Well, Bear is from Down Under. Perhaps he can provide a rationale. and perhaps even by means of a Beartoon [bow]. Can’t recall seeing one this week. It’s like the Diner’s pie case being empty. [:(]
In a ‘real life’ kitbash, GN Y-1 electric 5011 was damaged in a wreck. GN replaced the boxcab style body by buying two FT-A unit bodies from EMD and splicing them together.
http://www.bigbendrailroadhistory.com/2021/12/gn-5011-at-wenatchee.html
As to whether anyone in the US ever built one, I remember seeing an article in MR on a club layout that had an electric line and a double ended F unit with pantographs was powering a passenger train on it.
The conversion to a Victorian Railway B class was done here in Australia with 2 F bodies (Athearn or Globe) spliced together before Lima produced their B class for the market here in the late 70s/early 80s. An Athearn SD9 chassis was the preferred mechanism and could be fitted to the Lima body with minimal grinding of the frame. The wheel spacing was very close.
Because of the smaller loading gauge, the radiator fans on the B class ( which was mechanically an F3 - E units had two 12 cylinder motors while the B had one V16 567) were placed centrally as a group of 4 in the middle of the body.
I am not sure which the A end was but BOTH ends HAD DYNAMIC BRAKE FANS th and equipment. AS REPORTED EARLIER, the A end was AT THE END WHERE THE BATTERY BOX WAS ONE SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK.
I dug out the book “The ML2 story”, the requirement of lower axle loads AND 6 TRACTION MOTORS for the B class effectively spawned the development of the SD7 and 6 motor trucks. ML2 was the designation of the B class by licensee for EMD, Clyde Engineering where as ML1 was the designation for the Commonwealth Railways GM1 class which were A1A-A1A for the first 11 units. ML = Main Line. There was an ML3 loco which was a single ended similar loco built for Pakistan’s North Western Railway by Clyde. Victorian, Commonwealth and New South Wales Railways also had variations of those as well but they were referred to as A7’s.
The CAPS are my own edit marks, not yelling at you all!
Hope this helps,
Cheers from Australia
Trevor
Sure looks like the VR B Class was another victim of the EMD Styling Department. Check out this Erie E or F unit vs the VR livery
A number of Australian schemes were copied or derived from US schemes
New South Wales early schemes = Santa Fe freight with Red rather than Blue
Victoria - Erie as noted. When Victorian Railway became Vline, the first scheme was similar to the ICG Grey and Orange.
South Australia - Mainline 900 and 930 classes were painted like Southern Pacific short lied Golden State and Overland Schemes
Commonwealth Raiiways - Maroon and White painted similary to Atlantic Coast Line Purple and White scheme
Silverton Tramway - painted their 3 Alco units similarly to CB&Q Chinese Vermillion and White scheme.
Cheers from Australia
Trevor
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