Reasonably priced trucks & wheels

[jerryl]

  I like to scratch build my rolling stock, but really can't afford the trucks & metal wheels.  I really don't need " scale" because I run outside on the ground & they really can't be seen that well.  I bought some on ebay, but had to add metal wheels & didn't end up with a bargain.

  Also found it was cheaper to buy a complete flat car, remove the trucks & disgard the body than to order the trucks directly.....something is wrong here.  

    A plastic truck without wheels can't cost that much to produce.  Thanks for any suggestions.   jerry L

[altterrain]

Sad but true. I have often seen a set of Bachmann trucks sell for more than a flat car with the same trucks on eBay. Unfortunately, Bachmann doesn't really have a parts dept. You might be able to get Hartland trucks cheaper from their parts dept. - http://www.h-l-w.com/PartsPage.html but they don't come equipped with metal wheels and by the time you add Bachmann wheels it probably won't save you anything. Its pretty much the same all over large scale. You'll find most loco kitbashers will buy a whole locomotive because it cheaper (or the same) than buying just the motor block(s).

-Brian 

[Rastun]

I get archbar freight trucks from USA Trains they sell for $7.50/pair. You'll still need to buy wheels for them though.

As far as motorblocks for kitbashing it really depends on what the desired effect is whether or not it cheaper to buy the whole donor locomotive or not.

Jack

[kstrong]

Bachmann's metal wheels can be found for around $8 - $10 for a set of 4 from the various mail-order houses. That's about as cheap as you're gonna get for metal wheels. The USA sideframes nice, though I believe the axle holes are slightly larger than the Bachmann axles, so they may be just a touch loose. That won't affect performance any, they'll merely be loose.

Later,

K

[Camaro1967]

Kevin,

You are exactly right. I have been replacing all my aristo plastic wheels with Bachmann wheels usually bought from Star Hobby in Annapolis.  Eight dollars for a set. BUT they will make them lots cheaper if you buy in bulk. Lots of guys do that at the ECLSTS in York.  

Paul 

[Anonymous]

I don't see wheels on Star Hobby's web site - in fact their products by manf. takes you directly to the manf. web site.  ??

[Camaro1967]

Just call them up. They have a lot more things than what is listed on their site.

 

[altterrain]

Their website is http://www.starhobby1.com/index.html but not much is listed on it. It is a nicely run family owned business (and you can often find young family members in the store after school). There are usually at ECLSTS and I think SELSTS too.

-Brian 

[piercedan]

If you buy 10 pairs of USA wheels from Charles Ro then it is $50 for the 10 pair of metal wheels.

And if at a show, no shipping charges.  Note that the set of 7 USA people is $5 when bought in 4 lots for $20.  28 sitting people for $20 at the shows.  Note these are on the small side  1/32 or smaller, but wehn sitting inside a passenger car, no big deal.

 

 

[hoofe116]

A/T:

Do you know where spoked wheels can be bought? Particularly the larger diameter spoked drivers. I shudder at the m/hrs it'd take to make my own. There is a picuture of a very old English loco with two 9' spoked drivers that is so monstrously ugly I just have to try to build one someday. I and one of our English friends were discussing it some months ago but I dis-recollect who he was.

And, needless to say, the era I've chose to model used spoked wheels on practically everything. But hey, I comfort myself by remembering, 'no brass track to buy'.

Thanks,

Les W.

[GearDrivenSteam]

There's no such thing as reasonably priced trucks with wheels in large scale. Forget it.

[dwbeckett]

    Also found it was cheaper to buy a complete flat car, remove the trucks & disgard the body than to order the trucks directly.....something is wrong here.  

   

The flat car body make's nice small bridge for road's or rail roads, also boxcar's and caboose's make a suitable office.

[pnevell]

I have found the best solution is Bachmann's #98916 Flat Car kit w/ 2 complete flat cars couplers and trucks with steel wheels. Currently $25.82 at Ridge Road Station. Also the flat car is perfect floor size for many of the 1:20 plans formerly in the foldout of Garden Railways Mag. Just remove the stake pockets along the side and build up from there.

Have fun.

Paul Nevell

[altterrain]

I have found the best solution is Bachmann's #98916 Flat Car kit w/ 2 complete flat cars couplers and trucks with steel wheels. Currently $25.82 at Ridge Road Station. Also the flat car is perfect floor size for many of the 1:20 plans formerly in the foldout of Garden Railways Mag. Just remove the stake pockets along the side and build up from there.

Have fun.

Paul Nevell

We have come full circle on this thread. Paul, if you read Jerry's original post up top, you'll see he's been using Bachmann flat cars for trucks and wheels and discarding what he was not using. He was looking for an alternative.

-Brian 

[Anonymous]

A/T:

Do you know where spoked wheels can be bought? Particularly the larger diameter spoked drivers. I shudder at the m/hrs it'd take to make my own. There is a picuture of a very old English loco with two 9' spoked drivers that is so monstrously ugly I just have to try to build one someday. I and one of our English friends were discussing it some months ago but I dis-recollect who he was.

And, needless to say, the era I've chose to model used spoked wheels on practically everything. But hey, I comfort myself by remembering, 'no brass track to buy'.

Thanks,

Les W.

Les, check these out http://www.ozarkminiatures.com/Scripts/prodList.asp

Ole Toad

[jerryl]

  Not really, I was buying them one at a time....didn't know about the 2 car kits.  Thanks Paul

[dwbeckett]

  Not really, I was buying them one at a time....didn't know about the 2 car kits.  Thanks Paul

I didn't know that myself, time to clean up the worn-out plaistic, and get some more car's

Dave