New Bowser Roller Bearing Trucks

[tom mann]

Any photos?  Do the new AZL 36" wheels fit?

[Sokramiketes]

Any photos?  Do the new AZL 36" wheels fit?

They were on the latest covered hopper release, photo from Z Scale Monster:



Not a close-up, but you can already see that they are better proportioned than the AZL sideframes.  Can't wait to buy a bunch. 

[DKS]

I've got some samples on the way. (Of course, anyone who bought the latest hoppers already has 'em.)

As before, though, they won't be offered separately for a while yet.

[tom mann]

Anyone got pics yet?  What about info on availability?

[DKS]

Still have not received my samples yet, but I do know that they have 33-inch wheels (based on an appropriate prototype, as I understand), and won't be available separately for a while yet, possibly a few months.

[DKS]

Just got home and these were waiting for me in the mailbox:
 


Will says there are some technical issues to resolve before they will be made available separately; might be a few months.

[tom mann]

They look nice from a proportions perspective, but I wish they would be closer to MT in terms of tooling detail and crispness.

[DKS]

They look nice from a proportions perspective, but I wish they would be closer to MT in terms of tooling detail and crispness.

I agree, but only to an extent. When looking at these trucks in person, I don't miss that nearly as much. It's macro photography that really shows up the differences. What I really like about these is that their surfaces are matte, instead of the slick, oiled-looking polished surfaces on M-T trucks.

[Sokramiketes]

David-

Are all major dimensions the same between the roller bearing and the earlier friction bearing trucks?  I'm presuming it's just new sideframe molds on the same bolster, but would like to confirm.

[DKS]

David-

Are all major dimensions the same between the roller bearing and the earlier friction bearing trucks?  I'm presuming it's just new sideframe molds on the same bolster, but would like to confirm.

Results below.

[DKS]

The geometry of the bolster and coupler pocket appear to be identical between the two truck styles. All other critical dimensions appear to be substantially similar if not identical, including wheelbase.

[Sokramiketes]

Perfect, thanks!

[tom mann]

So are these 100 ton trucks that require 36" wheels?  Or 70 ton trucks that use 33" wheels?  Can we get a comparison shot next to the new AZL truck with 36" wheels?

[DKS]

So are these 100 ton trucks that require 36" wheels?  Or 70 ton trucks that use 33" wheels?  Can we get a comparison shot next to the new AZL truck with 36" wheels?

They are 70 ton trucks, 33" wheels. I'll try and take a comparison shot tonight.

[DKS]

OK, so here's a comparison of the latest AZL roller bearing truck (left) with the new Full Throttle rb (right). Curious that the AZL is supposed to be a 100-ton truck, yet the Full Throttle 70-ton is far beefier in its proportions, ironically approaching the bulk of 100-ton sideframes. The AZL is also seriously lacking detail, with rubber ball springs and non-existent bearing ends. FT might not be anywhere as crisp as Micro-Trains, but they at least have some kind of bearing ends visible, and of the right size. Oh, and evidently there is a 70-ton rb variety with three visible springs, although I have not come across a 1:1 photo yet.



Just to round out the comparison, here's Micro-Trains first- and second-generation 100-ton roller bearing trucks. Although M-T wins hands-down for clean, crisp tooling (second gen, obviously), the proportions are all off. Aside from the wheelbase being way too short, look at the bearing ends: at first glance you think, wow, they look really good, until you realize that they're maybe almost double the size of real ones (their melted-ice cream first-gen version had the size about right, at least). So the whole truck sort of winds up as something approaching a cartoon. You can also see that over the years they made the flanges deeper, and flared the top and bottom edges of the coupler knuckle.



Edit: For reference, here's a 70-ton ASF Ride Control and a 100-ton ASF Barber S-2 roller bearing: