AC> Standard Co Co trucks these days are not only almost fully
AC> independent at each axle box, but are damped and I guess some even have 
sel
AC> steering axles as in many railroad freight and passenger cars.
here in NZ our EMD's run on standard dofasco's. The wheel arrangement is 
A-1-A. A couple of these locos had "dampers" fitted to the bogies (four per
bogie (trucks for those others..) as extra to the spring/snubber arrangement
found on every common garden variety EMD Dofasco. This new system allowed the 
loco to have more tractive effort and allowed the max speed to be raised from 
80km/hr to 100km/hr when in passenger service.
New Zealand is a little behind the times... we have not long just finished 
turbo-ing some GMDD built machines (sound very nice under load), but I 
eleive
that it is standard practice in the US that almost every EMD post 1960 was 
built with a turbo in place??
AC> tracks. No doubt the future will see active train suspensions that react 
to
AC> track conditions automatically. But the passengers will have these, years
AC> ahead of loco crew!
thats the same here too... new passenger stock will be arriving soon.... good 
for 100-110km/hr, yet the locos are only good for 100 max (the springing 
combined with the shocking trackwork negates any chance of the driver having 

nice ride.)
We have GE built machines of 1970's vintage that are the best riding engines 
of our entire fleet!!!! figure that one out!, (thats why they are almost 
always on the long distance passenger trips).
BUT!!!! (there is always one of those) In Wellington the EMU's have airbag 
type suspension... by far the smoothest rides i've come across.
Our DMU's here in Auckland have a similar system but are still rough. These 
were built in Australia (which says it all.. hehehe) and imported second 
nd.
well.. i think ive said enuf for  now....
cheers
Andrew.
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