Wood Arm Trucks (How to)

[Anonymous]

Hi Y'all

 I'm looking for wood arm trucks for a 33" wheel set. One set is all I need and I'll kit bash the rest but for now here's my first attempt.

 I've started a rough set here and will send the steps as I go.

1st step was mesureing the wheel set that was on my RailKing caboose and start a drawing on graph paper 1/4" per square and then making the wood blanks to match.

2nd step was to carve the blanks out of soft wood from my yard carving with a straight knife blade the straight limbs shaved down to square blanks to match the graph paper.

more later as I add photos.

[cabbage]

Frightfully sorry dear boy -but I don't speak american... Is the item of rolling stock that you are referring to a bolster wagon or pilaster wagon?

regards

ralph

[Anonymous]

Howdy from across the pond

 thats a good question? Havent the foggiest old chap.

 I'm talking about the design of the frame around the wheels under the car. the 1860's set was called a Wood Arm Truck, I guess thats the bolster?

I'm new to trains so I'm learning as I go, but I have done alot of Military mini's in 54mm scale so I looked for a train scale to match close so I can model some train scenes to go with my figures.

Yours in service

James Acerra

I have a site online but it's a hobby/bisness so if you want the address you'll have to e mail me of site dont wanna advertize and get dropped lol.

[cabbage]

I "think" I understand what you are describing...

If I am right then you are trying to build a frame bogie with a wooden transverse pilaster bar -not a transverse leaf spring. There should be two wooden bars (the bolsters) with the two axle boxes sandwiched at the ends of them?

regards

ralph

[S&G Rute of the Silver River]

I think I know what he's talkin about. Up at the measeum here, caboose#1 has trucks on it that are made mostly out of flat bar and two huge blocks of wood. I get some pics today.

Oh, and welcome to the hoby!

[Anonymous]

Hi Y'all

Sorry it took a few to get back to work.

 The sections and frame of the truck are for generic rolling stock not just the caboose. I'm trying to make them available for any cars needed, I've seen some examples of the trucks on the Civil War Railroad site and BTS website in 1/32 54mm and they are fairly expencive due to the R&D cost I'm sure and the molds.

 I'm trying to make this set from scratch but the axels and wheels are pastic and steel from the RailKing cars and caboose and I'm loth to destroy them just yet the arch bar trucks and hook and loop couplers are not anything like protype 1860's.

I'm in the works of posting pictures as soon as I figger out the way. LOL

the springs are fasioned from a pen spring and two shaped wood pads and drilled with a small 3/32" bit and a thin paper clip bent to a flat U shape passed thru the bottom and the springs placed over them and the top wood pad compressed to make them seem as buffer springs of the dual srping type for the center of the lower arm area.

 I'm still in the works to make the metal frames for the axle and journal box attacment, I've tried using a CD, plastic cut to match the pattern but that seems to thin.

I'll look at a hardware store for a decent metel thats easily worked for the frame maybe a light switch plate cut out a section for pattern.

more later

[S&G Rute of the Silver River]

good plan. I'm having trubble posting pics too, corse I'm having truble getting the aol to work.

[Snoq. Pass RR]

Is this what you are talking about?  It is made by Hartford Products.

EDIT:  Photo was moved from my computer to another computer, so it stopped working here.  Here is a link to the actual site: http://www.hartfordpr.com/Trucks/t4_trucks.htm