Author Topic: ESM — Approval pic sneak peaks, retrofitted truck and enhanced well car detail  (Read 823 times)

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bbussey

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Got some engineering approval samples from the factory today.

The Retrofitted A-3 truck fitted with the new 28" wheels:



Diamondplate tread on the GSC Well Car running boards:






Bryan Busséy
NHRHTA #2246
NSE #1117
www.bbussey.net


nkalanaga

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As common as these trucks were in the 60s and 70s I'm surprised MicroTrains never made a version.
N Kalanaga
Be well

Philip H

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I am going to have to buy a second well car now.   :facepalm:
Philip H.
Chief Everything Officer
Baton Rouge Southern RR - Mount Rainier Division.


Ted Thorson

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The retrofit trucks look good.  They're odd in combination with the 28" wheels though...

daniel_leavitt2000

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These look great!
Two questions:
1. Will the trucks be available by the Springfield show?
2. Do any of the previous well cars need the 28" wheels?
There's a shyness found in reason
Apprehensive influence swallow away
You seem to feel abysmal take it
Then you're careful grace for sure
Kinda like the way you're breathing
Kinda like the way you keep looking away

Chris333

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Thought all the well cars came with 28" wheels.

bbussey

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These look great!
Two questions:
1. Will the trucks be available by the Springfield show?
2. Do any of the previous well cars need the 28" wheels?

Looks like May/June on everything:
  • GSC Well Car (release 3)
  • ASF A-3 retrofit truck weathered black with 33” wheelsets (2 packs)
  • 28”/.540” wheelsets (12 packs)
  • 38”/.553” wheelsets (12 packs)

Thought all the well cars came with 28" wheels.

Correct. The previous releases ran on either Barber S-2A (Atlas) or ASF Ride Control trucks with FVM 28” wheelsets.
Bryan Busséy
NHRHTA #2246
NSE #1117
www.bbussey.net


milw156

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Cool offering! When would these trucks have begun to be applied to cars? Would they most likely have been placed under more "important" car types, or whatever might have been in the shops at the time? How long did they last in service at least for the most part.
TIA
Rick

nkalanaga

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They started to appear in the 1950s, when roller bearings became common on new cars.  Since most of them were applied to existing cars, they tended to last until the car itself "aged out".  I know they were still quite common in the late 1970s, but didn't see too many trains after that, as I neither lived nor worked next to a railroad after moving to Kentucky.

The conversion itself was simple, not much harder than changing the bearing brasses on solid-bearing trucks, so a lot of railroads did it as a cheap upgrade.  It didn't make the car any better at hauling stuff, but virtually eliminated the danger of hotboxes, and reduced rolling friction, saving fuel.
N Kalanaga
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