unknown locomotive

[altitude10200]

I took a picture of this locomotive while I was at the transportation museum a couple of months ago and I can't remember what it was I think it was built by GM but I can't be sure. I was thinking of modeling it after I finish with the Zephyr and J. any help would be appericated!

http://forums.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3cfd119b25cbb0e1.jpg

I know it looks like someone stuck a 50's caddy ontop of a passenger car, but I thought it was different so I took a picture to maybe use as a template

[goldenpig]

>giggle<

:-)

[bdcef]

wow that looks upgly .
r u sure its not an airplane.

GOD BLESS THE AMERICAN RAILROAD

[kevarc]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-04-02 AT 04:43PM (EDT)[p]Streamlined Aero-Train. Three were built but never went into production.

http://www.museumoftransport.org/rails-2.htm

Kevin Arceneaux

[MKT1972]

http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/photos/dieselpassengeraction/colv02.shtml

http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/photos/dieselpassengeraction/colv01.shtml

Heres some links to UPs City of Las Vegas Aerotrain.

MKT1972

http://forums.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3cec3a942f563d70.jpg

[Lone_Gunman_SG]

It looks sort of like Lionel's Phantom loco.

[ge44tonner]

That's a General Motors EMD 'Aerotrain', with the engine carrying the model number LWT-12. Only the front truck carried traction motors, so the wheel arrangement was B-1. As another poster noted, there were only three built. They were built in the middle 1950's as a lightweight articulated passenger train, with the cars resembling low-slung bus bodies on single-axle bogies. Two were built as demonstration sets and briefly tested in long-distance service on the Union Pacific, New York Central, Pennsylvania and probably other railroads. It was found very quickly that the train ride was extremely rough, with passengers complaining any time that the speed got above 40 mph.

The two demonstrator sets were sold to the Rock Island railroad, who placed them in commuter train service in Chicago. Rock Island ordered the third set, and the trains became Rock Island #1 through #3. The trains stayed in service quite a while, finally being retired in the 1970's. I'm told that a whole generation of Chicago commuter passengers came to hate the poor ride, cramped seats and noise inside the cars. Rock Island donated two sets to museums, one at Green Bay WI and one at St. Louis.

[chuckzeiler]

Here's Rock Island #2 at the 47th Street engine house (Chicago) on March 28, 1965
http://forums.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3cfd3faf479202e5.jpg

[Starlight]

the coaches not only resembled bus bodies...they WERE bus bodies modified to be a bit wider. The reason is simple, weight. They were so light that only the front truck needed the traction motors.

[cjmaclean]

Gee...there were no backfins (or whatever you call them) on the tail end of the train by coincidence? You know, like on those 1950s Caddies and T-Birds :P ...


D.M.

"Homini plurima ex homine sunt mala."

- Plinius Maior, Naturalis Historia 7,1,5

[ge44tonner]

Actually, there WAS a tailfin at the back. A rounded vertical thing, mounted vertically on the centerline. I'll have to look and see if I have a picture of it, or can find something on the web.

[ge44tonner]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-07-02 AT 11:05PM (EDT)[p]Here's a photo from the website of 'Bowser Manufacturing', who sells an HO scale model of the Aerotrain. The rear end really did have tailfins. Lots of other photos there, if anyone is looking for modeling references. Look under 'Prototype photos'. I note that it includes a reference to a US patent, including a scaled drawing of top, both sides, front and rear, so it might be possible to model this thing from some pretty accurate reference material.
<< http://www.bowser-trains.com/hoemrrs/aerotrain/aerotrain.htm >>
http://www.bowser-trains.com/hoemrrs/aerotrain/aero_14.jpg