trade-ins.

    The very last Frisco GP35, SLSF 732, rode on EMD Blomberg trucks as did all the earlier units.

    I guess they ran out of trade-in trucks!

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 2, 2024
  5. magistrate

    magistrate Member

    Hi All,

    How many of the GP35s were delivered in the black and yellow?

    I would like to build a couple of the ones with Alco trucks but I do not care for the Mandarin orange and white paint color scheme.

    Robert
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 2, 2024
  6. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Sorry Robert.

    Only the first Frisco GP35 order, SLSF 700-SLSF 716, came from EMD in the black and yellow livery.

    They were delivered in March and April of 1964.

    All the remaining GP35s, SLSF 717-SLSF 732 came in the new Mandarin orange and white scheme, including all the units that rode on Alco trucks.

    The first order group were also the only Frisco GP35s that carried their air tanks up on top of the hood, "torpedo tubes", and carried the larger 3000 gallon fuel tanks.

    The larger fuel tanks are what forced the air reservoir tanks up top.

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 2, 2024
  7. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    I had the same idea Robert, a black and yellow GP35 on FA trucks would be neat.

    A "torpedo tube" GP-35 with Alco trucks would be even cooler. You could still do it, it is "model" railroading after all.

    One thing I recall about the GP35s, was that their air horns were really loud. A real sharp blast.

    I used to roll up my car window when one was leading a train by a grade crossing.

    Tom G.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 2, 2024
  8. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    I rather liked the fact that the torpedo boat GP35s were black and yellow.

    Their rather spartan paint scheme enhanced their "Darth Vader" look.

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 2, 2024

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