Version 6 Annie

[tomplatten]

I read about the new Version 6 Annie! Can the Version 6 Annie front truck be retrofitted to a Version 5 Annie?

[Jon D. Miller]

Don't see any reason why not.



You'll have to fashion a way to attach the truck arm so it pivots where it attaches to the bottom cover.

JD

[Barry BBT]

There is a much simpler solution, which I have used for many years (until my latest version).

Create the arm, about 5" long, 1/4" from front of arm drill 1/8" hole, 1/4" from rear of arm drill 3/16" hole. 

Get a 4-40 panhead phillips bolt 3/8" long, a short spacer from 1/8" brass tubing, also find 4-40 hex nut and two small fender washers.

Shape the arm so the back of the arm clears the bottom of the forward edge of the bottom plate, bend it upward at about 30 degrees.

Bend the front of the arm down ward at about 1 3/4".  Cut the top of the pilot truck down to 1/4", attach the arm to the post on the pilot truck with the original screw, do not tighten.  Hold the truck post in the center of the crescent in the bottom plate, locate where the hole should be drilled in the bottom plate, do so 1/8".

Put the spacer on the bolt, then the arm, one of the fender washers, through the hole in the bottom plate (removed from the loco), the other washer on the inside of the bottom plate, then tighten it all with the hex bolt.

Route the wires, re attach the bottom plate, have fun.

A eight can be attached above the leading axle (the arm is in the way on the rear axle.

Barry