Is there a "dummies guide to truck frames" out there anywhere?

[bsoplinger]

I was reading a bit on modeling the Lehigh Valley GP38AC locos, a mix between the early GP38 and the first GP38-2 models apparently.

It mentioned that they have Bloomberg type B trucks instead of the type M of the GP38-2. That's all and good, if I had any idea what they are talking about. Its sort of like I know a S-2 and a S-4 look the same except for the trucks, but again, I don't have any idea what these different truck types look like (something about AAR A vs something else in this case I think).

Can anyone help me?

Brian

PS: Does anyone have a use for an Atlas undec shell set (sill, handrails, cab, shell, glazing, etc) for an "early GP38?" I didn't know which of the 2 shells Atlas offered would be the correct one, so I ordered both and the early version doesn't have the paper filter box on the roof which I need, so this shell doesn't so me any good. It does have dynamic brakes.

[Nelson]

Brian, The Model Railroader Cyclopedia volume 2 on diesel locos has a pictorial of quite a few trucks. Online, if you just google the particular truck like "blomberg b truck" or "blomberg m truck" it will usually give you some sites with decent pics. See this one:
http://www.mdmlocomotiveworks.com/PAGES/BLOMBERG%202.htm

[bsoplinger]

When I tried my search, without quotes, I got way too many hits for eBay and pickups and other things, because I think someone named Bloomberg has something to do with vehicles.

Trying it with quotes helped, some.

But it still leaves the more general question, is there anywhere I can go to figure out what these different truck types are, before I know their names? Ie, I go to some page somewhere and it tells me that an Also S-4 switcher has froobie sideframes. Now I can do a google search on froobie, but until I know that a S-4 has froobie sideframes I can't.

[Nelson]

I haven't found that quotes are needed for narrower search results, however correct spelling of "blomberg" with 1 "o" is. ;D

[Mark5]

this is fairly good:

http://www.dementia.org/~shadow/prr-diesels/sideframes/index.html

[3rdrail]

One of the problems that you will run into here is that the manufacturers often used several different trucks under the same model. Especially second generation units and later, where trucks were used from "trade-ins", so that EMD Blombergs appeared under GE U-boats and AAR Type B's appeared under EMD Geeps.

[bsoplinger]

this is fairly good:
http://www.dementia.org/~shadow/prr-diesels/sideframes/index.html

Thanks N&W, that is a pretty good overview, just what I was looking for.

I haven't found that quotes are needed for narrower search results, however correct spelling of "blomberg" with 1 "o" is. ;D

Oops, well that's because I had no place to go to get the right idea of what was what, didn't even notice there was only 1 "o" in there. Sure made the searches go better once I spelled it right