I don't usually replace trucks (or wheelsets, for that matter) unless something is defective with the original. Here's a Tyco gondola with its stock trucks and wheels, although the Talgo-style couplers have been cut off and replaced by body-mounted Kadees...
This car, a modified Westerfield kit, naturally came without trucks, and since I built it to represent an older car which had been relegated to MoW service, archbar trucks were appropriate...
...however, the only such ones I had on-hand were Kadees, so I modified them slightly with a black-out panel behind the normally sparse-looking spring package...
Another car, this one from Train Miniature. There was at least one batch of TM cars which came with bad wheels (out-of-round) in sprung trucks, and for those, I used either Kadee (metal) or Athearn (plastic) wheelsets which I had on-hand. This car may have been from that batch, but when I bought it off the "used" table at a nearby LHS, it had no trucks at all. After a few modifications, and paint and lettering (C-D-S), I put some Tahoe Model Works two-level Dalman trucks under it...
The situation was similar for this Athearn boxcar and seven others like it, which were bought as used body shells, in various states of disrepair. While I'm not a big fan of metal wheels, I kinda liked the look of the Proto National B-1 trucks, which were popular around the time these cars would have last been upgraded, so all eight got them...
Occasionally, I'll find a defective truck on a car, and may replace both trucks with another style, saving the replaced good one. The next car that has a defective truck may get that saved one (as long as it maintains the proper ride-height). It wasn't at all uncommon to see prototype cars with non-matching trucks.
While Kadee sprung trucks are nice, in my opinion, the newer, solid ones look better. Neither, even though they may accept Proto87 wheelsets, are suitable for them, as, like all non-Proto87 HO trucks, the sideframes are mounted on bolsters which are wider than prototypical, leaving a big gap between the back face of the sideframe and the outer face of the much-narrower Proto87 wheel.
Wayne
I started this layout with a collection of mostly Athearn and Tyco cars from my previous layout in the early 1960s. Eventually I swapped out those plastic wheelsets for metal ones. I had to replace the trucks to replace the Tyco wheels, and I found that many of the Athearn trucks with real springs were not strong enough to support metal wheels and axles, so those had to go, too. Most of my replacement trucks are Tichy. All trucks get weathered before going on cars.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Even plastic talgo (coupler attached - usually horn hook coupler) train set type trucks can look OK if the coupler part is chiseled off and the truck is weathered and gets new wheels.
My own experience is that there is no one make of truck that fits equally well on all underframe bolsters. So I keep a selection handy (Walthers, Bowser, and some other makes), but Kadee is my usual go-to if I feel I need to replace a truck.
Ditto replacement wheels. I like Kadee wheels (wire brush in a Dremel removes the coating from the wheel tread) but there are trucks where Intermountain wheels are a better replacement, so I keep a supply of both. This is not new: way back AHM trucks with the awful wheel sets and deep flanges were an unusual and hard to retro-fit, until I learned by chance that the RP-25 standard plastic wheels I had been removing from Train Miniature kits in favor of metal wheels did work in AHM trucks. The TM plastic wheels are not very good but those are likely my only plastic wheels that I would tolerate, at least until I replace the original AHM truck with something else.
Dave Nelson
Hi John:
I only replace trucks if they are defective or have the couplers mounted on them. The exception is caboose trucks where the supplied trucks don't have leaf springs.
I haven't had a lot of defective trucks. The most recent replacements were sprung trucks supplied with 1940s vintage Star Line stock cars. The castings were very fragile to the point where they would break if I tried to install a missing spring (zinc rot I'm guessing). I have also had a few BB trucks that were not moulded properly so there was a gap at the bottom of the axle bearings that would allow the axles to fall out.
I like Tichy trucks. They are nicely done without too much flash and they are inexpensive.
I bought a truck tuner quite some time ago but I have only used it once or twice. I have found that if I bend the side frames outward by 30 degrees or so when they spring back they will stay bent just enough to give proper clearance on the axles. I have only had to do that a couple of times and I have about 250 cars.
I use InterMountain wheel sets. I know that some modellers have encountered problems with having the wrong axle lengths in some cases but I have only rarely seen that with my rolling stock.
If you were modelling to Proto 87 standards you could replace all of your trucks with high end Kadees or other specialty trucks. Kevin has done that and I respect his modelling standards which are obviously higher than mine. If that's your thing then go for it, but you will spend a lot of money and most people wouldn't know the difference.
Regards,
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
YES!
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Every piece of freight equipment (except one) on the STRATTON & GILLETTE RR rides on Kadee trucks. The only pieces of eqipment that do not get trucks replaced are Kadee freight cars, but they get 0.110" wheels installed.
The one piece not on Kadee trucks has an old set of Varney sprung trucks, but it has Kadee 0.110" wheelsets.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Hello all,
Much of my rolling stock is vintage and came equipped with Talgo type trucks and truck mounted couplers.
I have replaced the trucks and body mounted the couplers.
Take a look at this post: Sprung vs. un-sprung trucks http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/13/t/249039.aspx
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
I only replace the trucks if they are problem children. Most of the trucks that come with RTR rolling stock are satisfactory. With Accurail kits, I replace the wheel sets but not the truck. I have a reaming tool which I bought from Micro-Mark which helps the performance of those trucks as well.
Couplers are a different matter. If it doesn't have a KD #5 or the whisker equivalent (can't remember the number) it isn't going on the layout.
Is it worth it to replace the trucks on your cars? What is the advantage and is it worth the cost? And which one do you use?