Locomotives rust?

[kylewoody]

Hey guys,

Just a quick, silly question - was looking up some real (or, uhm *cough* "prototype") locomotives like I like to do on a Friday night having a few beers . Anyways, stumbled on this brand new GE loco and noticed that the coupler and drivers already appear to be covered in surface rust.

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1298218

I've seen this on other "clean and/or new" equipment, and was just wondering why they rust so quick? Seems kind of... bad?

Thanks!
Kyle

 

[UP2CSX]

The wheels and couplers show rust because they are never painted. AAR and FRA regulations don't allow painting. The couplers and truck wheels sit around for a good bit after they are made so they get a coat of oxidation before they are used on locomotives. They are not painted because they need to be inspected regularly for cracks and paint would interfere with that process. The light rust actually helps non-destructive inspection since any crack will show the brighter steel underneath the oxidation.

 

[kylewoody]

Huh, that's interseting Jim - thanks. Makes sense now. Though, kind of marrs (spelling? I believe that is the word) the asthetics of the machine...

Kyle

 

[UP2CSX]

True, and there have been exceptions made. The American Freedom train was exempted as were some of the railroad Bicentennial units. The tradeoff was that they had to have an x-ray inspection of each wheel and coupler every 1000 running miles. In general, though, this is one of those cases where safety trumps esthetics. It's also a detail that get's overlooked by a lot of modelers. Even brand new engines should have those rusty looking couplers and wheels.

 

[wheeler1963]

Kyle, and this is how they should look on our models.

 

[UP2CSX]

Good illustration, Jerome. I'm always surprised at how many modelers miss this detail.

 

[NYSW F45]

yea im one of those guys. i usually end up not wanting to pry the trucks off or im to lazy to paint or just do a crappy job that i dont want to do it again.

 

[Smoke]

The wheels are made out of steel(????) that rusts once and then it won't rust again. It protects the wheels.

Brian Banna has written a good article on how to rust wheels with some nice variation.
http://6axlepwr.com/CIM_SD38d2_trucks_01.html

 

[UP2CSX]

The wheels are made out of steel(????) that rusts once and then it won't rust again. It protects the wheels.

You're kidding, right? Ever see a car from the snow belt, where they use salt on the roads? Given sufficient time, oxygen, and water, any iron mass eventually converts entirely to rust and disintegrates. The railroads would paint the wheels and couplers if they were allowed to. Nice job on your model, BTW.

 

[vato loco]

I think another reason RR's don't paint wheels......Cost of Paint and Union hired labor to paint them! Think how many wheel sets and couplers a RR goes through! and putting a coat of rustolium on all those wheels and couplers would get costly. Heck they don't hardly ever repaint locomotives and freight cars! what makes people think there going to paint wheels...LOL's

On the flip side, RR's if your not going to repaint the locomotives more often to keep them looking nice. I would like to see you wash and wax the locomotives more! I hear the undoucumented work will do jobs americans won't do for less(got to love slave labor)!!!!!!! I hate to see a 2-3 million dollar locomotive look like crap!

EDIT: At least the airlines planes are cleaned..........They come apart in flight due to bad Mech. Maint. but there clean when they crash!

 

[jbaakko]

You're kidding, right? Ever see a car from the snow belt, where they use salt on the roads? Given sufficient time, oxygen, and water, any iron mass eventually converts entirely to rust and disintegrates. The railroads would paint the wheels and couplers if they were allowed to. Nice job on your model, BTW.

Huh... Steel oxidizes constantly, Aluminum on the other hand does as Smoke says, lol.