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I would just use the stock Athearn trucks, with Intermountain metal wheels. They roll much better, And the clickety-clack you just can't get with plastic wheelsets. I have found that sprung trucks are more prone to derail than rigid trucks. Kato, Atlas and P2K make very nice replacement trucks, if that is what you want to do. I would use Kadee no. 58 if I was starting a fleet today. Much nicer looking than no. 5, and works just as well. I feel McHenry is just not durable enough. The real railroads run virtually all roller bearing trucks these days. Law says that friction bearing are not allowed in interchage service. On your model pike, you can do what you want. Stock trucks are fine, just as long as you have metal wheels. On the club layout I can run a 60+ car train, all my own cars, without a problem. Most other members, and the club owned cars, have problems getting 20 cars around. To summarize: Use Kadee couplers, making sure they are at correct height, trip pin clears the gauge. Metal wheelsets, I have used Intermountain, P2K, stock Atlas with good results.
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