How to choose trucks for kits?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I recently got a Silver Streak kit. The standard caboose GN in Ho scale , it comes without trucks.

How do you choose the right trucks for each car, like the caboose? In the Walthers catalog there are so many to choose from.

Also who makes the best ones for this type of kit?

Thanks for the info…

Mark

2

Well, there are about 70 photos of GN cabooses here: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsList.aspx?id=GN&cid=1. So if you can match your model up to one of the photos, then match the trucks in the photo to what is in the Walthers catalog, you’ll be all set.

If it turns out you need the standard leaf-spring caboose truck, I believe that Eastern Car works makes a kit, and I think that Bowser may also have something that works.

3

Mark,

I’m a big fan of Tahoe Model Works HO trucks, and the line includes two caboose trucks with elliptical (leaf) springs, the Bettendorf swing-motion type and the Barber-Bettendorf swing-motion type. So far, TMW doesn’t have a Web site, but if you Google “Tahoe Model Works” you’ll find several suppliers who carry these trucks (as yet not including Walthers). They come with metal wheelsets, either standard or semi-scale, and realistic brake beams with brake shoes. The company’s address is 5801 Sheep Drive, No. 7, Carson City, NV 89701, phone 775-882-8813. The Santa Fe waycar in my avatar photo has TMW Bettendorf swing-motion caboose trucks.

So long,

Andy

4

I second the motion on Tahoe trucks.

5

Thanks for the help.

Are the Tahoe trucks all metal or plastic frame with metal wheels?

I was hoping to find an all metal truck leaf spring.

And what does scale and semi scale mean? Whats the difference?

Thanks,

Mark

6

HO freight and passenger car wheels are quite a bit thicker than the prototype would be if reduced to true HO scale, maybe twice as thick. Proto:87 scale wheelsets are very very close to the correct thin profile, but generally need equally correct size track to run on. Semi-scale is kinda in between - wider than true scale width tread, but noticeably narrower than the oversized standard HO wheels - and should still work on regular HO track.

7

To put some numbers on it, standard HO wheel width is 0.110", and the semi-scale ones are 0.088". IIRC, the true scale width of the wheel would be something like 0.060".

http://www.proto87.com/what-is-proto87.html - has a photo showing the difference, it’s pretty dramatic.

  • Gerhard