How do you determine what diesel locomotive has 40" wheels, or 42" wheels?
I just entered “SD40-2 wheel diameter” in a search. I’d go that route. I note that Wikipedia had the number in its listing for the SD40-2.
Sometimes, you’ll get a bad number. But ya gotta start somewhere.
Ed
A little history:
- EMD E units - 36" wheels
- Just about everything up until the high adhesion AC traction locomotives - 40" wheels.
- The current high adhesion models - 42" to 45" wheels
Where do the ‘models’ come in? Athearn engines have had 42" wheels(I guess they felt a 3/8" diamerter wheel was good enough). NWSL sells 42" and 40" replacement wheel sets for them. I am not sure what is under my P2K fleet of GP9’s. 1 scale inch of overall loco height is not worth worrying about(at least for me).
Jim
Another place you can look is here: http://www.thedieselshop.us/
Under the red Builders/Leaser heading click on builders, and then select the builder you want to search.
Most of the Baldwin Diesel locomotives and many of the Fairbanks Morse locomotives had 42 inch wheels because the size of the Westinghouse traction motors required the larger wheels.