Santa Fe 3460 series Hudson tender trucks

[Karl_Losely]

I am looking for drawings or someone with knowledge of the Commonwealth 3 axle tender trucks that the Santa Fe used on the tenders for the 3460 series of Hudson locomotives. I have a model of that engine I purchased from a fellow in OK and there is a problem with the suspension of the tender trucks (I think). The way my trucks are built, there are springs above the equalizer arms where I think there should be a simple fulcrum. These springs push the equalizer arms so far down that the equalizer arms are hitting on the leaf springs about halfway between the center of the spring and the outside end of the spring.

Any help anyone can provide regarding the equalizing of these trucks is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Karl

[dwilloughby]

Karl, check with Hudson Honey as she is building an AT&SF Hudson. If this is 3462, it was built by Harry Haas.

[VO4454]

Karl,
How about a picture of your trucks, as there are a lot of different Commonwealths out there that have been modeled. If your Trucks look like the trucks that Ed Yungling modeled I can post some picture of the spring rigging and equalization. Here are some photos of them in a previous thread as well as other photos.

http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... =8&t=89294

Vic

[Karl_Losely]

Dean,
My Hudson is 3463, same number as Hudson Honeys locomotive.

Vic,
The trucks under my tender are the same as Hudson Honeys with the leaf springs transverse to the frame. She called it a long frame Commonwealth truck.

Later in the thread LSGOD describes the trucks to a T and mentions that there are indeed coil springs above the equalizers so that means the springs in mine are either too long and/or too stiff.

Thanks everyone.
Karl

[JKreider]

Dean:

Karl's Hudson is the one I rebuilt from Buzz Sutch's engine. I made the Baldwin Disc Driver patterns which I still have.

Jim Kreider

[Hudson Honey]

Fill the tender with water and oil and then sit on it and see where the suspension sets.

Pamela

[Mark Landgraf]

Hi,

The ATSF 3463, on display in Topeka, has 6 wheels trucks that were manufactured by Commonwealth, but they are not what we so universally call "Commonwealth" trucks. They are General Steel Castings style 51092 six wheel tender trucks. ATSF chose to use a Pullman designed suspension with equalizers and transverse leaf springs and have GSC manufacture them. The thought evidently was to put a high speed designed passenger style truck under a high speed passenger locomotive. The Drawings for this truck should be available from Columbus Steel Castings in Columbus OH. Ask for drawing GSC 51092. Drawings are about $100 each.

It was general practice for Commonwealth, and later General Steel Castings, to place the casting number of trucks directly over the centerline of the track, on both ends the ends of the truck. The number on the casting is the same as the number on the drawing. Drawing numbers range from 1 to about 70,000.

I tried to attach a photo, I hope it works.

Mark Landgraf
Albany NY

[Karl_Losely]

Mark,
Thank you for that additional information about the trucks and where drawings are available from. That closeup photo is very helpful also. Looks like the equalizer arms are almost contacting the leaf springs on the prototype also, at least when empty.

Karl