1st Impressions of the VL Centipede?

The prototype Centipedes had swinging pilots.  See here: http://i147.photobucket.com/al...LINER/0807/PRR07.jpg

What thread is the video in?

Wow! Interesting Bill.

The video is in the "VL Centipede has shipped"  thread.  But here is a link to the video. 

Bill, interesting that the prototype had a swinging pilot.  I would love to find a picture with one of them rounding a curve.  Of course they would never have rounded an O72 equivalent in the real world.  A curve that "tight" just does not do the toy any justice.  I am assuming that is an O72 fastrack curve.  Whatever it is, it looks pretty awkward. 

I liked it.  But then again it was huge!

I think theres a farmer bill joke in here somewhere

Marty,

What did you think of the sounds?  Does the Centipede offer enough features or push the envelope to the extent of the other VL engines to be on par with its predecessors?  I admit a bias, I feel the previous VL engines are spectacular and have raised the bar in terms of features.

Kevin,

I found a couple of photos of them on the Horseshoe Curve, but it only minutely illustrates the swinging pilot since the curve is so broad.  See here:  http://www.billspennsyphotos.c...oto?photoid=62060458

http://www.billspennsyphotos.c...oto?photoid=80880130

Please note that this is not my website, the name is purely coincidental.

It was my video  they had 4 sets of them . There 30 pounds combined the sound is like every visionline  engine i have heard ..They let me handle them they didnt care . The shells are diecast about 1/8 thick they had a shell there to..Detail nice they do swing out.. Not as bad as a challenger but its noticable nothing that would stop me if i wanted them.. There huge the horn sounds like  kline e8s to me... Picture below see for yourself

Very cool Bill,

Thanks!  The second photo nicely shows the cab pivoting away from the pilot.  I did not know that diesels swing out like the articulated steamers.  I imagine this to be pretty rare....is that an accurate guess?

thanks again

You're welcome, Kevin.  From what I have seen and what I have found through searches, the Centipedes seem to be the only diesels with swinging pilots.  There might have been other diesels (maybe in other countries), but nothing has come up in searches.  I did, however, find some instances of electric and turbine locomotives having swinging pilots.  I would say that a swinging pilot is a rare feature when it comes to diesels.

Pennsy’s spec sheet for the full size Centipede indicates that the minimum allowed turning radius was 311 feet.

For O Scale, 1/48 of 311 feet is 6.48 feet or a 77.75 inch radius which would be the equivalent of an O155.5 curve or more than twice an O72.

the Centipedes seem to be the only diesels with swinging pilots. 

not really. the UP ALCo C855 had swinging pilots....

as well as the quad trucked GE U50C's...

I figured there might be others and that others might chime in with other examples, but nothing was coming up in searches via Google when I searched a little while ago when he asked the question.  I know about the Alco C855s and the GE U50s, but wasn't aware they had swinging pilots (none of the information I had read up to that point suggested that they were equipped with them and most of the photos I came across did not show it plainly to make that conclusion).  I did know the trucks used on the C855s and U50s came from older UP turbines (probably the reason for the swinging pilots).  The only clear photo I have of a GE U50C shows a fixed pilot unlike the GE U50 (four truck version).