Atlas 3-rail trucks disintegrating - will replacements from any manufacturer fit?

No. MTH trucks will not work due to their high bolster design along with the mounting screw being on top of the truck bolster instead of underneath like the Atlas O design. Unfortunately you are stuck purchasing Atlas O trucks for Atlas O cars if you don't want to modify the truck attachment.

I had problems with some 2-rail Atlas trucks on Reefers.    Atlas replaced the trucks free of charge when I sent in the broken pieces.    They admitted to having a bad batch of zinc.   I had just heard it was on the reefers.     I did not have all my parts, so I could not get all my replacements.    I just dumped the fragments for each pair in a small plastic bag and sent them all in.   I talked to someone there and got authorization first too.    

I sent in my bad trucks to Atlas and never heard back. I could have at least kept the axles for other trucks. Bad deal for me.

Maybe they did not like my post about poor rolling problems.

https://ogrforum.com/...-poor-rolling-trucks

fwiw, Atlas parts department gave me the part # and price of replacements, he never offered to replace them.

When I sent mine in, I kept the axles!   

It has been some years, maybe now they figure it is the life cycle.

By the way, Lionel trucks might work.    I have found that Atlas trucks will work on Lionel cars.   Maybe the thin bolsters on the Lionel cars will work on Atlas.

When I install Kadees, I usually lower the car by putting Weaver trucks on.  

That is right Clem, the new die cast Weaver trucks are a good fit.

Lionel trucks may work, but they tend to sit up too high...

Don’t be too critical of Atlas just because of those disintegrating trucks. Every model train manufacturer (including Lionel in the 1930s) has had rare but undeniable problems with zinc rot, which is the result of impurities being mixed into the molten zinc during the manufacturing process.

Atlas didn’t ask for a cheaper casting. More than likely, a parts subcontractor to the production facility cut corners or got careless and provided poor material to the factory.

It would be nice if the production facilities screened their contractors more closely. I, too, have had disintegrated trucks and an occasional broken coupler. Atlas also had a freight car with a bad frame that was discussed here in the past year or so.

But when Sanda Kan discontinued its relationship with quite a few American model railroading manufacturers about eight years ago after its acquisition by Kader, it sent them scrambling to find new manufacturing partners, not all of which have been as good or reputable as Sanda Kan once was. Atlas in particular has been stung, but mostly by a slow production process in several scales rather than casting problems.

For what it’s worth, I think Atlas should offer free truck replacements. It should be fully aware which batches failed due to zinc rot at this point. Trucks don’t crumble, even after a decade of use, like yours have.

J Daddy posted:

That is right Clem, the new die cast Weaver trucks are a good fit.

Agreed. However, how does one find/purchased the former Weaver die cast Bettendorf freight trucks? I seem to recall that the last few years of Weaver's business, MTH was making the die cast trucks for Weaver, and they were/are EXCELLENT. I also use the Weaver 2-Rail trucks Bettendorf freight trucks, and they are just a nice.

Lionel trucks may work, but they tend to sit up too high...

Boy, do they ever!

 

If its just the bolsters that are junk, you can get 3D printed replacements. I have several older 40' ice reefers that crumbled apart but it was just the bolster. The 3D printed replacements from Mario fixed them right up.

J Daddy posted:

That is right Clem, the new die cast Weaver trucks are a good fit.

Could you clarify the "new" part of the description.  Do you mean those die cast Weaver trucks made toward the end of their manufacturing existence?....or have I missed an announcement of some sort?

Lionel trucks may work, but they tend to sit up too high...

And are you talking about the new LionScale die cast trucks?  I purchased a LS car at York in October just to evaluate the new trucks made for this product line in comparison to the Weaver die cast trucks.  They're great!   I think they're going to work well on older/other applications.  I especially like them for use on the old All Nation, Ambroid, Quality Craft, etc. wood/metal kits in building them for O3R use.  Unfortunately, however, Lionel has not offered the LS trucks up for separate sale yet......to the best of my knowledge.

But, I would agree that the more common Lionel die cast trucks (6-14078) offered as an aftermarket item are WAY to tall for most non-Lionel cars....and not at all easily modified for other applications. 

KD

Hot Water posted:

J Daddy posted:

That is right Clem, the new die cast Weaver trucks are a good fit.

Agreed. However, how does one find/purchased the former Weaver die cast Bettendorf freight trucks? I seem to recall that the last few years of Weaver's business, MTH was making the die cast trucks for Weaver, and they were/are EXCELLENT. I also use the Weaver 2-Rail trucks Bettendorf freight trucks, and they are just a nice.

Lionel trucks may work, but they tend to sit up too high...

Boy, do they ever!

 

 

Weaver, or whomever was making them for Weaver, seemed to have stopped making trucks the last several years they were in business, for some unknown reason. At least the diecast ones. For a number of years now, replacement Weaver trucks (seems the Bettendorf are the scarcest, but they all are) have been extremely hard to find. It's been very frustrating. Lionel trucks don't work on Weaver or Atlas cars, and the MTH trucks I've tried don't fit, either. 

I posted an inquiry a couple months ago whether the new Lionel trucks made for the  LionScale cars (made in USA and using Weaver tooling, I understand), which Lionel said were improved, will work on older Weaver cars. Noone responded, so I don't know the answer, but it seems they would.  

As far as the new Lionel LionScale trucks working on Atlas O cars, if they do as some posters mentioned above, that's great. I still wonder if they'll work on older Weaver cars. As far as Weaver Bettendorf truck replacement, that's about non-existent. Several times I've actually resorted to buying relatively inexpensive used Weaver cars that have diecast Bettendorf trucks, and cannibalizing those trucks for my cars.

Personally, if the OP can get the Atlas diecast replacement trucks for $24, that's probably close to what he'll pay for other diecast trucks, and a whole lot easier. I think the new Lionel-made Weaver trucks aren't much cheaper than that, if at all. I don't recall seeing diecast trucks from anyone for less than maybe $18.

Expanding on the Lionel trucks: the modern Lionel trucks (not just the newest Weaver-ish Lionscale ones) are very low-bolster (I've used them to 3-rail-convert 2-rail cars without having to modify the car's bolster or frame); the "middle-aged" Lionel die-cast trucks from 10+ years ago were nice enough, but had the old high-bolster PW architecture for cars with recessed floors. I use them where appropriate or where the car can be easily modified to give a good ride height.

eBay has trucks. 

I find the new Lionel trucks sit to high also.  I tried the new gondola, had to use one heck of a shim to get the coupler to correct height.  New Lionel truck on right, typical 2 rail truck on left (Weaver).

The price of Atlas replacement trucks is a bit steep - plus shipping if local hobby shop doesn't stock them.

I use the Weaver plastic trucks, never a problem.

Paul Kallus posted:

The price of Atlas replacement trucks is a bit steep - plus shipping if local hobby shop doesn't stock them.

Lionel and MTH trucks are about the same cost as the Atlas ones. All are around $24/pr.