Model Railroading > southern e unit air tanks

can anyone help ...need the dimensions, length and diameter,of the four air tanks on the roofof the southern e units

I can't answer you question but if you can't find an answer, you might try purchasing the tanks manufactured for "torpedo geeps" and placing them on an E8 to see if they are the same thing. If they are too long, you can cut a section out to make them shorter. If they are too short, add a section the same diameter. I suspect they are least the same diameter. If you can't get them in your scale and they are correct, you can take measurements off the part.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/15 16:09 by wabash2800.

I'm just using the standard air tanks that you would find under any SD/GP style unit and they look right to me.

This got me intrigued, because the Krauss-Maffei ML 4000s received stock EMD air tanks after a couple years of service, and I've been looking for the best available commercial part to upgrade my Rivarossi models. So I did a little photo comparison. It's not 100% dimensionally scientific, but I blew up the best broadside photos of each model that I could find, and scaled them, side by each, to their proper overall HO length, then cropped. There's no scale to this photo, but all images are in very close proximity to their correct relative sizes -- I would say plus or minus 5%.

• The KM tanks from EMD were 15.25 inches by 144 inches. (TOP PHOTO)
• The EMD GP9 "Torpedo Tube" tanks seemed about the same length visually, but they are smaller diameter, maybe 12 inches? (SECOND PHOTO)
  Both are considerably longer than the Southern E-unit tanks.
• The underframe tank of a GP30 looks about the same diameter; it might be shorter, or it might be exactly the same as the TB tanks. (THIRD PHOTO)
• But aha! The underframe tank of an EMD GP60 looks very, very close... (FOURTH PHOTO)
  ... to the Southern Railway EMD E-unit that started this discussion. (FIFTH PHOTO)

So I'm still looking for that fifteen-inches-plus by 12-foot tank for the KM. But... the GP60 air tank (and whatever else is similar; can't help there) looks to be the answer for an SR E. Hope this contributes to the general welfare. And again, your measurments and mileage may vary.

~ BZ

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Interesting, thanks for sharing. It appears that if the GP9 and E8 tank are the same diameter, one could use the stock GP9 tanks and cut a section out and resplice them to the proper length. A plastic after market part would likely be easier to cut and work, with the aid of a miter box and razor saw.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/15 17:10 by wabash2800.

Details West has cast pewter tanks for the GP9 "Torpedo" style, catalog number AT-146. They also stock an AT-205 "Underframe Tank" but I don't know the dimensions.

At first glance, I thought the DW "Torpedo" tanks had the mounting bands cast in the wrong place for the SR E-units. But actually, the distance between those straps seems about the same as it is for the E-unit tanks. That's a nice little bonus, because it means you can cut just the ends off the DW tanks, then cut the remaining tank portions flush with the outer edge of each strap, then reattach the ends -- with no seams showing!

Nice! And probably not a lucky accident, but part of the standardization of parts. Could be, anyway. Sometimes things are the same dimensions for a reason, but it seems like a little gift anyway.

~ BZ
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/15 17:38 by Notch16.