Williams PRR U33C Diesel #22215

These are fairly appealing pieces, if you don't look too closely, with fairly accurate bodies, though crude elsewhere. A friend of mine has a gray L&N powered/dummy set.

 

The trucks that Williams uses are incorrect for a GE locomotive; they are EMD

trucks, in case it matters.

The outer and middle axle spacing on those trucks are also not symmetrical either as they should be for EMD flexicoil type trucks; I believe that this due to saving costs by using the truck block & motor mount design from their FM Trainmaster model that was then applied to their SD45, since the actual Trainmaster prototypes had asymmetrical axle spacing of the outer and middle axles.  They just made new tooling to represent EMD style trucks, and then later when they released the U-boats & Dash 8/9 models used the EMD trucks since they look a little more closer (but still nowhere near a lot) like GE's trucks, and certainly better than using the same Trainmaster trucks as they did on their early SD45 models.

 

The early generation GE hood units like the U-boats also did not have the air reservoir tanks mounted in cavities in the fuel tanks like the Williams U33 depicts.  That didn't start becoming standard practice until the arrival of the Dash 8 (and even then, they were only mounted on the engineer's side, not both like the Williams' tanks).  So for the Williams U33C to be accurate they would just have "solid" fuel tanks.  But again, like the incorrect EMD trucks, this was done as a cost-cutting measure so they would not have to invest in new tooling.

Very nice review. I like that Williams is putting similar even if not quite accurate paint schemes to expand their models market. I am willing to put up with some inaccuracies like this or the handrails to get a cheaper, still high quality engine that I don't mind letting my very enthusiastic 8 year old run. I now I will not be too upset when the inevitable happens.

How hard would it be to put 2 axel trucks on this to make it a little more accurate?

I have the SP version, and it is a nice runner.  The trucks were based on the TM drivetrain.  I don't know if you could place BB trucks on it.

WBB does offer repower trucks in 2 axle. Thier moters mount right on the trucks so there is no drivetrain unlike the smaller scales. The drive train is contained in the truck.  It seems like you could do it.

 

U33C fuel tanks. This photo shows the solid fuel tanks.  The fuel tanks on the Williams model could be removed and replaced with more accurate types.