Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Overland HO Scale Caboose trucks

4801 views
17 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Boston
  • 2,226 posts
Overland HO Scale Caboose trucks
Posted by Budliner on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 8:33 PM

I just scored some brass trucks for $7

Winning bid:US $7.10 

how are rthe overland brass trucks the wheelsets look thick like there to stay on the rail with no problem

I must have a cabin car these can live on

I never had overland brass

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Boston
  • 2,226 posts
Posted by Budliner on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 9:01 PM

there no 4-8-4

 

Ken

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Boston
  • 2,226 posts
Posted by Budliner on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 11:16 PM

hope not

 

K

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Crosby, Texas
  • 3,660 posts
Posted by cwclark on Thursday, November 15, 2007 7:16 AM
 davidmbedard wrote:

how are rthe overland brass frucks the wheelsets look thick like there to stay on the rail with no problem

They are sprung and brass.  Other than that, they are no better than the latest plastic fruck offerings.

David B

I have to disagree with you here. I swapped all my plastic trucks with metal trucks. Metal trucks are a lot better than plastic ones. The metal trucks have more weight to them so the truck stays on the track better than plastic especially at those turnout frogs that are notorious for derailments when backing across them. Metal trucks roll smoother than plastic ones and they don't get the track as dirty as plastic ones do. Plastic attrracts dirt like a magnet. I had to clean the ring of grime from the plastic wheels about every 6 months and clean the track once a month before swapping over to metal trucks. I've never had to clean the metal wheels since doing so and the track needs cleaning only about every 4 months now .....chuck

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: SE Michigan
  • 922 posts
Posted by fmilhaupt on Thursday, November 15, 2007 7:19 AM

'depends on which set of caboose trucks you got.

On every Overland C&O, Ann Arbor and Wabash caboose I've bought from various production runs over the past twenty years, the trucks have been the weak spot.

The stock trucks look nice, but haven't really held up well in operation. The wheelsets are OK, if a bit thick by current standards, but the way the bolster is attached to the trucks which came on the Overland cabooses (a tab on the sideframe held by a screw to the piece of channel which serves as the bolster), I inevitably had problems with the screws working loose. This would allow the sideframes to skew out of square, which caused shorts.

A couple of times, I've had sets where the axles were so loose in the sideframes that the sides of the wheels would short against the sideframes.

I've ended up replacing the trucks with plastic ones with metal wheelsets. Fortunately, all of these cabooses I've bought use the same design of truck, which matches the ones that Atlas offers on their Trainman line cabooses.

Now, if the trucks are of an unusual design which doesn't have a counterpart in plastic, I'd recommend squaring them up, then applying some Loc-Tite and tightening down the sideframe screws. 

 

-Fritz Milhaupt, Publications Editor, Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.
http://www.pmhistsoc.org

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Georgia, USA
  • 583 posts
Posted by rayw46 on Thursday, November 15, 2007 7:56 AM
 cwclark wrote:
 davidmbedard wrote:

how are rthe overland brass frucks the wheelsets look thick like there to stay on the rail with no problem

They are sprung and brass.  Other than that, they are no better than the latest plastic fruck offerings.

David B

I have to disagree with you here. I swapped all my plastic trucks with metal trucks. Metal trucks are a lot better than plastic ones. The metal trucks have more weight to them so the truck stays on the track better than plastic especially at those turnout frogs that are notorious for derailments when backing across them. Metal trucks roll smoother than plastic ones and they don't get the track as dirty as plastic ones do. Plastic attrracts dirt like a magnet. I had to clean the ring of grime from the plastic wheels about every 6 months and clean the track once a month before swapping over to metal trucks. I've never had to clean the metal wheels since doing so and the track needs cleaning only about every 4 months now .....chuck

I can agree that metal trucks, being heavier, may track better, but I'm kind of iffy on how they can help to keep the track cleaner; metal wheels, maybe, althought there is still a debate on that.  Even nickle-silver track, left to itself, will develope a dirty film and have to be cleaned.  Of course, all of this is a matter of personal experience, subject to the variety of conditions under which each modeler runs his or her railroad.

Ray

Shoot for the stars; so you miss, you are only lost in space.
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Boston
  • 2,226 posts
Posted by Budliner on Thursday, November 15, 2007 10:12 AM

I have mostly proto 2000 with plastic shaft

but I wus under the impression overland was of good quality

but sounds like these just as flimsy as say tenshudo

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Colorado Springs, CO
  • 3,590 posts
Posted by csmith9474 on Thursday, November 15, 2007 10:18 AM

I tried to use some Overland passenger car trucks on a project a while back, and they were awful. I ended up using Train Station Products plastic trucks with MUCH better results.

I have also heard in the past that Overland trucks were not exactly the greatest in the world. Just because a piece of model railroading equipment is made of brass doesn't mean it is of signifigant quality.

Smitty
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Boston
  • 2,226 posts
Posted by Budliner on Thursday, November 15, 2007 10:24 AM

oh well $7

I guess I will try to use the loc-tite '

or try to upgrade them, if not its a shelf queens best freind

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Colorado Springs, CO
  • 3,590 posts
Posted by csmith9474 on Thursday, November 15, 2007 10:28 AM
 Budliner wrote:

oh well $7

I guess I will try to use the loc-tite '

or try to upgrade them, if not its a shelf queens best freind

Hey, you never know. They may end up being good trucks. Don't give up on them until you have a chance to work with them.

Smitty
  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Crosby, Texas
  • 3,660 posts
Posted by cwclark on Thursday, November 15, 2007 10:58 AM
 davidmbedard wrote:

I have to disagree with you here. I swapped all my plastic trucks with metal trucks. 

You missunderstood me.  I was refering to the metal wheelset in a plastic truck that is typical of most quality rolling stock offered today.  I was not talking about plastic wheelsets.

Which metal 'trucks' do you use? 

David B

OH.... Well OK then, ..You should see the pile of plastic wheelsets I have by the RIP tracks!.... I use Intermountain, Atlas, and Kato metal wheels with plastic trucks. Barber S-2, and bettendorf 70 and 100 tonners to be exact...I don't use all metal trucks...way too pricey!....chuck

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 15, 2007 11:35 AM

 Those trucks will serve you well. I have over 30 pairs running of the Overland caboose trucks. They perform very well. I usually replace the wheelsets with NWSL semi-scale wheelsets. Keeping the screws tight has never been an issue- just make sure the trucks are square (in tram) when you mount them. Loctite them if needed.

 It is funny- somebody mentioned the Atlas Trainman trucks. We needed that EXACT ( Bettendorf-style swing motion leaf spring with Friction bearings) truck for years and the only way to get a quality one was the Overland truck. I bought them whenever I could. I was going to have them tooled and bring them to market when I heard Atlas was working on them.

 I tried to get Atlas to sell them separately to no avail. When the Trainman caboose came out, I bought a dozen undecs for just the trucks. THEN, Atlas started selling them all alone.

 LOL- I have a bunch of "legless" cabeese now.

 The Atlas friction bearing truck is a beauty! I put NWSL .88 wheels and the KADEE brake beams on them. I bead blast them in my booth and they look great under brass and plastic cabooses that need them. I model the early 70's and this truck was common under most cabooses from most railroads.

 Keith Turley/ Details West

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Georgia, USA
  • 583 posts
Posted by rayw46 on Thursday, November 15, 2007 1:51 PM
 davidmbedard wrote:

I have to disagree with you here. I swapped all my plastic trucks with metal trucks. Metal trucks are a lot better than plastic ones. The metal trucks have more weight to them so the truck stays on the track better than plastic especially at those turnout frogs that are notorious for derailments when backing across them. Metal trucks roll smoother than plastic ones and they don't get the track as dirty as plastic ones do. Plastic attrracts dirt like a magnet. I had to clean the ring of grime from the plastic wheels about every 6 months and clean the track once a month before swapping over to metal trucks. I've never had to clean the metal wheels since doing so and the track needs cleaning only about every 4 months now .....chuck

You missunderstood me.  I was refering to the metal wheelset in a plastic truck that is typical of most quality rolling stock offered today.  I was not talking about plastic wheelsets.

Which metal 'trucks' do you use? 

David B

David, I don't use metal trucks, except for a couple of freight cars I picked up at train shows with sprung trucks (They're neither better nor worse than the plastic trucks).  I am in the process, like many modelers, of changing out my plastic wheels for metal.  I use Proto 2000 wheels.  They're great, in my opinion, except that almost all of them must be re-gauged.

Ray

Shoot for the stars; so you miss, you are only lost in space.
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Weymouth, Ma.
  • 5,199 posts
Posted by bogp40 on Thursday, November 15, 2007 5:31 PM
 Budliner wrote:

oh well $7

I guess I will try to use the loc-tite '

or try to upgrade them, if not its a shelf queens best freind

If the caboose is weighted properly and you have no issues with a proper fit at the bolster, I don't believe these trucks will cause any problems. Most brass trucks are mounted with a spring and screw combination. You may find that shimming and using a certain pan head screw size for the bolster to fit.

I have had the best performance from using Kadee trucks, however, generally a decent metal wheel installed in the plastic truck will work fine.

Modeling B&O- Chessie  Bob K.  www.ssmrc.org

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Boston
  • 2,226 posts
Posted by Budliner on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 9:50 AM

well I received the trucks

and there not too bad' they have the screw rigged to not tighten down, its a shaft on the bolt

I have been tring to get the caked on paint off, and they look like there in good shape

I guess the dirt build up protected the wheels

I will try to post a photo of how they look when done.

K

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!