Athearn 6 wheel passenger trucks...

[PeteVS]

Is there anything inherently wrong with the Athearn BB 6 wheel passenger trucks with the offset pivot? I'm still working on my "stretched Pullman." I'm not offended by the appearance of the trucks that came with the car and it seems a bit foolish to spring for a new pair if what I have (with new wheelsets) will work well. Thanks!

[RR_Mel]

I use the Athearn six wheel trucks on both my streamline and heavy weight passenger cars and have no problems with any of them.  I use the Athearn metal wheels in all of them.

 

I recently bought a couple of 90407 Athearn six wheel Buckeye trucks to try on my Rivarossi Oil Tenders.  So far they are working better than the Precision Scale Brass Trucks.

 

EDIT:

 

The Athearn passenger wheel sets have a slightly longer axle, 1.024”.  Standard axles are 1.004”.  I use the longer axle Athearn 90604 metal wheels in all of my passenger car trucks.

 

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[PeteVS]

RR_Mel

The Athearn passenger wheel sets have a slightly longer axle, 1.024”.  Standard axles are 1.004”.  I use the longer axle Athearn 90604 metal wheels in all of my passenger car trucks.

 

 

Mel

 

 

The 90604 number comes up as horns for an F7 on eBay.

 

PS: Are the wheel sets different between the earlier die cast trucks and the later Delrin trucks?

 

[mbinsewi]

Pete, I just looked, they may have changed their numbers since Mel got his.

These numbers from the Athearn web site:

Try ATH90540 for the long axles, and ATH90506 for the short.

They also have ATH90413 passenger trucks, 6 axle, 36" wheels.

Mike.

[RR_Mel]

You got me guys!

 

 

I bought them about 18 months ago.  I cut up the package labels and put them in my parts drawers for future reference. ????

 

 

EDIT:

 

Sorry guys, I had eye surgery Monday and I couldn't read the label until I posted the above picture.

 

90504

 

 These wheels fit the Detrin Trucks.

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

Same here, I have lots of Athearn passenger cars, with lots 6 wheel trucks, all with the newer metal wheels, they work great.

Sheldon

[PeteVS]

Thanks folks! I had picked up a pack of Intermountain and their axles are only about 1.000 long. They swim in the Athearn truck frames. And, Walthers doesn't seem to carry Athearn. I'll have to get to my LHS. Thanks again.

[RR_Mel]

If you are so inclined you can reuse the Athearn metal wheel on one side plastic wheel on the other axles by removing the plastic wheel and use one of the metal wheels from one of the other axles.  It’s a twofer one deal but you can end up with three metal wheel sets from six.

 

I’m not doing that myself, I did it just to see if it could be done.

 

 

By removing the plastic wheel from one axle and drilling the hole out in a metal wheel from another axle to ⅛” then sleeve it with Evergreen #224 Styrene tubing to insulate the metal wheel from the axle.  Once that is done then press the axle into the tubing and set the wheels to the proper spacing.

 

The first one took twenty minutes the second one too about five minutes.

 

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.