Single axle journal on frame or not needed in Z scale

[up1950s]

If one wanted to make Nn3 ore/mine cars or any short wheel base Nn3 rolling stock one might do what I have been doing , searching for days and getting nada . If it just was a handful of cars no biggie , spend the long green and cannibalize whatever looked like a journal and support frame . The cheep cars have no detail , basically just a keystone shape and flat as Twiggy . Friction bearing with some leaf spring detail would be desired . I think the would lend to the incorporation of Z track into N layouts if we could build Nn3 equipment .

To make something like this .

[nkalanaga]

I have a lot of 4-wheel cars on my 1974 narrow gauge, but they're either European standard gauge cars, or scratchbuilt, on Marklin chassis.  If I was to use a Z ore car, and it would be practical, I'd keep the trucks.  But then, mine is a "mainline" railroad, and I'm lazy.

Your design would be simple to 3D print.  Make it a single piece, with a pin on top, and plug it into the existing body bolster.  Since a long wheelbase car HAS to have some suspension, print a leaf spring at the end of the crosspiece, with the journal box under that.  You could even include brake beams and shoes, and possibly a stub center sill filler and draft gear.

My mining company does use 4-wheel ore cars on the mainline, but they're rotary-dump gons, so wouldn't interest most narrow gauge modelers...  They're rated for 25 tons, half of a 50-ton 8-wheel car.