F-unit truck variation TT00038

DateTime	Author	Posting
08/20/02 13:57	Chris Frissell	Recently I've noticed that the Blomberg trucks on my Stewart F-3 B units are wrong. From photos I've been poring over, looks like some NP freight F3's (but not all?) had trucks with a leading journal that looks a lot like a Hyatt roller bearing, but a hind bearing in a sorta trapezoidal boxy journal--the same truck as the FT's had? However, it looks like passenger F-3's (most of them?) had Hyatts on both axles, like all later F-units. Does anyone know whether this variation in truck styles in F-3s was due to different original equipment at various delivery dates, or to later truck-swapping? Do we need to call them Phase 1a and 1b F-3s? Or is this individual unit variation that is a result of retrofits? I am aware that some passenger-to-freight truck swaps occurred in NP shops, especially among earlier acquisitions, and maybe this accounts for the differences. Has anyone tried compiling a list of F-unit numbers/dates/truck types from a survey of available photos? I know this is complicated by keeping track of renumbered units. Finally, are what I am calling the "FT" style trucks those I have seen referred to as friction-bearing Blombergs? Or are they something else? F3 Blomberg trucks, journals, Hyatt roller bearing, friction, box and slope, variations Compiler C Frissell
08/20/02 23:26	Dan (gcgourmet)	Does anyone know whether this variation in >truck styles in F-3s was due to different original equipment at >various delivery dates, or to later truck-swapping? Do we need to >call them Phase 1a and 1b F-3s? Or is this individual unit variation >that is a result of retrofits? From what I have heard, journals such as you are talking about are interchangeable. I don't think it is anything that needs to be tracked as a phase, as things like this varied per order per railroad. The part you need is available via Details West. F3 Blomberg trucks, journals, Hyatt roller bearing, friction, box and slope, variations Compiler C Frissell