Circus Train to end May 2017

[sundowner]

That's one thing that I did on the N scale models as well; swap out the trucks.  Make a big visual difference; much more correct to the prototype. 

I know that on the passenger cars that if it starts with a 6 is six axle truck and a 4 is a four axle truck. What truck brand are you using for 4xxxx passeger car.

[sundowner]

I was watching some YouTube videos of the 2017 train and it has some interesting substitution, on the RED unit has an articulated 5 platform flat car and the Blue unit replaces the two flats with the long container with a 5 unit articulated spine car with 5 container.

[altohorn25]

I know that on the passenger cars that if it starts with a 6 is six axle truck and a 4 is a four axle truck. What truck brand are you using for 4xxxx passeger car.

While it's not correct, I use the old style MT six wheel heavyweight trucks on the animal and generator cars (they're not correct because they are friction bearing rather than roller bearing).  The 4 wheel trucks are also MT (they are mostly correct since they are roller bearing).

Des Plaines Hobbies used to have a six wheel heavyweight roller bearing truck, but they don't produce it any more.  Haven't found anything else really available, so I went with the MT truck.

Nate

[Frisco Larry]

I use the 2 and 3 axle KATO El Capitan trucks

[jmlaboda]

Des Plaines Hobbies used to have a six wheel heavyweight roller bearing truck, but they don't produce it any more.

Rapido Trains has offered the same style of truck, Item# 102064, but are currently out of stock.

These are not the six-wheel trucks used under heavyweights, they were a newer design used under some lightweight cars before the introduction of the outer swing-hanger trucks.  GM&O coaches and parlors, NYC dining cars and some SP articulated cars all used this type of truck.

[sundowner]

I use the 2 and 3 axle KATO El Capitan trucks

I am thinking about going this way, did you have to do any big mods to get them to fit? I know I have to cut the copper sticking on top of the truck.

[Frisco Larry]

As far as the MTL passenger cars (made by Con-Cor) go, the snap-on pin standard with Con-Cor passenger cars, works with the KATO trucks.  I think I did have to file the head of the truck pin down a little to clear the center axle on the 3 axle trucks.  The standard KATO coupler sticks out too far for my taste, so I replaced them with short Unimate couplers, which easily fit the KATO trucks.

[sundowner]

Thanks Frisco