This week I’ve been working on my QCM well-hole flatcar kit. I’m nearly finished with the body and was assembling the trucks that came with the kit when one of the two horiztonal bolster supports split as I was cutting the threads for the holes. [:S]
Correct me if I’m wrong but it appears that these HD flatcars used 3-axle Buckeye trucks. Here’s a photo of one of the truck side frames that came with the kit:
A Goggle search reveals that there are a few look-a-like Buckeye trucks available from manufactures. There are also a few that are close but not the same.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a set of HO 3-axle Buckeye trucks that is both accurate and rolls well?
Gidday Tom, I haven’t done enough study to vouch for the accuracy, I had to add a brake cylinder to mine anyhow; but for rollability, a big thumbs up!![tup][tup]
Plus, being a cheapskate, well priced.
I was aware of the Athearn Buckeye trucks. And the QCM kit instructions state that the trucks were designed for the Athearn wheelsets. One plus is that they are already black, which will be the color of the flatcar.
The PSC trucks also look nice but would require painting. How well do you think they would roll, Sheldon?
The reason that I ask is that I’ve had brass trucks on brass cabooses & tenders that rolled well and not-so well. Most of the time it was due to the brass center bracket on the truck being bent upwards, which isn’t difficult to do if you press down on it. To fix it I would remove the offending truck and wheelsets and flatten the bracket with a pair of smooth-jawed pliers. (Same ones you see in my OP)
Personally, I would use the Athearn trucks, I have several pair waiting for some projects I have not gotten to yet.
PSC truck kits are a project, and will only roll “average” at best. They are 50-60 year old masters for lost wax casting process.
I used trailing trucks from them for my five freelanced Mikados.
I’ve built stuff like this before, so I knew what I was getting into, but every one took 4-5 hours to clean up, fit, solder, and modify for my exact application - and they only have one axle…
They roll well enough, but not what you would call “free rolling”.
I still have one more to build to complete the last loco…
I decided to assemble one of the trucks - just to see how well it went together and rolled. I used some leftover brass wheel sets that I had in my tool box:
I chose NOT to cut threads all the way through the horizontal bolster support holes this time and that helped. The self-tapping screws that came with the kit were too small so the threads just slid through the pre-drilled holes. I picked up 1-72 pan head machining screws @ Menard’s this afternoon. The drilled holes in the bolster support are the correct size for tapping 1-72 threaded screws. However, it doesn’t leave much metal along the side at the bottom where the bolster support tapers down; hence why the other one blew apart.
Assembling the truck was a bit of a challenge. You first insert a bolster support into each opening of one of the side frames and the springs lock the two together. Getting the springs over the bottom & top nipples in the side frames was a work in patience…and scouring the floor beneath you when one flew off the tweezers. The wheelsets go on next then you add the opposite side frame and springs. I only added half of the springs.
It’s a nice-looking truck and it does roll easily. The assembly instructions say to “use the pivot plate [at top] to glue the trucks to the floor [underside] of the car”. I’m not particularly keen on that idea, since dismantling the truck then becomes impossible because all the screws are located on the topside. I’m guessing the manufacturer was assuming the kit builder only wanted to display their assembed creation rather than running it on the layout. [%-)]
The Athearn trucks would give me a better option in that regard. Unfortunately, there isn’t much wood meat undernea
I wouldnt mind having about two dozen of those lil critters myself. I have that many in Commonwealth to swap out. Love those Buckeye’s!
Was the last thing the late RR_Mel (RIP) and I had discussed. He had about a dozen he pulled off Rivarossi tenders. I said PERFECT! I’ll take’m - how much? He said “what the patoonias do ya want those for? Well, whatever, I got a drawer full of 'em some wheres. Let me find’m and find out how many and Ill get back to ya. We’ll talk price then.”
Gidday Tom, I know I tend to overengineer things and while tapping into styrene may be perfectly OK, I use these 2-56 blind nuts. I file off the tangs, and epoxy them into an 1/8” diameter by 1/8” deep hole. I don’t know what the thickness of the wood is in that part of the kit, and whether you may have to add more thickness to obtain the correct coupler height or not, but these blind nuts maybe a solution to your problem.
Make a plate out of brass. Solder in a suitable heavy-wall tube or drilled bar machined OD to the reamed hole in the truck bolster, and then tap for the appropriate broad-headed screw or screw+washer.
Then mark the truck centerline on the car with a punch or drill, and use any thin pointed tool or pin to locate the plate through the drilled hole to center it before clamping.
Gidday Tom, I choose panel steel because I have access to various thicknesses so I’m not against Overmods use of brass.
However, while composing this, I’m presuming that the original trucks are attached to the “pivot plate” by a screw and nut, (??) and if so could be used, instead of purchasing the Athearn buckeyes, if a replacement “pivot plate” was tapped.
While not yet completed, that car looks far too good to be a “Shelf Queen”!
¼[2c] Cheers, the Bear.[:)]
Central Valley made a snap on mounting system for 3 axle trucks. I intend to use those to mount the old Athearn metal Buckeye trucks on the AHM USAX flatcars.
Walthers 3 axle trucks have the mounting hole offset to go between 2 of the axles since you can’t get a screw in that’s centered above the center axle.
The pivot plate (as pointed to by your arrow above) is attached from the top by a screw (no nut) and secured to the “H” bracket directly below:
If a new plate were fabricated, the “H” bracket in the middle would have to have the center hole on the bottom side countersunk in order for the screw head to clear the center axle and secure the truck to the pivot plate.
The way I see it, the old pivot plate could still be used with the “H” bracket counterbored and countersunk to clear the screw threads. All that would be needed is a way to secure the screw to the underside of the ends. Perhaps a 1-72 nut inset into the wood & expoxied to the underside of the metal casting would minimize the coupler drop?
