Who makes HO Delrin arch bar trucks?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi gang,

Quick question:

Who makes Delrin HO arch bar trucks?

I need Delrin trucks so that I can convert them to pick up power for a couple of cars on my rotary plow train.

I bought some really nice arch bar trucks from Kadee, not realizing that they were all metal. Dumb!

I bought a box of Tichy arch bar truck kits but they are too fragile to convert, at least for me.

Cheers!!

Dave

2

Well that didn’t take long! I thought that I had searched Bowser before but apparently I didn’t do it carefully enough. They sell arch bar trucks for $2.50 ea. so now I have 10 pairs on order.

Cheers!!

Dave

3

Dave, Out of curiosity, why were the Tichy trucks not suitable for your needs?

I seem to remember converting one apir of their Bettendorf style caboose trucks for electrical pick up, and had no problems.

This could be a cloudy memory.

-Kevin

4

Hi Kevin,

I found the Tichy trucks to be too delicate to withstand the way I install my home made contacts. I make my own primarily because I find that I can get the trucks to roll much more freely than with the commercial contacts that I have tried.

I also found it rather difficult and annoying to clean the flash off of the side frames. That’s my klutzy side kicking in![swg]

Cheers!!

Dave

5

Dave,

Tahoe model works sells beautiful arch bar trucks in several varieties. MDC made some good ones as well, but long OOOP.

Kevin, the issue for me with Tichy trucks is that it is easy to assemble them off skew - making the running characteristics pretty questionable - they do look great though.

Guy

6

Interesting.

There was no flash I remember on the Bettendorf caboose trucks.

Even more interesting.

With the Tichy Bettendorf caboose trucks the only assembly was to install the wheelsets.

I use Kadee trucks on vitrtually everything, so I have very limited experience with all the other brands out there.

-Kevin

7

Hi Kevin,

The Tichy arch bar trucks come in three parts. The side frames have to be glued to the cross members. If the castings were without any flash the trucks could simply be put on a smooth surface while the glue sets, but they often have flash on the bottoms of the side frames. That will cause the bearings to sit at different heights therein putting the trucks out of alignment. You could try installing wheels before the glue sets and then putting them on a smooth surface but that starts to get a bit fussy IMHO.

Cheers!!

Dave

8

Thank you for that information.

I had no idea.

-Kevin

9

Actually more than three parts:

https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Portals/0/Instructions/3002.pdf?ver=y5xyGOk11DzYPyqjCwSsgQ%3D%3D

10

MDC Roundhouse Old Timer freight cars came with Delrin HO arch bar trucks, not sure if Athearn (current owner) sells the trucks separately. But as the vintage Old Timer cars often sell for under $5 at train shows, one might justify buying one just for the trucks and discarding the car body.

Jim

11

Kadee makes a nice archbar truck with pickups already attached:

Trucks_wired-b by Edmund, on Flickr

Good Luck, Ed

12

Or putting it up on blocks - particulary house cars - for use as a company structure

13

Ed: about the Athearn Genesis trucks in your picture…

It looks like they pick up electricity on all four wheels of each truck. Do you think the electrical pickup is good enough for a locomotive?

It looks like the wipers rub on the outside faces of wheelsets. Is this correct?

I would like 8 wheel pick-up under my tenders. These might be an easy solution.

-Kevin

14

The design is even better than that. There are no wipers. The bronze inserts on the backs of the sideframes engage the needlepoints of the wheel/axle assembly. Yes all four wheels of each truck conduct power. The only downside is that Athearn only offers (I believe) roller bearing trucks.

I’ll have to check, I believe Tangent* uses a similar design and they do offer a solid-bearing type that would look better under a tender.

  • Yes, they do have a solid-bearing model but the bolster/spring package is definitely a style used on a caboose but with the leaf spring it might not look so bad under a tender.

(scroll down)

https://www.tangentscalemodels.com/product-category/trucks/

Regards, Ed

15

Ed: Thank you for the information about the Tangent versions of these trucks. They look good.

I was thinking I could replace the journal covers on the Athearn trucks with pieces removed from Blue Box Kits, but now I think modifying the Tangent truck leaf springs is an easier choice.

-Kevin

16

Let me amplify, I have found by long experience to never throw anything out, but to throw into the “jungue” box. You never know if ten years down the line you are looking for just that and regretting having thrown it out

17

I placed an order for two pair of the Tangent caboose trucks with electrical pickup.

If these are an effective way to easily add eight wheel electrical pick-up to a brass tender I will be very happy.

Thanks again for the information.

-Kevin