I am building my first Fn3 boxcar. It’s an Ozark Miniatures Clear Creek series boxcar. The axle journals (1010 Fully Sprung Pedestal Journal) are white metal (pewter?) and I’m interested in opinions as to how well they will wear, and whether it is worthwhile to insert a brass bearing in each journal?
Robert,
I’m not sure what ‘white metal’ is, speaking of its metallurgy. I’m told modern ‘pewter’ aka white metal, has more tin in it, and thus is harder. I also hear of low melting temperature ‘white metal’ about which I know nothing.
Look at the journals where the axles would go and see if there’s enough metal to remove to allow a bearing. (You’d have to have a bearing for outside dimensions, obviously).
Personally, I wouldn’t worry about it: keep an eye on it and if it starts to wear, then go the bearing route.
Hope this is helpful.
Les
Robert,
Like Les, I don’t know for sure, but my guess is that the white metal will wear as well the plastic journals of most “G” scale trucks. And they seem to last forever.
Walt
Les/Walt - thanks for your thoughts. The trap with these kits is that you epoxy the journals to the carbody … no chance to disassemple like you can with trucks. On reflection I guess that my boxcar is unlikely to put on enough miles for journal wear to be a problem. And if it does become a problem then I’ll just have to build another one! Thanks again.
Robert:
I’ve got a set of Ozark Miniatures logging disconnects and a bobber caboose. I picked them up at the '07 BTS in Ontario. Granted I do not run them as much as the other cars, mostly due to my failure to properly design a “link shackle” to the “loop” of LGB connections. Anyway, I’ve not noticed any signs of undue wear. One modification I did make was to get some “mini” nuts and bolts. I “bolted” the journals to the frame before construction. At least on the disconnects, I built the bobber in the class they sponsored, so it was glued. The glued journals seem to be holding up surprisingly well. I have been know to leave a few cars outside for several months at a time, including the OM’s and the only damage was a serious set of tooth marks (5 pound dogs tooth marks.) A little selective carving with an X-Acto blade and they look even more “aged”.
Robert,
Here in the UK when we model in 16mm scale we always fit brass “top hat” bearing bushes to our white metal axle boxes. This allows the metal journals of the axles to run smoother and requires less effort for traction.
I would advise you to go to a K&S stockist and poke your journal down a few of their tubes.
regards
ralph
Hi Ralph, I think I’d rather do that at home… but on a serious note, though I’m unfamiliar with a “top hat”, I have some K&S and will try that. Thank you for your help.
Hi Tom, I like your idea of bolting the journals. There’s not much chance of servicing the journals if they’re glued on. And as I expect my rolling stock to “see me out” I want to be able to service them for many, many years. Thanks for your help.
So Ralph, for better (or worse) I have used K&S brass tube as bearings in my Ozark journals. Not the prettiest piece of work but it is my first time.
photo of the result is at: http://www3.telus.net/beyondlogic/Garden_RR/Journals.jpg
cheers
Robert,
So far so good!
Now imagine a brass washer stuck to the length of K&S tube to act as a side thrust bearing and you have what we call a “Top Hat” bearing bush. This stops the steel wheel boss rubbing against the white metal.
regards
ralph
Hi Ralph, that makes a lot of sense. Right now my brass bearings are slightly proud of the white metal so I’ll leave them as is on this boxcar (to say nothing about the fact that extracting them would be next to impossible!) but I’d like to improve with my next project. Are the top-hat bearings commercially available or do you make your own? Would silver soldering a washer be sufficiently strong?
They are commercially available -but I make my own!!! I use electrical solder -not silver solder. I just make them out of a length of brass tube inside a brass washer, stand them in a row, and use my 25Watt soldering iron on them.
I will admit to be using quite a lot of silver solder in my current project -but that is being made 6mm square steel bar!!!
regards
ralph
Ok, 6mm square bar … definitely out of my league! Home made top-hats it is then! Thanks for your help Ralph.