Are their Polar Express compatable Die Cast trucks?

The Delrin trucks on the PE cars are as about as quiet and smooth rolling as it gets. There are die cast 6 wheel trucks for 9500 series cars(9536-50 - about $25 a pair), but they will be noisier, not as free-wheeling, the pickup rollers are not as good, and they are not as close-coupling.

The ground strap contacts on the PE trucks are about the only thing causing drag, and it is minimal. A tiny drop of oil on each of the 4 axles of each car where the wipers contact them will help some.

With regard to the noise, you must be using Fastrack. The PE cars on our traditional tubular layout roll nearly silently. The same cars with the die cast trucks & inferior pickups squeak along "charmingly".

Would there be delrin 6 wheel trucks that would work with the PE cars?

Not that I am aware of.

I got home today and looked at the trucks on the PE. They are basically Freight Trucks. Sure the sides are different (a little) But I can't tell on the living room floor. Tomorrow I will play with my MTH passenger trucks.They are WAY to big, but if the coupler length is right, maybe I can get the bits ffrom MTH. I don't want body mount as the loop has some O42.
Sigh..

Marty,

I don't own any of the PE series of passenger cars. Are they 4-wheel or 6-wheel trucks?

If they're 4-wheel trucks, Lionel offers diecast replacement trucks with the extended couplers:

Lionel 6-14251 | Price: $20.49

Features FEATURES:
•Rotating bearing caps
•Upgrade your rolling stock trucks
•Metal coupler armature
•Quick and easy to install
•Adds weight and improves tracking
•Box of two

Gauge: Traditional O Gauge

These have longer couplers than the Lionel 6-14078 couplers. Perhaps a local hobby store has some in stock so you could compare the size before purchasing.

-bruce

The six-wheel die-cast trucks with roller pick-ups were first created for the 9500-series Baby-Madison cars for the Blue Comet set back in 1978. I have several sets of cars with these trucks, and they roll fine and couple just as close as the plastic trucks on the P.E..

Jon

The cars in the film/books used two axle/four wheel trucks which are not correct for clerestory (aka heavyweight) cars but it was a book/movie.

quote:

Originally posted by chuck:
The cars in the film/books used two axle/four wheel trucks which are not correct for clerestory (aka heavyweight) cars...

Oh, really?

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/cnj875.jpg

Rusty

quote:

Originally posted by PRR Bruce:
Marty,

I don't own any of the PE series of passenger cars. Are they 4-wheel or 6-wheel trucks?

If they're 4-wheel trucks, Lionel offers diecast replacement trucks with the extended couplers:

Lionel 6-14251 | Price: $20.49

Features FEATURES:
•Rotating bearing caps
•Upgrade your rolling stock trucks
•Metal coupler armature
•Quick and easy to install
•Adds weight and improves tracking
•Box of two

Gauge: Traditional O Gauge

These have longer couplers than the Lionel 6-14078 couplers. Perhaps a local hobby store has some in stock so you could compare the size before purchasing.

-bruce

Thanks for the idea. These cars are 4 wheel. the truck you found has no electrical pickups. I am going to take measurments and post them. The closestthing I have seen are the 4 wheel MTH railking trucks. Hopefully someone can compare my measurements. If they work, then it will be a price point with MTH (if they sell them.)

If you want free rolling trucks avoid the ones with the "rotating bearing caps" like those posted above. Due to the design used to create rotating rearing caps, these are not needlepoint axles and are some of lionels poorest rolling trucks.

The PE truck is 4 wheeled 2.1" wide, 2.25"long (at the wheels). coupler closed, it is 4" from coupler tip to the end of the wheels.

Could someone with an MTH passenger set that has 4 wheels the size of a passenger truck, do me 2 favors? 1) take the measurements. 2 confirm ithey roll like MTH freight?

Thanks, I have a long MTH parts list now, maybe I'm adding these.



While this has taken a neat turn, anyone with MTH passenger trucks, that look like freight trucks able to take a measurement? I have a long list to call in to MTH, I will ask them an order a set, if no one can.

PRR had some coaches with 4 wheel trucks. the P54's come to mind.

Commuter coaches like the Stillwell's, and most of the Pennsy and NH commuter cars ran with two axle trucks. They aren't "heavyweights". The cars illustrated in the original children's book were round top on the out side and clerestory on the inside. The movie cars were clerestory only, both inside and outside. Lionel used the Baby Madison's for the set with the modified observation car.

quote:

Originally posted by KOOLjock1:... and they roll fine and couple just as close as the plastic trucks on the P.E. ...

Jon, that is because the 9500 molds were modified slightly and the attachment point was moved slightly inboard to accommodate the new 6 wheel trucks. Using the trucks with the PE factory mounting position will cause more distance between cars.

It can still be done, with some mods to the floors of the cars.

quote:

Originally posted by chuck:
Commuter coaches like the Stillwell's, and most of the Pennsy and NH commuter cars ran with two axle trucks. They aren't "heavyweights".

They weren't "lightweights" either. The term "heavyweights" has been pretty much generally used (right or wrong) to describe a passenger car that is not of the streamlined variety.

Using a six wheel truck as the descriptor to make a passenger car a "heavyweight" is like saying the dynamic brake blister on a Geep makes it a GP9 instead of a GP7.

The Budd full length dome lounge cars on the Santa Fe and Great Northern had six wheel trucks, these cars weren't called heavyweights. The GM&O also had some ACF streamline parlor cars with six wheel trucks. These certainly wouldn't be described as heavyweights either.

Besides, the Polar Express is a fantasy train. (I'm still trying to figures out how it added and subracted cars en route without stopping. And, does Santa really need a 5+ car train to transport a handful of kids?? He could have gotten by with an RDC or two...) The movie did a wonderful job of rendering the train, and railroad equipment generally has been far more inaccurately portrayed in the movies, both animated and live action.

Rusty

quote:

Originally posted by Marty R:
The PE truck is 4 wheeled 2.1" wide, 2.25"long (at the wheels). coupler closed, it is 4" from coupler tip to the end of the wheels.

Could someone with an MTH passenger set that has 4 wheels the size of a passenger truck, do me 2 favors? 1) take the measurements. 2 confirm ithey roll like MTH freight?

Thanks, I have a long MTH parts list now, maybe I'm adding these.



While this has taken a neat turn, anyone with MTH passenger trucks, that look like freight trucks able to take a measurement? I have a long list to call in to MTH, I will ask them an order a set, if no one can.

I converted all my Polar Express cars to 6 wheel trucks a couple of years ago. I used the 9500 series trucks from Blue comet and other cars of that series with 6 wheel trucks. You should be able to get some beat up cars with good trucks for a good price. They fit perfectly and the coupling distance is the same as with the original trucks.

Hi Marty, you mentioned that the noise level is a big consideration for your living-room layout. Well, if you are useing Fast Track that system produces alot of noise. It's a great starter system, probably the best for a number of reasons, but noise is a very real issue with some people and Fast Track.

What you might wont to try is MTH Real Track. The Rail and ballast structure give trains a much more quite ride on it.

I don't know about Atlas track because I never got to use it as yet.

But, as for Lionel's cars they are one of the smoothest runners on the market. Unless there is something wrong with them I doubt if they are the noise source, or issue.

quote:

Originally posted by gg1man:
Hi Marty, you mentioned that the noise level is a big consideration for your living-room layout. Well, if you are useing Fast Track that system produces alot of noise. It's a great starter system, probably the best for a number of reasons, but noise is a very real issue with some people and Fast Track.

What you might wont to try is MTH Real Track. The Rail and ballast structure give trains a much more quite ride on it.

I don't know about Atlas track because I never got to use it as yet.

But, as for Lionel's cars they are one of the smoothest runners on the market. Unless there is something wrong with them I doubt if they are the noise source, or issue.

Mario
Thanks
I do use RealTrax. I am comparing the noise to MTH freight and passenger run on the same track. The Lionel is much noisier and the wheels roll so poorly (again relative to MTH die cast), that I want to swap them. The drag is at least in part due to the power pickup wiper.

darsenau - thanks for the idea.