Red Caboose steel reefer truck question?

[CBQ Fan]

I have a RN-18410 reefer and I am not satisfied with the fixed knuckle coupler it came with.  I am thinking of going with the Micro-Trains Bettendorf truck to replace it.  Has anyone done this or have any thoughts?

[bbussey]

They probably will work.  I was happy to track down a couple painted in FGE a few years ago.  But I abandoned them after discovering compromised detail, such as the missing lower door track.

[CBQ Fan]

Interesting thing is, it appears to be an axle issue and not a coupler issue.  The wheels are too close together and are hanging up on the frogs in my turnouts.  I swapped them out with some old Atlas axles and the car now runs fine.  That was a cheap fix.

[peteski]

Interesting thing is, it appears to be an axle issue and not a coupler issue.  The wheels are too close together and are hanging up on the frogs in my turnouts.  I swapped them out with some old Atlas axles and the car now runs fine.  That was a cheap fix.

Do you own either a Micro-Trains or NMRA gauge?  It would make it easy to check whether the wheels are in gauge.  Are those 1-piece molded plastic wheel sets or can the wheels be adjusted on a metal axle?  I know that you found a workaround, but I'm still curious about the original wheels.

[CBQ Fan]

The original axles are one piece plastic so not much you can do with them.  The new axles roll better than the prior so I still want to do some more tinkering.  I have never had gauge issues before outside a flawed Atlas turn out.

[peteski]

The original axles are one piece plastic so not much you can do with them.  The new axles roll better than the prior so I still want to do some more tinkering.  I have never had gauge issues before outside a flawed Atlas turn out.

I see. So you have no way to tell whether the Red Caboose wheels are out fo gauge (narrow) or if possibly the Atlas wheels are wide in gauge.     Again, for the sake of curiosity.

[CBQ Fan]

The Red Caboose axle is too narrow.  This came off of a car I purchased on eBay and I have no way of knowing if they are original or not.  They did seem a little loose in the trucks.  The bad axles do not travel through Atlas or Peco code 80 turn outs. 

[peteski]

Thanks Brian.

[CBQ Fan]

I hope I was helpful.

[peteski]

I hope I was helpful.

I found your info helpful in understanding the problem (if I ever run into a similar situation).  The only Red Caboose rolling stock I own is the NE caboose. I should dig it up and see if its wheels are also narrow in gauge.

[bbussey]

The ice reefer is the old Precision Masters tooling.  Once Red Caboose acquired the rights to those models, the reefer was short-lived while the Ortner hopper continued to be a viable model.

[CBQ Fan]

I just won a lot of six cars.  It will be interesting to see how they turn out.

[sirenwerks]

The only Red Caboose rolling stock I own is the NE caboose.

Red Caboose made a caboose?  I don't remember that release...

[peteski]

Red Caboose made a caboose?  I don't remember that release...

Bowser/Red Caboose?  Wasn't that the company that produced the Pennsy/New England style cabooses.  I have few in B&M colors.  I remember them being rather pricey.

Or am I totally confused? 

[rschaffter]

Bowser is not Red Caboose, although I've bought many red cabooses from them.

Red Caboose was bought out by Intermountain.  Bowser bought out Delaware Valley's line, but  Bowser's  PRR cabooses and hoppers came later...