NYC Alco C-430
Fredric W. Dabney
photo of the new Overland Alco C-430 (yummy!) and one of the factory
painted units shown is the NYC version.
I'm curious about one thing: It is shown with a dynamic brake. Is this
correct? I was under a vague impression that they didn't order D/B with
their engines as a rule.
It wouldn't be the first time a maker has made such an error, but Overland
is ususally pretty good about road-specific details in their painted
models. On the other hand, a recent ad for their new GE 44-9CW in Santa
Fe paint had the Santa Fe in EMD lettering style, not GE's. I'm told that
Tom Marsh was not happy.
Fred "Wanna see my collection of Nits?" D.
Dennis H Lippert
Fredric W. Dabney <fda...@nmsu.edu> wrote:
>The back cover of the August issue of Railroad Model Craftsman has a
>photo of the new Overland Alco C-430 (yummy!) and one of the factory
>painted units shown is the NYC version.
>
>I'm curious about one thing: It is shown with a dynamic brake. Is this
>correct? I was under a vague impression that they didn't order D/B with
>their engines as a rule.
The C430's and GP40's (and U33B's??) were purchased by NYC after they
knew that "doom was on the horizon"... aka, they knew the PC merger was
coming, and therefore equipped the units with Dynamic braking so that
they were free to roam in ex-PRR territory after the merger. So, the
overland models are not wrong.... but look at the terrible workmanship
on those puppies! There's an air intake screen that's crooked and some
bad lettering work as well.... for $500, I want perfection!!
Hope this helps!!
Den
--
[Disclaimer: The above article is NOT endorsed or approved by my employer]
==========================================================================
Dennis Lippert - mac...@pitt.edu - http://www.pitt.edu/~macman
Motto: "Making the computer lab a nicer place to live"
Fredric W. Dabney
: The C430's and GP40's (and U33B's??) were purchased by NYC after they
: coming, and therefore equipped the units with Dynamic braking so that
: they were free to roam in ex-PRR territory after the merger. So, the
: overland models are not wrong.... but look at the terrible workmanship
: on those puppies! There's an air intake screen that's crooked and some
: bad lettering work as well.... for $500, I want perfection!!
I've often said that Overland's (Or at least Ajin's) quality control
department is to ensure no quality escapes... Still they are handsome
engines, the paint jobs are pretty. I have two recent units, a GE demo
44-9ACW and the EMD demo SD-70. They too have a number of irritating
things like skewed screens, spotched paint, etc. But, as I've said
before, at ten feet and in motion they look good.
Fred D.
Tim O'Connor
> I've often said that Overland's (Or at least Ajin's) quality control
> department is to ensure no quality escapes...
I have spoken to Tom Marsh at shows about defects (I had a tunnel motor
arrive SANS screens, period!) He will take back any model and fix it if
it is not assembled correctly, or if parts are loose, or if it doesn't
run properly, etc. Turnaround time was excellent.
Tom actually RECALLED his recent NYC flexi-flo cars (I had 2) and sent
them back to Korea for replacement of the side sheets, because Ajin had
mistakenly made the sides 1/8" too short!! (Very noticeable when you
tried to apply correct-to-scale decals on them.)
Don't just WHINE about it -- complain if you're not satisfied. You'll be
amazed at the results, not to mention differences between vendors. (Don't
bother to complain to Precision Scale. They'll give you a "Hey nobody else
complained, so you must be a crackpot")
Fredric W. Dabney
: The few Alco C430's that the NYC bought did come with dynamics. I
: think that a few of these units survive today on the Susquehanna and
: maybe on the Morristown and Erie in NJ.
:
: True, the NYC avoided dynamics as a rule, but their fleet of GP40's did
: also have them. Earlier stuff like the GP35, GP30, GP7's etc, did not
: have dynamics. I don't know if the pre- C430 Alco stuff on the NYC had
: dynamics or not, but I really doubt it.
: Did you know that the NYC did not have any six axle (with six traction
: motors) diesel electric frieght units? Just try to find a photo of
: a NYC SD40.
What I know about the NYC is miniscule. I do know that I liked the look
of their "Sharknose" engines. As far as C-truck power- it makes sense
that a road that avoided Dynamic Brakes would have no need for six axle
power- that old "Water Level Route" mentality at work, no doubt. Yet
they had some Mikes and NOrther north no Niagras that were real
brutes. Sorry- I keep forgetting that they also didn't like using loco
type names that everyone else used.
Fred D.
Arnold Morscher
Fred:
> The back cover of the August issue of Railroad Model Craftsman
> has a photo of the new Overland Alco C-430...one of the factory
> painted units shown is the NYC version.
> I'm curious about one thing: It is shown with a dynamic brake.
> Is this correct? I was under a vague impression that they
> didn't order D/B with their engines as a rule.
The few Alco C430's that the NYC bought did come with dynamics. I
think that a few of these units survive today on the Susquehanna and
maybe on the Morristown and Erie in NJ.
True, the NYC avoided dynamics as a rule, but their fleet of GP40's did
also have them. Earlier stuff like the GP35, GP30, GP7's etc, did not
have dynamics. I don't know if the pre- C430 Alco stuff on the NYC had
dynamics or not, but I really doubt it.
Did you know that the NYC did not have any six axle (with six traction
motors) diesel electric frieght units? Just try to find a photo of
a NYC SD40.
Later,
Arnie
Dennis H Lippert
>brutes. Sorry- I keep forgetting that they also didn't like using loco
>type names that everyone else used.
What? You mean that PRR M-1 4-8-2's aren't Mohawks?? ;-)
{We see Dennis scrambling for cover as the Slobbering Pennsy Freaks
approach with various implements of destruction}
Leonard Ruback [On Track Ltd]
[ Overland comments ]
I had some problems with my OMI models and the staff at OMI did an
excellent job of satisfying me. Even though some of their models have
problems they DO stand behind them. Very encouraging.
Leonard Ruback ! Check out my pages for some RR stuff
On Track Ltd. ! Electronics, locomotives and books
Aggieland, USA ! http://www.myriad.net/lruback/home.htm
Bryan-College Station, TX
Fredric W. Dabney
: fda...@nmsu.edu (Fredric W. Dabney) wrote:
: > I've often said that Overland's (Or at least Ajin's) quality control
: > department is to ensure no quality escapes...
: I have spoken to Tom Marsh at shows about defects (I had a tunnel motor
: arrive SANS screens, period!) He will take back any model and fix it if
: it is not assembled correctly, or if parts are loose, or if it doesn't
: run properly, etc. Turnaround time was excellent.
: Don't just WHINE about it -- complain if you're not satisfied. You'll be
Whine, my ass! Turbos whine, I gripe. And at $500 a pop, I have a right
to gripe! For that kind of money for my toys, I have a right to expect
them to get it right the first time. What does the fact that "they'll
take it back and make it right" tell us? It tells me that the target
customer is a boob that will never take it out of the box to see that it
is often a piece of mis-formed, badly assembled and generally crude junk
masquerading as a "collector's item". Else they'd get their act together
and not have to take them back to fix them.
Fred D.
Scot Osterweil
Morscher) wrote:
>
> True, the NYC avoided dynamics as a rule, but their fleet of GP40's did
> also have them. Earlier stuff like the GP35, GP30, GP7's etc, did not
> have dynamics. I don't know if the pre- C430 Alco stuff on the NYC had
> dynamics or not, but I really doubt it.
>
I was under the impression that NYC had always used dynamics on the Boston
division, which included steep climbs through the Berkshires (hence the
name of 2-8-4's). Does anyone have a definitive answer on this.
----------------------------------------------
"We have met the enemy, and he is us" -- Pogo 3:16
Scot Osterweil
Scot_Os...@TERC.edu
Somewhere in Massachusetts.
S Sillato
: Fred:
: also have them. Earlier stuff like the GP35, GP30, GP7's etc, did not
: have dynamics. I don't know if the pre- C430 Alco stuff on the NYC had
: dynamics or not, but I really doubt it.
: Later,
: Arnie
Arnie & Fred,
As a NYC fan, I can report that they did buy 23 dynamic equipped GP-7's
for use on the Ashtabula-Youngstown branch. Northern Ohio is rather
"hilly" (Carson Hill) as compared to the "Water Level Route" and dynamics
are justified. I think they also bought GP30's with dynamics.(I can't
find my rosters right now or I could tell for sure) They did, however, buy
the only GP-20's without dynamics.
Regards,
Steve
Tim O'Connor
> Whine, my ass! Turbos whine, I gripe.
If you gripe to this group, that's just whining ...
Not that I am guiltless of same! :^)
But really, if they removed every custom-painted, carefully wrapped
model from its box, carefully inspected and test ran it, then chances
of you getting a lemon would probably -increase-, rather than decrease.
Think about it ... damage is usually caused by handling. Who inspects
the inspectors? And do you want to pay an extra 5-10% for the service?
Have you ever owned an automobile that was defect-free? A house? Ok,
I'll give it a rest now.
Fredric W. Dabney
I'm not talking about damage, I'm talking about sloppy work at the
factory, and yes, I did own a defect free car. A VW.
OK. I'll let it rest too, now.
Fred D.