Can someone please explain trucks to me? Its my understanding that in the 70s, all US rolling stock had to use a certain type of truck and that thay type is still in use today. What is it called? I’ve been fortunate enough to recieve a lot of free N Scale rolling stock but most of it is modeled for the 1940s-1960s and has a different type of truck. What is that type of truck called?
My plan is to eventually have a modern era layout. How much of this stuff can I convert? If they don’t come with modern trucks, does that mean they are too old to use realistically on a modern layout or are there examples of rolling stock built in the 60s and 70s still operating today (with new trucks)?
Well, all freight cars which are interchanged on US/Canadian Railroads must use roller bearing trucks, and this rule was instituted in 1966, I believe.
Friction Bearing Trucks were common on Freight cars before the rule took effect (and for a number of years afterwards), and can be found on some MOW equipment (and museum pieces, of course).
Roughly, roller bearing trucks have round caps where the truck side frames support the axles, and friction bearning have a rectangular box there (I’m sure someone will supply a site with pictures shortly).
Here’s a site with some illustrations and pictures (including the inside of a Friction Bearing Journal), and roller bearings (plus histories and diagrams of how they work).
Anyway, you’ll want roller bearings for modern-era freight cars (and passenger cars/locomotives too - many diesel switchers from the 1940s/1950s had Friction bearings).
Note that during the transition period, railroads would sometimes reuse friction bearing trucks by keeping the journals and installing roller bearings in them - I don’t have any pictures right now, but I’ve seen this and it’s rather cool to model…
The December 2003 issue of Model Railroader had an excellent article on freight trucks, with tons of pictures showing their history and the differences between them. You can buy a copy right from the back issue service of this site, if you can’t find it locally.
I doubt that many will see/tell the difference on N scale equipment. This is not meant to start a flame war - just an observation that I see at the shows. Heck, I even have a guy in my club who likes to show off his operating roller bearing trucks (HO scale) but you have to use a flashlight to see the bearings turn. It’s kinda like super detailing the underside of your equipment which no one will see unless they use a mirror. But if you are set on using the correct trucks on all of your equipment, I applaud you.
I agree. I’ve been in N scale since 1968. The difference between friction and rollerbearing is hard to see in N scale. It is also difficuIlt to tell the different side frame types. However I would notice if a “modern” car inappropriaely had arch bar trucks instead of a latter type.
I model in N-scale and agree that (from a distance) it is really hard to tell the difference. At N-trak shows, I throw on whatever truck/coupler will fit and is reliable. Some of my rolling stock goes out with mixed trucks! It may draw a snicker from a fellow member who may be paying attention (and even cares), but the general audience is oblivious.
The main way I tell the difference between rolling & friction bearing trucks in N-scale is the number of springs on the side.
Here is a picture of a car with 70 ton roller bearing trucks (as if anyone could tell between 70 & 100 ton in this scale[%-)]) showing three springs:
This is a picture of a car with Friction bearing trucks showing two springs:
Don’t bet on the springs, they denote tonnage, not bearing type. 100 ton trucks are typically roller-bearing, dating back well prior to the interchange requirement, but 70 ton trucks could be either type, and 50 ton trucks were still in use after 1968 (1966 was when all new cars for interchange service were required to be roller-bearing, 1968 was the drop-dead date for cars built prior to 1966)
Thanks for the help guys. One more question. Are there other, obvious ways of determining if rolling stock could be seen on railroads today? I want a modenr layout, but have a lot of friction bearing cars. How do I know which ones to upgrade to roller bearing trucks?
