Buckeye Trucks

Alan - I think the Athearn 200 ton (???) crane uses Buckeye 6 wheel trucks. Have you tried them?

 

Alan - As far as I know this crane has been available at least since ~1965-66 when I bought my first one. I'd do a web search, such as "+athearn+buckeye" or "+athearn+wreck+crane".

I got rid of it when I did that N-Guage layout, but I am certain that those were Buckeye trucks, but with solid bearings.

 

Alan - Hope you find them. When it dawned on me that you said a six-wheel DOD tank car, it dawned on me that this might be a modern tank car.

I'm not familiar with roller bearing equipped Buckeyes, but am totally certain (at least in my feeble mind) that the Athearn crane did in fact have what they called Buckete truck with very prominent friction bearings.

My next (last) stop on the internet tonight will be Athearn, I'll let you know if I find anythin.

 

Alan - Found several entries at various hobby shops that handle Athearn parts - found this at J & L Trains in Kansas City, KS.;

p/n 14090407; Truck Buckeye 6 wheel @ US$3.00

At that price, believe they must be plastic, not the metal trucks that originally came with the kit, and which I was familiar with from the '60's.

I thought that there was one hobby shop in the U.K. (or Holland), that advertised themselves as a "complete" Athearn shop - even to parts.

Seems to me that it would be easy with plastic, to carve off the solid bearings and replace them with the roller bearing ends. As I said earlier, I'm not familiar with roller bearing Buckeye's, but this may be an answer.

 

Just so! Who was it that said Britain and the U.S. were really the same country - only seperated by a common language? That's what we colonials normally call a heavy-duty flat car.

To the best of my knowledge the U.S. Department of Defense had approximately 10,000 cars, about 9,900 were what we call tank cars for hauling liquid cargo, kerosene, fuel oils, bunker C, etc.

On the plus side, those trucks do look like Buckeyes converted to roller bearings. Also, remember that the time period you want the car to run in, could have an effect on whether the car had (has) to have roller bearings.

Believe, but don't know for sure, that solid bearings were only outlawed for interchange about 20-25 years ago.aes

 

You could always make your own roller bearing jurnals

 

6 wheel Buckeye freight/tender trucks

In 'HO' Eastern Car Works 1179083 - cheap w/o wheelsets.
Also 'HO' Bowser 35107 all metal kit -$13.75 list.

in 'O' all metal Precision Scale kit- $34.50 list.

The largest 'HO' freight car line is all metal line
of Bethlehem Car Works who is current maker of
RED BALL's old truck products.
Precision Scale produces largest 'HO'passenger
truck line , but neither make a Buckeye style
divided side frame 6 wheel truck.

The all plastic low priced ATHEARN truck is still
around in 'HO'. Others, notably AHM/IHC and ROCO,
have made them for use on American prototypes.

You can look up the two makers of them on web.

Good-Luck, PJB

By the way- BUCKEYE was/is manufacturer of many
styles of both proprietary and leased design
railroad trucks and appliances. They thus have other
"BUCKEYE" designed trucks, and their name
usually is cast into the sideframes and other
large component parts. Thus the truck under
discussion in this thread is NOT the only
Buckeye truck type around in the real world.

 

Alan:

I have used many of the Eastern Car works Buckeye trucks. I like them better than the Athearn. The Athearn trucks have two offset mounting holes, and the Eastern trucks has two offset holes and one in the center.

Tom

 

Alan:

I would use different wheels, than their plastic wheels, just not enough weight. I have had no problem getting their trucks here in California.

If you are moving into HO, keep me posted.

Tom

 

Alan:

Send me your address and I will put a set of the them in the mail to you. I have a couple of extra ones.

tomd at garlic dot com

Tom