Fox Trucks in HO

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I model early 20th century with lots of 36’ boxcars but unfortunately can’t find acceptable Fox style trucks. I have ordered a kit from Kit-Bits but I’d hate to have to build several dozen metal truck kits. Anybody know if plastic Fox trucks are available anywhere? I tried Roundhouse and they no longer sell individual trucks.

Thanks - Bill

2

I just happen to have this page open. Bitter Creek sells them but in metal. I buy my trucks from Bitter Creek. They also help provide weight for the rolling stock.

http://www.bittercreekmodels.com/TRUCKS.html

Rich

3

Bethleham Car Works Kitbit trucks has a Fox truck

Dave Nelson

PS Oops just re-read your post and now see you don’t want the Bethlehem trucks because they are a metal kit. OK. BTS offers a Fox truck in plastic which according to their website is the Roundhouse casting with NWSL wheels. http://www.btsrr.com/btsdet01.htm

Best of all for your purposes, it looks like they offer a bulk pack.

4

Here is a direct link. Scroll down.

http://www.bethlehemcarworks.com/Products/Kit_Bits/index.html

Rich

5

Thanks for the help. I did order a pair of KitBits trucks from Bethlehem a couple months ago. Unfortunately nothing has shown up yet. I checked the BTS website and they are the trucks I really want. But at $9 a pair, they’re a little pricey. I know they include NWSL wheelsets but Kadee wheels would only be about $1 per truck. Hard to justify that much for a non-equalized plastic casting. Especially when I need about 30 pair of trucks.

6

Take a look at this guy’s website – he provides two prototype drawings of fox trucks.

http://home.comcast.net/~OhioRiverElectricRailway/fox.htm

He shows how he scratchbuilds Fox trucks in G scale and made a pattern from which he casts duplicates. I wonder if there is the germ of an idea there for you - make your own.

For example a cheap plastic truck, with most of the detail filed flat except for the journals, and a simple piece of shim styrene or brass fitted over it could give at least the basic outline or appearance of a Fox truck. For something more elaborate perhaps you could consider this guy’s idea of a home brewed casting.

Distant and ancient memory is that Athearn offered a fox truck — but why? Was it the front truck on their Rotary snow plow?

Dave Nelson

7

After 6 months of backorder, it appears that the Kit Bits trucks from Bethlehem are never going to materialize. Making my own might be a solution, but I’ll probably never get to it. I might consider buying a couple pair of the pricey Roundhouse trucks mentioned earlier, but definitely not enough to convert all my cars. Maybe an email to Athearn might produce some results. If I get a reply, I’ll post it here.

Bill

8

You can find fully sprung Fox trucks from Central Valley on online auctions. Had some once - they’re great trucks, but not plastic. Nice heavy metal. (Why would you want plastic, if you could get metal?) It take patience to track down the CV trucks, but it’s do-able…