Hello all. I got’s another question to axe. Besides the prototypical appearance of actual springs on HO trucks, are there really any other advantages? Personally, I don’t think so, but all other input is appreciated. BTW, I DO have them on some rolling stock that is for static-purpose only, like my ‘Steam Train with coaches’ in my 1920’s ‘museum’ diorama.
Actual springs don’t look realistic. They are too “relaxed” (stretched out, not compressed) compared to the prototype. I’ve never experienced any operational advantage either. Dummy-spring trucks have enough flexibility to navigate trackwork as well as any truck with actual springs, leastwise in HO scale.
Mark
No, wheelsets dont have to have actual spring to be reliable. Any modern wheel set will do just fine.
David B
While I agree as far as appearance goes (at least to some extent), the operational advantages can be substantial, depending on the quality of the truck. A good-quality sprung truck (e.g.: old Central Valley, both freight and passenger) will track much better, and be much more forgiving of rough track than a similar solid truck. If you’ve any doubts, pull two heavyweight passenger cars, each weighing about the same, but with one having a pair of old CV 6-wheel trucks under it and the other with Athearn or Rivarossi solid trucks. Watch how the two cars ride over switchwork and rough rail joints. Watch how smoothly the sprung-truck car rides as compared to the unsprung. Which would you rather be a passenger in?
If, however, the unsprung truck has sideframes which pivot on the truck bolster, it can be almost as good as a sprung-and-equalized truck.
It also depends on the softness of the springs and the weight of the car. If the car is light and the springs are stiff you aren’t going to get much “spring” action.
I don’t like them and don’t use them. The regular trucks serve me just fine.
True. That’s one of the reasons behind the NMRA’s weighting RP. When it was developed, sprung trucks were still common on models. However, even though you don’t get much loading-up of the springs, the pivoting (“equalizing”) action of the sideframes is still beneficial.
I haven’t had much luck with the sprung trucks like Kadee sells, but I got some Intermountain kits from Don Z and they have these fantastic flexible plastic roller bearing trucks with them. The action is VERY light and they roll and flex great! More of a flex/pivot action than a spring action. I really, really like these things! I don’t know if IM sells them separate or not.
Our Japanese friends get that equalizing action by attaching sideframes to truck bolsters with shouldered screws - much more dependable and not weight-sensitive.
My big heartburn with model sprung trucks is that there is very little resemblance between the scrawny wire springs and the beefy steel of the prototype. Look at both. The space between the prototype coils is about equivalent to the thickness of the model coils, and vice-versa.
(Of course, my prototype used leaf springs - not very common in U.S. practice.)
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Yes, the Central Valley trucks were great. I still have some squirreled away. They tracked very well over some rough track on my second layout that the solid trucks derailed on every time.
Enjoy
Paul
3T:
I had some old Walthers passenger-car trucks like that, a while back. I never really noticed any differences in operation. I think, at least in the smaller scales, the trucks tend to rock enough on their kingpins to keep the wheels in contact, as long as the track isn’t atrociously bad.
Mark
Solid side frames don’t look particularly realistic, either. For the most part - there are some well-detailed exceptions - the solid side frames say cheap. Just like steam drivers with the spokes filled in. Although the model springs don’t have enough bulk, and are not closely wound enough, I have seen exceptions that come pretty close. If the springing is done right, there is decent equalization, which is key to good tracking with finer scale wheel sets. Given the current state of the hobby, the best reasonably-price compromise would be rigid frames with dummy springs - but the the gaps between modeled truck components would not be filled in with metal or plastic.
my thoughts
Fred W
Hi!
The older (and I mean OLDER - like 1950s & 1960s) Athearn BB kits came with sprung trucks, and at the time I thought they were soooo cool!. But the fact is, the springs do not look realistic, and serve no purpose as the cars are much lighter than needed to make the springs compress a bit. I still have a few cars with them, but if they ever need work, they will be replaced.
ENJOY,
Mobilman44