Wikipedia has them too heavy, fire prone (aluminum wire) and not effective as hoped. I wonder where they were used.
|
I liked them also, but not the U50C, the components on those were changed around and altered and they just didn't look as Brute like as the U50 , especially the loss of the B+B truck set up
|
Brian,
Thanks for the photo! I agree, these brutes were beautiful, and who can't miss their looks now? The early 6-axle U-Boats were also beautiful brutes that we all sorely miss now. Great shot of changing times.
|
I can only imagine the sound of those paired engines blasting through, say, Cajon Pass or anywhere these brutes were in service. C&O had a fleet of U25B's and those were so loud compared to the legions of GP-7's and -9's in West Virginia and Kentucky so these Espee beasties must have been twice as loud!
|
| Posted by FSWood on May 13, 2020 | |
Remember article in 1980s but not sure if it was in Model Railroader or Model Railroad Craftsman, where someone was working on N scale model of one of these of similar, painted it SP grey and red, lettered it for Cotton Belt but changed Belt to Brute.
|
Their appearance strikes me as VERY much like SP's "cab-forward" steam locomotives. A definite "family resemblance."
|
| Posted by FSWood on May 13, 2020 | |
Playing in Google just now reveals my memory was close but flawed, found this, "This is Cotton Brute, built by Jim FitzGerald consisted of two N scale Trix U30CG's spliced together, with a Sagami motor and the U-30 mechanisms. It was referred to as a U-60. It set some drawbar pull records in it's time - part of its weight was depleted uranium." From a thread titled "Most Ridiculous Kitbashed Engine or Rolling Stock, Wed, 2018-03-21" on the website for Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine.
|
I took a picture of one while I was stationed at Fort Sam Houston in 1966-67. Took lots of photos during my 13 months there.
|
Well they WERE ugly - but they were neat, too. Call them ugly in an endearing way.
|
|