I need a pair of trucks with an 8’6” wheelbase and 36” wheels. The wheels are less of a problem if I can find the right length truck. I can just switch out axles for the right diameter if I have to. The RDC has an 8’6” wheelbase, as well as the Metroliner. I have also seen Atlas/Kato 36” wheels on eBay. Any idea what locomotive these go to? I posted a few days ago about doing a custom drivetrain, but I am beginning to think that it will not work, so I am trying to tone down my project a little bit.
Well, the AAR Type A switcher truck and the Flexicoil have a wheelbase of eight feet, and the Blomberg has a wheelbase of nine feet (the AAR Type B is longer). I don't know.
I have this old Athearn U30B dummy. The dummy truck has a wheel base of about 8’7” or 8’8”. If anybody has this model, does the powered version have the same wheelbase? This picture was super hard to take with one hand holding my iPad and the other holding the truck and ruler.
I never owned an old Athearn GE, but I think the truck is the same as the Blomberg. In the time when mine were made, the powered and dummy trucks are the same. I have even converted a (six axle) dummy to power when I put a Bowser metal body on it and it became a serious boat anchor.
These ride on a truck like the AAR with the drop equalizer. That might mean the other Athearn AARs (which should have a wheelbase of 9’4”), might actually have this wheelbase. I don’t have a lot of Athearn Blue Box locomotives to measure; most of my Parts Bin is Bachmann based.
Yes, those are AAR Type B. But they don't look right. The AAR Type B has a heavy outside equalizer (which indicates double equalization, if I remember right). The RDC torque converter truck has a lighter equalizer inside the truck frame (single equalized). If you're particular, you've got work to do. Should I have kept that to myself? Sorry.
I was just clarifying that these are not Blomberg trucks, which obviously you knew, but I will scratchbuild the sideframes anyway. The AAR type B trucks had a pair of primary coil springs on each side of the leaf spring, while the truck I am modeling only has one on each side. The AAR has 3 sets of leaf springs, while mine has 4. It also has some unique brake gear. I am not sure I can model it completely accurately with the photos I have, but it looks different compared to the standard B truck. So yeah, I guess I am particular.
Good man. Good luck! I have decent photos of the ATSF's pair. It looks like the road modified their trucks, as that road was wont to do with passenger trucks. So unless M-192 is what you're modeling, you might be wary of pics of that unit.
