Six-wheeled 121 class

[jhb171achill]

Yes, you read that right.

In 1961, the year the 121s were delivered, General Motors built a prototype six-wheeled version of one of these, which would spend its entire working life shunting within their works at La Grange. They offered the class for sale but the only customers they ever got were an industrial site who bought one, and the Lebanese Railways who bought 4 - which were used on passenger services just like our 121s. So there were only ever 6 of them. One, apparently, remains in storage somewhere there, though long out of use. All of them were 4 fut 8 1/2 inch gauge.

They had 600hp engines - GM 567 type. This would presumbaly have resulted in them being categorised as "C" class - thus (probably) the C241 oir C251 series?

In the parallel world of Rule 1, CIE got one as a demo along with the "real" 121s, and it ended up shunting at Dugort Harbour until it went on fire in 1970 and was scrapped. I thought that a beast like this might make a nice rainy-day project some time, if my eyesight holds up.

So, I obtained a MIR 121 body kit some time ago, and if time EVER permits (which it may not!) I would like to hack and botch this body - which is cast metal and weights almost as much as the real thing - by shortening it a bit (I think these engines were about 30ft long) and putting some sort of 6-wheeled power bogie under it. It would need to be capable of DCC conversion.

Which type of bogie wouldn't matter - the "real" thing is not real at all - no 5'3" equivalent ever existed. I was thinking maybe a power bogie off a British class 31 or something.... the other thing is that you can't actually SEE what type of power bogie it would be, as these engines in real life had a large, thick, heavy bar alongside, so whatever gubbins are below platform level are invisible anyway.

I throw this out as what it is - any suggestions or comments appreciated, especially re a suitable bogie (121 body is narrow!), with both space and technical suitability for DCC.....

 

[DJ Dangerous]

Wasn't there a six-axle variant as well?

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, DJ Dangerous said:

Wasn't there a six-axle variant as well?

Indeed there was. I don't know the details, but they were built about the same time too. I think they. too, were 4ft 8 1/2.

[Northroader]

May I suggest you go up a scale to 0, as you get older it’s something that’s going to happen anyway. You can pick up Atlas Plymouth diesels quite cheap second hand jobs. Nice runners, though they do grind a bit.

 

Then just build a new superstructure in plastikard to what you want.

 

Edited September 2, 2023 by Northroader

[Sean]

3 hours ago, DJ Dangerous said:

Wasn't there a six-axle variant as well?

and a narrow gauge one!

[DJ Dangerous]

3 hours ago, Sean said:

and a narrow gauge one!

 

And a Spanish one, kind of.

 

 

[Sean]

"OLD Renfe BOYS"

[jhb171achill]

On 2/9/2023 at 4:25 PM, Sean said:

and a narrow gauge one!

Numerous narrow gauge variations in a number of South American countries…. 3ft, metre, 3’6”….

[Mayner]

On 7/9/2023 at 9:25 AM, jhb171achill said:

Numerous narrow gauge variations in a number of South American countries…. 3ft, metre, 3’6”….

Depends on whether you consider the CIE 121 Class a variant of the General Motors GL 8 and GA 8 export model or vice versa because some variants share a common cab design.

The B121s are considered to he a high cab variant of the GL8 model of which 96 Bo-Bos appear to have been supplied in total including 69 to Brazil (metre gauge), 15 Ireland, 12 Tunisia, 53 A1A A1A  12 Taiwan & 41  Bangladesh, 12 Co Co Queensland Australia (3'6'

The 96 (5'3") Victorian Railways (Australia) T Class (Variant EMDG8 built under licensein Austraia) are considered to have been the inspiration for the GL8 and B121 Class

The 94 GA 8 export locos ran on wagon trucks (bogies) with two traction motors mounted in the loco body used mainly in Central and South America.

Not to be outdone Australia produced a 600hp 3'6" gauge Bo Bo loco which looked similar to the B121 Class

Rtr models and kits may be available of the Victorian T and various GL & GA 8 variants in HO Scale, one of the big surprises was that Australian modellers and manufacturers like their American counterparts model the standard gauge in HO scale.

Edited September 8, 2023 by Mayner