Trucks and Wheels

[Keith Hayes]

On Facebook, a Sn3 newcomer is documenting a kit build and asked for some tips with respect to the trucks and wheelsets.

At a recent Sn3 or Narrow Gauge event, Mr. Bill Bussaca visited Leadville and shared that he has started to glue his sideframes to the bolster to improve tracking. While PBL and BLW/PVC make spiffy castings that self-equalize, Bill observe the trucks included on the PBL RTO cars are all rigid. If you have some of these RTO models you know that they are darn near perfect and operate with no issues. In fact, they roll so well, I might need to file a flat spot in the wheel to keep them from moving around. (just kidding!) I forget the adhesive that Bill suggested, but Marc LaChey and Doug Jolley suggest DAP Rapid Fuse.

In other mods, they suggest reaming out the axle holes in the side frames some for the new metal wheels.

PBL and BLW/PVC have evolved the truck construction over time. Older trucks used to have a sort of 'button' that we had to force into the springplank/ truck center. The newer truck sideframes have a sprue extension with a 'hook' that clips over a bit on the truck center at the bearing block. Before inserting the hook (and now adding a dab of DAP Rapid Fuse), I clip off the end of the hook (noted above) so that I can access the screw for the car to add and remove the trucks.

Another modification I make, is the new trucks have a brake beam plank that snaps onto the bottom of the truck center. I drill a hole in this so I can get to the screw to add and remove the trucks. Speaking of screws, the older kits had a small, slotted wood screw. Newer kits have a pan-head 00-80 metal screw. I was able to purchase some extras from PBL.

A couple ideas that recently occured to me have to do with assembly aids. You cannot be in the hobby for more than a few years without starting a spare parts box. Heck, I build whole models now by foraging in my spare parts box for brake hangers, retainers and other bits and bobs! If you don't have a couple spare sets of trucks, you should buy some. While assembling cars, use the truck center as a temporary piece so the car can stand upright during assembly without damaging the truss rods/ queenposts and brake gear. Heck, with the Dap Rapid Fuse, I can glue together a couple old sideframes and have some 'shop trucks' just for this purpose!

I am just finishing a model where I assembled the trucks and meticulously masked the treads with thin strips of tape for painting. I realized that I have a large supply of early PBL plastic wheelsets that I could insert instead. Old timers will recall that Ol' Bill had a brilliant idea to cast wheels in Delrin and slip them over brass axles in order to get some nice raised lettering on the face and the raised spiral on the reverse. This was neat, except the plastic tended to spread gunk on the track so about 20 years ago we started seeing plated metal wheels with the same treatment. So build a couple pairs of trucks and use the plastic wheelsets while you assemble the model. Or insert the plastic wheelsets while painting.

When I paint the metal wheels, I start with a bath in isopropyl alcohol. I bought a bunch of Banta wheel masks, and paint 16-24 axle/wheelsets at a time. I start with grey primer and then follow with a variety of rust and freight-car red colors. For tank cars, black is okay, but some dark brown will add some interst. I finish up with some panel liner to bring out the lettering. Don't be afraid to apply a couple colors on the wheel as the real things weather differently as they set. Using the Banta masks saves masking the treads, or scraping the paint off later: you don't want to track the gunk around the layout (ask me how I know.)!

For my recent flat car, I adopted the figure technique to paint the trucks (see the image at the top of the thread). They are primed with black, and the car color applied next. I touch up the springs with rust and apply panel liner to the springs and journal covers. This nicely emulates the grime in these locations.
 A steel truck under the refer at CRRM--this car is not used much, so the truck is not terribly dirty. Note the inside-hung brakes.

Some nice, dirty trucks under RGS 0404 at CRRM. This car has outside-hung brakes and elliptical (I think?) springs.

Speaking of those plastic wheelsets, more than one modeller has used spare wheelsets to model spare wheels on a roundhouse or carshop track. The problem is, model wheels have a pointy end as opposed to the "T"-shaped bearing on the real thing.

I created a part you can purchase on Shapeways (b) that fits over the pointy end (a) to create a more prototype wheel. The Shapeways part is a bit oversize due to the thickness limits of the material, but I think you will agree it looks better than a row of wheels with pointy axle ends.

Whew! That is a lot for such a small part of the model.

[Pat Student]

Kieth

Continuing with wheel construction.

Not to argue thee fine points, when I asked Mary Ann at PBL for some truck screws, she said they were 1.7 x 5 mm.  All I know is tat tthe crewslike a 1.7 tapped hole.  Maybe we've got 3 periods of truck screw offerings.

Second, I may have offered this before, but this seems to be a good thread to include.

I use nominal 2 X3 blocks to aid in car construction. One of the blocks I've drilled to accept a small hand vise, and holes to receive the side frame pins of the newer version of the PBL side frames.  With the side frame held by the block, I can apply the journal box cover in seconds rather than the minute it took when I tried to hold the parts with my fingers.

Pat