Replacing Spectrum tender truck sideframes

[PGE_Modeller]

Max,

GHQ have truck side frames in their NP W-3 and W-5 conversion kits that look very similar and they are available from Republic Locomotive Works.  The front truck on the shortened Bachmann tender in this photo has the GHQ side frames added.  Next time, however, I need to thin down both the Bachmann and the GHQ side frames a bit more as this one is a tad on the thick side.  The Bachmann consolidation boiler needs to be lengthened about 6 or 7 mm over the 3rd driver to bring the front of the firebox into the correct relationship with the rear driver



Cheers,

[mmagliaro]

Max,

GHQ have truck side frames in their NP W-3 and W-5 conversion kits that look very similar and they are available from Republic Locomotive Works.  The front truck on the shortened Bachmann tender in this photo has the GHQ side frames added.  Next time, however, I need to thin down both the Bachmann and the GHQ side frames a bit more as this one is a tad on the thick side.  The Bachmann consolidation boiler needs to be lengthened about 6 or 7 mm over the 3rd driver to bring the front of the firebox into the correct relationship with the rear driver



Cheers,

Greg,
I was wondering about that!   I looked at the W-3 kit on GHQ's site, but I couldn't see if includes tender truck sideframes.
I will go order a bunch of these from Republic, since all the SP&S engines seem to use them.

But much more importantly....
W-5 ???   WHAT W-5???
I've been waiting for GHQ to put out the W-5 kit for years and thought they bailed on it.  How do I get one of those???

[PGE_Modeller]

OOPS!!

My BAD!  Somehow I read the 2nd W-3 entry on GHQ's website as a W-5. 

Sorry to get your hopes up.

[mmagliaro]

OOPS!!

My BAD!  Somehow I read the 2nd W-3 entry on GHQ's website as a W-5. 

Sorry to get your hopes up.

Heh, not to worry.  After Andrew posted pics of the W-5 he built a few years ago with GHQ parts,
NP folks have been waiting for GHQ to produce that kit, but they never did (although they used to
have an announcement somewhere on their page about it, now it's long gone).

I have a W-3 kit, which I will happily build, but the W-5 has a really beefy look and I'd like to build one.
I ordered replacement truck sideframes from Republic.  Meanwhile, I'll harvest the ones out of my W-3 kit for now,
and make up a new pair of tender trucks.  The ones I already modified with the MP sideframes will find a happy home
one day on another engine.

[mmagliaro]

Greg,
To close the loop on this, I did take your advice and use W-3 sideframes.  MUCH better!
Thanks for the tip!

[PGE_Modeller]

Looks really good, Max.  I am glad to have been able to help.  Tim Horton (BCR 570) used the Bachmann 4-8-2 trucks for his Canadian Pacific/British Columbia Provincial Museum 2-8-0 but, while correct for that (and some other CPR) locomotive(s), the drop equalizer is not the correct shape for the trucks on four Pacific Great Eastern tenders that I need to model.  The GHQ W-3 side frames, however, have the correct shape for those locomotives.

Cheers,

[Chris333]

OK so I just took a pair of Bachmann trucks and replaced the side frames with Model Power Andrews side frames. For what ever reason I had one truck from the new 2-6-0 and one trucks from my parts box (probably from a 2-8-0)  After I was done I couldn't get the wheels to fit into one truck, it was way too tight.

As was mentioned one of my complaints is that once you gauge the wheelsets they are too wide to fit into the trucks. Well I looked at both trucks and saw the bolster area was different on the older one. Then I place them side by side and saw the newer trucks side frames were further apart. I measured them both and the new one is .020" wider. They re-tooled a whole new truck (with the same crappy side frame detail). I have no idea when this started, but well I dunno something to watch out for I guess.

[Chris333]

Pics or it didn't happen