Unknown part for a tank car

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Upon opening the box of a recently received Intermountain tank car (recently released 10000 gal.), I found those two parts in the bottom a the plastic tray.

I never saw that on any tank car model. Where am I supposed to fix those parts?

2

Looks like a part that may go on the trucks. I have bought new cars that have pieces in the box that were duplicates or not from the car at all.

3

Looking at the Intermountain instruction’s parts list on the invaluable HO Seeker website,

http://www.hoseeker.net/intermountain/intermountainacftype27rivetedtankcarpg2.jpg

it is identified as a brake beam assembly and is shown below the truck on this drawing

http://www.hoseeker.net/intermountain/intermountainacftype27rivetedtankcarpg3.jpg

Dave Nelson

4

Make sure it’s properly seated in the truck when installed. That’s the part that led to my “moaning” car incident, when one wasn’t and would intermittently get rubbed by the rotating wheel flange, causing the “moan.” Very simple fix – seat it properly in the truck – but hard to track down.

5

Thank you all for the information.

Dave: thank you for the reference, great site.

Two question arise:

  • Why are those parts not in place already? It is a RTR car after all.
  • Why do I have to search the web for the instruction sheet? Up to now all RTR cars I bought came whith it.
6

I don’t know Guy. It might be that Intermountain experienced problems with that particular part coming loose during shipping so just decided to make it a user installed part - in which case, yes, they should have provided some instructions. Many makes of trains and freight car trucks lack that brake beam part and perhaps also some purchasers prefer not to bother with it. And the car can of course be run out of the box without the brake beam parts being installed so it is nonetheless RTR.

I am reminded that the first run of the Walthers commuter bi-level cars called for the purchaser to install all the grab irons as well as the car numbers–so RTR is not the same as saying there are not things the purchaser can do to make it even more complete. But Walthers at least made it clear to the purchaser about the grab irons and numbers.

Dave Nelson