screws/pins for wheels/trucks

[jerso06]

I have an older ( 10-15 yr old ) Bachmann tanker car.  One set of wheels/truck broke off.  The screw or pin or whatever holds the truck to the body is gone. The wheels/truck is still intact.  Where do I find a replacement so I can put the truck/wheels back onto the car? And, what is the proper name of what I'm looking for.  (can ya tell I'm new to all this?)  Thank you in advance.

[az2rail]

What scale are you in?
Have you tried looking in the prduct locator?

[Doneldon]

j06-

It may not be worth doing this repair but let's go through it anyway.

First, strongly consider replacing the wheelsets (wheelset = two wheels and their axle) with wheelsets with metal wheels if your current wheels are plastic. Use your NMRA clearance gauge to make sure the wheels are the proper distance apart. This will improve your operation. Second, cut the Talgo arms off of your trucks if they have them, and mount your couplers (use knuckle couplers - Kadees are best) to the car body at the height specified by your NMRA gauge. This will also improve operation. Third, fill the existing mounting holes with styrene, and then drill and tap them for a 2-56 screw. Tighten one truck so it will swivel freely but not wobble. Loosen the other truck about 1/4 to 1/2 turn from this tightness so that truck can rock a little. (More operational improvement) Last, as long as your car is on the RIP track, make sure it has the correct weight. For HO this means one ounce plus one-half ounce for every inch of a car's length. This works out to roughly 3.5 - 4.0 ounces for a 40-foot boxcar. And this will lead to -- I know you know -- even more improvement in operation.

The reason this repair might not be worth the energy and cost is that your older car probably has poor detail and authenticity compared to contemporary models. This work will take you a half hour or so, at least the first few times you do it, and cost about $4-6. Such an investment of time and money is often not justified by the final product.

Fix things or not, after all it's your model railroad, but by all means enjoy yourself. And welcome to this great hobby of ours.
                                                                                                                                                                                      -- D

[jerso06]

What scale are you in?
Have you tried looking in the prduct locator?

Sorry I forgot to put that info in.  It's  HO.  I did look at the other truck/wheel and I did not see any "screw head" holding it onto the body.  Looked like some type of "push in" pin.

[Jerrys HO]

jerso

Matbe this will help as it has helped me upgrade some older stock that was given to me.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,18567.0.html

Here's another great post from Yampa Bob

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,4917.0.html

Jerry

[jerso06]

Thank you very much. Helps bunches.

[CNE Runner]

I urge you to check out the Micro Fasteners website @ microfasteners.com for their huge selection of small hardware. Usually trucks/couplers are held in place via 2-56 screws...however the length can vary with the application. Micro Fasteners carries numerous lengths of 2-56 screws (as well as many other sizes). About every 3 or 4 months I place an order to Micro Fasteners for additional hardware types (or sizes) that aren't in my inventory...hey, you never know. You can purchase a storage unit, containing small drawers, that will keep you 'collection' safe and at hand from one of the home improvement box stores...or Harbor Freight.

Cheers,
Ray

PS: You also might want to invest in a drill & tap set from Micro Mark. Their set contains the correct drill and tap for 2-56 screws (+ a couple other sizes).