My only two brass freight cars - a pair of Challenger Imports SP G50-9
gondolas, almost got ebayed a couple months ago. But I just have a thing
for drop bottoms, and they are not the same car as the Red Caboose gons.
So I can't bring myself to part with them.

Unfortunately, they have junk trucks (gee, where have I encountered that
before on an expensive piece). They have only a few hours running time on
them, and have begun to short.

Any suggestions for a correct replacement truck? Or something that is at
least a reasonable stand-in? The trucks are not the same as my RC gons
have.

Andy

Andy Harman wrote:

My only two brass freight cars - a pair of Challenger Imports SP G50-9 . .
Any suggestions for a correct replacement truck? Or something that is at
least a reasonable stand-in? The trucks are not the same as my RC gons
have.

No, and they shouldn't be the same trucks! The G-50-9 cars came with T-section trucks; in the 1950s many were replaced with U-section trucks of various kinds. If you want a late model, choose yer pizen; if pre-1950 or thereabouts, you need a T-section truck.

Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com
(510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@...
Publishers of books on railroad history

At 10:01 PM 12/5/2005 -0800, you wrote:

trucks of various kinds. If you want a late model, choose yer pizen; if
pre-1950 or thereabouts, you need a T-section truck.

The cars are in 40s paint schemes, so the T-section it is. Kadee #511
looks about right. I might even have a pair somewhere.... thanks.

Andy

Andy,

If you want to use the existing trucks, try Reboxx WS20980. I have
several of the Q imports (waycars, stock cars, ballast cars) and they
all had wheelsets narrow in gauge. When I tried to fix them by
spreading the wheels, the front of the wheel would touch the
sideframe. The Reboxx wheelsets are the right length, have 0.088"
tread widths and are double insulated. I have no problems operating
any of these cars with the original trucks with the new wheels - and
I do not use "DCCproof" turnouts.

Eric Mumper

--- In STMFC@..., Andy Harman <andy10@g...> wrote:

My only two brass freight cars - a pair of Challenger Imports SP

G50-9

gondolas, almost got ebayed a couple months ago. But I just have a

thing

for drop bottoms, and they are not the same car as the Red Caboose

gons.

So I can't bring myself to part with them.

Unfortunately, they have junk trucks (gee, where have I encountered

that

before on an expensive piece). They have only a few hours running

time on

them, and have begun to short.

Any suggestions for a correct replacement truck? Or something that

is at

least a reasonable stand-in? The trucks are not the same as my RC

gons

have.

Andy