« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: MTL Gondola Trucks  (Read 1131 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

gdmichaels

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 61
  • Gender: Male
  • The Accidental Collector
  • Respect: +27
    • N Scale Database
MTL Gondola Trucks
« on: April 20, 2016, 07:48:58 PM »
0
I just noticed that some of my Gondolas have a Bettendorf short-shank coupler/truck on one end and a medium (or long?)-shank coupler on the other end.

I first noticed this on one of Gondolas (CB&Q 82044).  I buy a lot of rolling stock used so I figured the previous owner might have swapped the truck on one end to facilitate small-radius curves.  But after looking at several other gondolas, I noticed the same thing, including on gondolas I believe I purchased new.

Does anyone know if this is some kind of weird fluke or if it is standard issue for Micro-Trains?
Logged

wcfn100

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 8945
  • Respect: +1381
    • Chicago Great Western Modeler
Re: MTL Gondola Trucks
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2016, 08:14:23 PM »
0
Is the longer coupler at the end with the brake wheel?

Not a fluke, but done because of the brake wheel sticking out beyond the end of the car.

Or do I remember this wrong?

Jason
Logged

Burlington Bob

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 183
  • Gender: Male
  • Respect: +22
Re: MTL Gondola Trucks
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2016, 08:23:03 PM »
0
Nothing wrong with your memory!  I was in the same situation as the OP, as the first one I bought was used and I wondered the same thing.
Logged
Everywhere West

Kisatchie

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 4180
  • Gender: Male
  • Respect: +63
Re: MTL Gondola Trucks
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2016, 08:25:54 PM »
+1
Yes, Micro-Trains deliberately puts a medium extension truck on the brake wheel end of their drop end gondolas. Since I always figured I'd never use small enough radius curves so that the brake wheels (side-mounted) touched, I removed the medium extension trucks and put short extension trucks on. Of course, as cheap as I am, I used the medium trucks on other cars that needed them.


Hmm... Kiz? Cheap? Let me
tell you about cheap...

Logged
Two scientists create a teleportation ray, and they try it out on a cricket. They put the cricket on one of the two teleportation pads in the room, and they turn the ray on.
The cricket jumps across the room onto the other pad.
"It works! It works!"

gdmichaels

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 61
  • Gender: Male
  • The Accidental Collector
  • Respect: +27
    • N Scale Database
Re: MTL Gondola Trucks
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2016, 09:06:59 PM »
0
That's exactly what it was.  Med shanks on the end with the protruding break wheel.  Other gondolas that have the flat mount break wheels seem to use short shank on both ends.

Thanks for the info.

George
Logged

nkalanaga

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 10577
  • Respect: +1755
Re: MTL Gondola Trucks
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2016, 01:51:25 AM »
0
Kiz:  Sounds like me - and a lot of prototypes.  Never throw away anything - the money saved can be used for something else.
Logged
N Kalanaga
Be well

christoph

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 153
  • Gender: Male
  • Respect: +6
Re: MTL Gondola Trucks
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2016, 02:28:26 PM »
0
A long time ago I mentioned this, too, and had asked Micro Trains about this.  I have a written letter from Eric Smith where he confirms that this is their regular configuration because of the brakewheel.  For me this is as official as it can be   :D
Logged
Christoph
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »