Re: Type C/UP trucks

Posted by John Greenly on Apr 24, 2020; 9:39pm
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Type-C-UP-trucks-tp15497p15563.html

Michael,

the only 24" wheelsets I can find in HOn3 are from NWSL.  I have some that I've used for locomotive lead truck wheels.  They are actually a bit undersized, about 23 1/2".  

The NWSL pointed axle HOn3 wheelsets are listed as having a 2mm diameter, .760" long axle, or 66" in HO scale.  That's extremely long. There's a photo on p.27 of Grandt Vol. VII,  shows a wreck in 1902 with trucks scattered all over the place.  One truck is seen almost end-on, and measuring from that,  I find that the extreme width across the journal boxes is just about 66".  Michael, does that agree with your truck design?  If that's right then the NWSL axle wouldn't work unless the truck was widened a good bit beyond scale size. Besides that, the NWSL wheel treads are wider than the Kadees, they don't have ribbed backs, and they cost twice as much.

I also measured the prototype wheel diameter from that wreck photo.   Scaling from Phil's notes showing 8.5" height for the journal box, I get a good measure of the adjacent wheel, limited only by the printed photo resolution.  I also did it by scaling from the 36" gauge, and the two measures agreed.  I get 25 3/4",  +/- 3/4".  So by 1902, at least some of the UP trucks had 26" wheels.  

Getting back to HOn3 choice, the Kadees are actually about 25 1/2" at the outside edge tread diameter.   All things considered  between the two, I'd stick with the Kadees, especially given that I'm modeling the early C&S, not before.

John