Couplers, trucks, gearboxes, etc.

[jbrock27]

Thank you.
I will likely be spending part of the time digging out.  You as well?  I think it is a small miracle I still even have power at this point.
I will keep that in mind and yes, see your point.  It was probably easiset for most manufactures to produce cars with 33" wheels and not have to go back and forth with varying wheel diameters.  I have Roundhouse boxcars but none of the hoppers you mentioned.  The Accurail 3 bay covered hopper I just assemebed, was a "new" enough car, it would have had 36" wheels, so that is what I put on it, in place of the stock 33", and the coupler ht was bang on.  The cars you are listing, when were they supposed to be "made", for example 50s, 60s 70s?  And what ton trucks in the real world, were they supposed to have?

[rogertra]

Thank you.
I will likely be spending part of the time digging out.  You as well?  I think it is a small miracle I still even have power at this point.
I will keep that in mind and yes, see your point.  It was probably easiset for most manufactures to produce cars with 33" wheels and not have to go back and forth with varying wheel diameters.  I have Roundhouse boxcars but none of the hoppers you mentioned.  The Accurail 3 bay covered hopper I just assemebed, was a "new" enough car, it would have had 36" wheels, so that is what I put on it, in place of the stock 33", and the coupler ht was bang on.  The cars you are listing, when were they supposed to be "made", for example 50s, 60s 70s?  And what ton trucks in the real world, were they supposed to have?

It is my understanding, subject to correction, that 100 ton cars will have 36" wheels but as they are outside my era and area of interest, I suggest you check before quoting me. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all the USA posters.

Roger T.

[jbrock27]

Yes, I do believe for the most part that follows suit.  But I don't think it is always a "given".  I came across this chart which I go by that I don't have reason to doubt:

33in up to 77t
36in 78-100t
38in above 100t

1) 70 ton trucks w/ 33" wheels
2) 100 ton trucks w/ 33" wheels
3) 100 ton trucks w/36" wheels
4) 125 ton trucks w/ 38" wheels

1) 140,000 to 150,000 load weight
2) 165,000 to 175,000 load weight
3) 190,000 to 205,000 load weight
4) 220,000 to 230,000 load weight

28" wheels on most tri-level autoracks.  38" wheels are common to newer articulated double stack cars, the cars are labeled 125T, they're also used on Flexi-flo covered hopper cars.

This is why I was mentioning carrying (load) weight before.

[electrical whiz kid]

J. Brock;
It would be my intention never to promote a name brand on this site other than Bachmann.  if it has been done, then you will note that I mention that  said brand is MY personal choice.  I would consider it to be very poor taste to imply a brand name here willie-nillie; especially as Bachmann has gone through the pains to make this site available. 
In this case, I am stating MY preference of one product over another-period!
Just for the record, I:
1; consider Bachmann products, particularly their locomotives, to be top of the line.  As a builder of kits and scratch-building, I do not usually buy an R_T_R product.  Just my preference on order to enjoy this hobby my way.
2; I have never said any coupler brand trumps over any other one.  It is your jing; hence your choice.  I personally prefer Kadee wheel/truck/coupler products.  Only my  choice.  Dig?
Rich C.

[electrical whiz kid]

To all concerned;
I generally use 33" wheels (again, my preference is Kadee) on my pre-1950s freight cars; and 36" on passenger cars, regardless of vintage...  Kdee makes sets representing chilled wheels (cooling fins on back of wheel), which I use on the older freight cars, and passenger cars.
As I have previously stated, be vey stringent ( in this case, fussy) with the wheel/truck/suspension  business; very stringent!  As I had previously stated, this-as well as good track-work, BTW-will pay off in large dividends.
There are a number of hi-quality truck frames out there.  Delrin is a good choice, as the composition will lend itself to reduced friction in the bearing surfaces.
My "MO" is to remove the trucks, clear out the inner surfaces with the tool for this purpose, and a shot of graphite product. 
Use metal wheels
check for distorted units by placing truck assembly on a granite block specifically used for this purpose-my recommendation.
use either an NMRA gauge, or the Kadee coupler gauge.
use shims if needed.
Bachmann makes a notably good frame.
I have also tried any variety of Tichy trucks; and like the ones with the nylon bearing insert.
Rich C.

[jward]

Thank you.
I will likely be spending part of the time digging out.  You as well?  I think it is a small miracle I still even have power at this point.
I will keep that in mind and yes, see your point.  It was probably easiset for most manufactures to produce cars with 33" wheels and not have to go back and forth with varying wheel diameters.  I have Roundhouse boxcars but none of the hoppers you mentioned.  The Accurail 3 bay covered hopper I just assemebed, was a "new" enough car, it would have had 36" wheels, so that is what I put on it, in place of the stock 33", and the coupler ht was bang on.  The cars you are listing, when were they supposed to be "made", for example 50s, 60s 70s?  And what ton trucks in the real world, were they supposed to have?

being just west of the mountains, we barely got any snow, and what we did get quickly melted. 2 weeks ago when I went to erie it was a different story. they had 12"  up there, and for some reason didn't salt the roads even though it was 30 degrees.

as for the cars I referred to, both were 1980s era kits. the McKean was a standard Greenville 100 ton coal hopper, which would have had 36" wheels. the roundhouse car was similar to the pennsy ore jennies, which I believe also had 36" wheels.

[Jhanecker2]

Lucked out Chicagoland area got a little snow but is mainly COLD .  Snow was very wet and froze where not salted & plowed .  Road surfaces were for the most part clear except for some minor drifting . Spending Thanks giving home was celebrating with family yesterday . Regarding wheel size  :  I would have thought that 33"dia. wheels would have been standard for freight cars with the possible exception for express boxcars that would have been for high priority freight . Was this the practice proir to the 1970's ? John 2.

[jbrock27]

Rich, yea, I dig it man, but you seem to be responding in a manner which makes it seem like you feel you have been accused of something.  No one is doing that.  I was trying to get a handle Staff Sargent, on whether your truck of choice was a delrin one or a metal one, bc on this thread you appear to promote using a delrin one, on other occasions as you and I have both pointed out, you appear to prefer a metal one.  I never asked you about couplers, locomotives or cars; that's all of your own volition.  I hope you did not get worked up over this, bc that certainly was not the intention of my question to you, as you appear to have gotten somewhat huffy over things.  It is also my understanding you like Tichy car kits?  I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.

Jeff thank for your response.  So the cars themselves were supposed be examples of those riding the rails in the '80s?   Makes sense about the amount of snow-ERIE is a hop, skip and a jump from BUFFALO.

JH2, thank you for participating.  You and Jeff were both lucky regarding snow.

[electrical whiz kid]

JBrock;
Hi.  No, I wasn't angry or anything.  It is easy in a one-dimensional setting such as we have here, to be misconstrued.  I know, as well as respect Bachmann's  policies , so I try to be particularly careful in that area.  Also, in just posting, I try to be careful what I write so not to offend anyone.

My personal preference has always been sprung trucks/metal frame; considering not too many mfgrs make sprung arch-bar trucks, which I do use; which, in this instance, Kadee produces.  I also am partial to redheads...  I also use delrin equalized trucks, if the detail is there.  Once you set them up, as in honing out the bearing seats, etc; they are good trucks.  They can be rather finicky at times-but so aren't sprung trucks.  Kadee's on-site technical info is really good, and readily available.  Bachmann, et al, is primarily in business of selling cars and locomotives; it is understandable that a company wouldn't want to spread themselves too thin; too much diversity can be a good recipe for problems.
I have derived great satisfaction with Tichy kits, as well as Steve Funaro's line of resin kits, Bar Mills, South River, etc.  You see, building stuff like kits-specially good quality kits, whether they are buildings, rolling stock, etc; totally appeals to me.  In sharing my feelings, I just don't like the idea of stepping on someone's toes.
OK, now that I  have created yet another ill-written farrago, I will get a shower, breakfast, and set up the ply for radii-Hey-that rhymes...
Rich C.

     

[jbrock27]

I gotcha (understand) Rich.  Good stuff.  Glad you are not mad, that was not what I was looking for, just info.  I don't believe you have ever addressed anything to me that I found offensive, for the record.  I do think that sometimes when were are posting in a manner that trys not to offend, we may also inadvertently hide truthful or honest info that would actually benefit someone.
I prefer brunettes.
You don't use the truck tuner on the metal trucks do you?  I have read that will wear out the tuner.

[jward]

jb

t100 ton hoppers came about in the early 1960s, and by the late 1980s those and the pennsy h39s (70 ton cars) were about all we saw here. the 100ton cars became the standard hopper on both conrail and chessie/csx. the most common ones around here were the Bethlehem cars Bachmann makes, but there were also the greenvilles that McKean made, as well as others including cars built by chessie system themselves, on both chessie and conrail. on conrail they ran until after the merger, ns purged their fleet in favour of new cars, but csx appears to have rebuilt theirs and many are still in service.

the pennsy g38 and g39 class jennies were built in the eary 1960s, and ran until the 1990s. the demise of the steel industry severely limited their usefulness, and to-day iron ore to what mills remain in the area is handled in standard hoppers.bowser makes accurate models of these cars, but in the 1980s, the roundhouse models were the closest thing we had. those would be similar to the Bachmann ore cars, but came in both high and low side varieties,

as for the snow, yes we dodged it, but then Pittsburgh is somewhat sheltered by mountainsfrom anything off the atlantic, and too far from the lake to get the lake effect storms which recently hit erie and buffalo. I90, which runs along the lake, has been repeatedly closed by weather conditions this month. it's going to be a looooooong winter.....

[jbrock27]

Thank you for info Jeff. 
I agree, I think it is going to be as well, even though I recall reading in September that it was expected to be a mild winter, saving a lot of people on fuel costs. Been using the chainsaw around the yard.
Over Thanksgiving, watched the movie "Million Dollar Arm" about the two Indians that were signed by the PIRATES to pitch, even though they had never played baseball before-great movie!

[electrical whiz kid]

J Brock;
Ref the truck tuner.  Not on metal trucks; have generally found there not to be a need to ream or clean them.   I do, however, give the delrin trucks the once over.  Glad you didn't get the snow.  Here in Ct, we usually get some pretty significant storms during the hibernial (don't go out, don't date, etc; just play with trains.  The jaguar XJS snoozes soundly in the garage, to be disturbed only when I start it up and play "Vito and the Vroom-Vrooms".) 
I am getting started laying out those radii blanks.  Looks good; this guy is on top of his game!  Gonna be very little waste.
Rich C.

[jbrock27]

Glad you didn't get the snow.

I don't know how you arrived at this Rich   But I am glad your incline project is going well. 

[electrical whiz kid]

J Brock; on youtube.
RIch C.