coh2000 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I'm working on a static USA Express Box Car project.. It came with plastic trucks&wheels, and I'm wondering if anyone could suggest a more realistic replacement? I'd like to have realistic looking couplers or as close as I can find. Since this is an REA Express car I suppose that it traveled on passenger trains, I wonder if it should look for 36" wheel sets too? Your suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks for reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Miller Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Here is one source for both, Kadee...............Jim http://rldhobbies.com/kadee.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Miller Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Another source for wheels........Jim http://www.ozarkminiatures.com/scripts/prodList.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coh2000 Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Jim, Thanks for your reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coh2000 Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 I don't know what time period this green REA/ SP reefer belongs in, but I'm thinking that it would probably have archbar trucks. If it was ever used in a passenger consist, would the wheels have to be as large as passenger coach cars? Anyone know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Those new Kadee trucks are really neat. Come in 3 styles I think. Plus they have the metal wheels and they are metal. Not real springs though, as I recall, but I don't see much use for them in G scale. Seems most are so strong you'd have to put 25 pounds in it to get them to move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coh2000 Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 Jerry, The Kadee sets I see are 1:29 (33"_ and 1:32 (36"). These might not look good on my 1:24 USA box car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 They probably have the size of the wheels listed, could compare them to your 1/24 wheels. Whatever you get, if you body mount the coupelers be sure to use a Kadee gauge to get them right. I really doubt that you would notice much difference either way on sizes. 1/29 would be closer in size to what you have. No telling what scale they are, companies are sort of loose with their sizes in scales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coh2000 Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 Jerry, this is just one box car that I want to weather and display on a low trestle. I won't be running it. I appreciate your response. I'm asking because I want something for 'looks' in this case. I'm not sure what type of trucks I should be looking for that would be appropriate for this box car, but I would guess that the wood reefer I have would have been built in the 20s or 30s. If you have any ideas about that, I would sure like to know. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coh2000 Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 Here is a photo of a REA wood box car (attached) with a set of trucks that might be appropriate??? This particular car is HO scale on the Walthers website I believe. I would need a G scale truck but I haven't seen any like this one for sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Looking at a book I have on freight cars the earlier trucks would be Bettendorf. A little later would be Andrews or Vulcan. Frankly the latter two look pretty close to each other on a casual look. The truck above sort of resembles a GSC Commonwealth high speed truck, but the inside and outside horzontal pieces would be opposite. I got the book off Amazon 'Freight Cars of the 40- and 50's' by Jeff Wilson. Moderl Railroader book. I am no expert by any means. Casually looked through the book. I have all types of trucks on my freight cars and don't know which is appropriate, I just run them around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coh2000 Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 Jerry, Do you know it the couplers on Bachman G scale trucks just 'pop off' of the truck frames? I'm looking at some trucks but I would need to use the couplers on my current set put on them since they come without couplers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Since your doing a display you should body mount some ka-dee couplers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I'm with Sean. Get the 820 Kadees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coh2000 Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 The Kadee site show #831 couplers for a USA G scale box car. You are suggesting a #820 for appearance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 You are suggesting a #820 for appearance? Yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 820 is much closer in scale, the 830's are pretty big. If you are displaying it on track, get some code 250, or 215, it is more to scale than the 332 track that Aristo/LGB/USA sell. Sunset Valley RR sells it as does Accucraft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coh2000 Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 OK, thanks Jerry for the 820 coupler suggestion. I couldn't tell from the photos I saw. I'm thinking about Aristo-craft passenger trucks. The springs are metal I think and I can weather them to look really good. I did get some code 250 rail from Sunset Valley. Also, some rail plates, NBW and fishplates from Ozark Miniatures. THe NBW (smallest they had) are pretty close to the correct size for the wooden rail guards I installed. I got some Micro Engineering Code-250 Tie Plates but they are too small for Sunset Valley's code 250 rail. SV rail has a 6mm base (about 1mm wider that other code 250 rail) The fishplates are listed for code 332 (only thing they had), but I can make them work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Sounds like you are ready to move on the project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coh2000 Posted November 26, 2015 Author Share Posted November 26, 2015 This is the Aristo-craft truck type that I think I would like to use. Only thing is, I don't know the part number or if they are still in production. I'm watching Ebay for this type. Hoping to find them. They are described as passenger trucks. If anyone knows, I would appreciate it if you would comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coh2000 Posted November 26, 2015 Author Share Posted November 26, 2015 I have found these Aristo-Craft passenger trucks but I have noticed that these trucks have really long extensions for the couplers. They don’t look very realistic so adding the Kadee 820 couplers to these long extensions is questionable. I wonder if I could cut the extension back and drill another hole to attach couplers? Again, this car will not be run… it is for display only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 This is why we suggested body mounting the couplers .. It is all about how it looks .. If were my project ,I would cut the coupler mount right were the mount meets the truck . good shot is above lower right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coh2000 Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 I have another question about this box car. What is this piece for at the bottom center of the box car end. Looks like a coupler ought to be passed through it since it is open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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