Join the discussion on the following article:
Broadway Limited HO Baldwin RF-16 diesel
The review doesn’t mention the reason that BLI developed the unusual drawbar link between the units in its A-B sets of Sharknose diesels. It allows the units to separate from each other a bit more while rounding curves and to come closer together on straight track. BLI has a video that shows this on their website; so does at least one major dealer.
Once again modelers could really benefit from a review comparing models of this type of locomotive from more than one maker, as was common in a major German magazine I used to read. The old Mantua cast metal Shark has been out of production for decades, but I suspect that quite a few of the models made by Roco that E-R Models imported may still be available, and Bachmann produced its own model more recently.
These are interesting locomotives. There was one major problem with the prototype; they would not M.U. with any other locomotive in the fleet. Baldwin, for what ever reason, used a pneumatic connection for M.U. purposes on the “Sharks”. My understanding is that this method was not the easiest to work with. It certainly did not compate with other Diesel manufacturers electrical connections.
All that being said, I wouldn’t mind having one set, but I certainly won’t try running them in a consist with any other diesels on the roster.
Of course, on your own road it is possible that the roundhouse mechanics removed the pneumatic controls and replaced them with electrical. Who’s to say?