# What is it?



## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

And should I assume they are on both sides?


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

That's the brake cylinder and piston. The crank at left connects to the brake shoe (visible at left/outboard of the wheel) to pull it against the wheel. There's another linkage barely visible behind the top of the truck frame connecting to another crank/linkage to operate the far right brake shoe as well, applying the brakes on both wheels from this one cylinder.

And yes it's on both sides on each truck.


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

Thanks, gonna add them to the shopping list


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

You'll want to look at your rolling stock first. Not all trucks have them mounted in that position. Sometimes, they are on the inside.


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

On freight cars, the brake cylinders are almost always mounted on the underframe, or in some cases, on the inside of the truck assemblies -- you won't see them on the outside of trucks.

On diesel locomotives, most models will come with the cylinders either cast into the truck sideframes, or they will be separately-applied already.


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

CTValleyRR said:


> You'll want to look at your rolling stock first. Not all trucks have them mounted in that position. Sometimes, they are on the inside.


That photo is the prototype.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Yes, that's obvious. What I meant was, don't just go slapping a bunch of detail parts on your rolling stock unless that's where it belongs.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Except that photo was not of “rolling stock”, it’s a locomotive truck....and brake cylinders were not mounted “on the inside”.....whatever that meant.....


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

Here's how far I've gotten, Anyone recognize it?


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

_"Here's how far I've gotten, Anyone recognize it?"_

It looks like the carbody for a very early diesel-electric locomotive.

Brings to mind "B&O #50":


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

_I'd hoped to put together a build article but I'm going to have to box this for a while until I get some parts from PSC. Here's the intro:_
Before it was Electro Motive Diesel it was Electro Motive Division of General Motors and before that it was Electro Motive Corporation. EMC started out making gas-electric self-propelled railcars. GM bought it and started producing diesel-electric locomotives, first as switchers and streamliners, most famously the Zephyr line. Then in 1935 they broke into the road engine market with the EMC 1800. Powered by two Winton 900 hp diesels, AAR trucks and GE motors these locomotives were the direct predecessors of the more famous E and F locomotives and the grandfather of the GP and SD locomotives still in use.
EMC produced five 1800’s all in 1935: Two were demonstrators #511 and 512. Never sold, these locomotives were shown to prospective customers. They were scrapped in 1937 after they served their purpose.
Two were sold to the ATSF for use with the Super Chief. They were always operated together and the Santa Fe later uglified the lead unit, giving it a clown nose with a cab sticking out on top, then took the cabs out of the rear unit. They were traded in to EMD in 1953 and converted to booster units.
The last one was Baltimore and Ohio #50. It was purchased to haul the Royal Blue and did so for two whole years until replaced by new E-units. Then it was uglified and turned over to the Chicago and Alton to pull the Lincoln. After WW2 the new Gulf Mobile and Ohio inherited the locomotive and restored it to its original beauty as #1200, where it was used for local passenger and branchline service until retired and donated to the National Museum of Transportation in St Louis. There it sits today, fading and rusting.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Old_Hobo said:


> Except that photo was not of “rolling stock”, it’s a locomotive truck....and brake cylinders were not mounted “on the inside”.....whatever that meant.....


I think if you actually tried instead of just being argumentative, you could figure out what "on the inside" meant. Anywhere it's not exposed and visible.

As far as that not being rolling stock, what else are locomotives classified as? Plant and Equipment? Rights of Way? That's like saying a picture of your tires isn't a picture of a car. Gimme a break.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Well, excuse me....you know full well that for most model railroaders rolling stock generally refers to everything but locomotives, although the actual definition includes them.....

If you think I was argumentative, you have seen nothing yet.....so get off the high horse, before you break your neck falling from it.....


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