Combining BLMA trucks/wheels

[bbussey]

Here are the 100 ASF trucks with 33" wheels installed on the newsprint boxcar.  Doesn't look out of place and the truck appearance now resembles the prototype.

[cjm413]

Here are the 100 ASF trucks with 33" wheels installed on the newsprint boxcar.  Doesn't look out of place and the truck appearance now resembles the prototype.

In fairness, a pair of MTL trucks would keep a load of newsprint dry if there was a flood 

Given this car does have "flood proof" bolsters that force a compromise to be made, it's my personal opinion that the larger size of the 100T trucks is the best disguise for any "oversized" 36" wheelsets on a 70T car.

[Nick Lorusso]

I've been using BLMA truck and Fox Valley wide tread wheels for all of my body mounting project. Lowers them nicely.

[tom mann]

Yeah, there is a compromise with everything I guess.  The advantage with BLMA trucks is you can lower your MT cars without filing the metal frame.  Doing this puts the frame at a height that allows for a Z scale coupler to be mounted without modifications.  But currently, you need the 100 ton truck to get the 3 visible spring option.

This is one that I did:



Maybe @Craig Martyn can chime in here and let us know when a 70 ton version will be available. 

[cjm413]

This is one that I did:



Maybe @Craig Martyn can chime in here and let us know when a 70 ton version will be available. 

Per the Golden West numbering system, "764" = SP/SSW B-70-64, or FMC 5283 with a Hydra-Cushion underframe.  Some were rebuilt with 12' plug doors, which means the MDC/Athearn model (Plate C, 12' door) is going to be a better starting point than the Microtrains car (Plate B, 10' door).

The person that makes the nice Hydra-Cushion underframes is on this list

[tom mann]

And I have some of those very underframes...

[ednadolski]

Here are the 100 ASF trucks with 33" wheels installed on the newsprint boxcar.  Doesn't look out of place and the truck appearance now resembles the prototype.

With the plain background & no track it's rather hard for me to discern the difference in the ride height.  The finer flanges are a big plus, but the over-scale coupler jumps out more to my eye than a 1.5 scale inch difference in the wheels.

Ed

[glakedylan]

so, if I understand this correctly
a car riding on 70 ton trucks and 333" wheels
rides higher from the rail than one with
100 ton truck and 33" wheels?

I also noticed that 100 ton trucks are with the contemporary and diesel era
I guess that limits me on my early 50's era

interesting thread
hope I can find an alternative to lower the MTL box cars

sincerely--
Gary

[bbussey]

With the plain background & no track it's rather hard for me to discern the difference in the ride height.  The finer flanges are a big plus, but the over-scale coupler jumps out more to my eye than a 1.5 scale inch difference in the wheels.

It's not just the wheels. It's also the lower height of the bolster beam on the BLMA trucks juxtaposed with those on the MTL trucks.

With a fleet of close to 1,000 pieces of equipment with MTL or MTL-compatible N scale couplers, I'm not changing. I went through the roster upgrade in the 1980s, when I had far fewer in quantity, and it was still costly. Can't afford to attempt such a task in the present.

[bbussey]

... interesting thread
hope I can find an alternative to lower the MTL box cars

BLMA's ASF A-3 friction-bearing 70-ton trucks and Atlas' Barber  S-2A friction-bearing 50-ton trucks will lower MTL cars appropriately.   

[ednadolski]

With a fleet of close to 1,000 pieces of equipment with MTL or MTL-compatible N scale couplers, I'm not changing.

Yep that would be a tall order, even for the Proto-Mates (presuming they ever come out and live up to expectations).

This particular photo with the plain background does sort of emphasize them, but the good news is that the couplers tend to be less noticeable in a running train on the layout. 

(The slinky effect of that many MTs in a long train would be a deal-breaker for me.  I would rather change over the couplers even if it means having way less than 1000 cars.... to each his own of course )

Ed

[cjm413]

And I have some of those very underframes...

They're great for the Fox Valley Models FMC 5283, and I've also used them on FVM 7 post cars decorated as cars built by PCF for GN (vs the similar cars built by Berwick for GN that would need the ESM Keystone underframe instead)

[cjm413]

With the plain background & no track it's rather hard for me to discern the difference in the ride height.  The finer flanges are a big plus, but the over-scale coupler jumps out more to my eye than a 1.5 scale inch difference in the wheels.

Ed

Here's the "flood proof" version (with MTL trucks):
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/True-Line-Trains-p/tlt-600060.htm

[ednadolski]

Here's the "flood proof" version (with MTL trucks):

Yow that thing could have kept Noah safe. 

It just blows my mind some times to think that in this day & age and considering what some models cost, that modelers still have to replace trucks, change wheelsets, file bolsters, convert couplers, etc.  just to obtain a model that looks more like a representation of its prototype and less like a caricature.   It's not as if there aren't plenty of other interesting modeling tasks to do.  Thankfully, in some cases at least, things are moving in the right direction.

Ed

[wcfn100]

It just blows my mind some times to think that in this day & age and considering what some models cost, that modelers still have to replace trucks, change wheelsets, file bolsters, convert couplers, etc.  just to obtain a model that looks more like a representation of its prototype and less like a caricature.   

Up until factory body mounted couplers there were three options to designing a car.  Make it ride high to clear the truck mounted couplers, notch the ends of the car to clear the coupler so the car could ride the correct height (thus making the ends unprototypical and impossible to fix), compromise the height of the car.

Of those, I'll take a car riding too high every time.

It has surprised me that no one has ever offered some sort of exchange service for MTL floors.

Jason