I am a big fan of six axle locomotives, and I have just started getting in to second gen Alco’s. I have just picked up a par of Atlas C420’s for the module club I am in, and doing some home work I found out about the never ordered C620’s.
Is what I was wondering is has anyone taken RSD trucks, and tucked them under a C420?
Alco C620…wow! That’s a new one to me. Hmm…that would be a parallel to the SD38. GP38/SD38. Interesting. Don’t know anything about them but will certainly be looking into them.
The Alco C620 was actually catalogued by Alco as part of their Century line, along with other models that were not built. These include the C428, C624, C636F, C636P (A and B units) and C650DH.
Does anyone have a Atlas C420 andC424 they could put next to each other? I am talking to someone on Ebay right now that made a C624 out of Atlas parts. I hope the 20 and 24’s have the same room for the trucks. Then I could clone how he did his.
As hard as it is to believe the 2000 HP C-420 has a much longer wheelbase than the 2400 HP C-424 so we are talking apples and oranges here comparing the two.
This was more to check room between the fuel tank’s, and steps. He used the stock C424 frame, so if the C420 has the same room, or if the c420 trucks are longer? Then I would know there be room.
A similar model would be the never-built RSD-33, of the same family as the RS-32 and RS-36. Diesel Era mentioned it, in passing, in its coverage of the RS-32 a few years ago.
A much simpler approach would be to start with a Bowser C628 and graft on an Atlas C420 cab and nose. Just shorten up the front of the long hood to compensate for the extra nose length of the C420 short hood. Wouldn’t take much at all !
Is what i hope whenI take them aprt it will be a easy truck swap. Take c420 trucks off, and pop the RDS trucks on. Or i hope it will be that easy. I think a little shaving may be in order but we will see. Plus a Rsd can be found for $50-$80 on ebay.
You will also need to remove two engine compartment doors on each side to show that it is a 12 cylinder diesel rather than a 16 cylinder. And you will need to replace the C628 radiator section with the C420 radiator section. The radiator itself is narrower and the fan shroud does not protrude in the 2000 horsepower locomotive as it does in the 2750 horsepower.
The original photo was of C628 #638. They moved the rear of the cab witht he flag back so the flag was under the intake, and then stretched the low nose. The rest of the long hood is straight C628, hence the other mods necessary to make an actual model of what would be a C620. Hmm, wonder if it would have been easier to take a photo of a C420 and photoshop the 3 axle trucks under it.
Took me forever to track down the original. I finall was able to read the number off the trailing unit when I blew up the picture and lucky enough, even though only a bit of the unit is shown, the picture was listed with both unit road numbers. Of course it wasn’t on either of the two main LV photo roster sites, it’s actually on the Conrail Diesel Zone site, as both 630 (the trailing unit) and 638 were conveyed to Conrail. Not sure why there’s a Pittsburg & Shawmut loco there, in Bethlehem PA - opposite side of the state!
Since the C620 was a cataloged model (Boy was I surprised to hear that!) does anyone have a drawing of it? The big question is was it on a short frame, like the RSD-12, or would the C628 frame be used?
Sometimes I wish GE had made the U23C on a short frame. (must be a photoshop of That somewhere out there)