Budd Cars

I love mine. I bought the CS set with two 2559's. Added one to the older set. Original 2559 prices were always too high.

A couple of years ago I picked up one of the original #400 Budd cars in excellent condition. I remember the Budd car was pictured in my 1956 catalog that came with my first train set (1615 with work train). I always liked them.
I liked the 400 I had just gotten so much that I decided to get the newer #2550 car to go with the 400 instead of paying a whole lot more for a vintage car. I like the 2 Budd cars together.

@cpasam posted:

Any comments about series 6-38311, reissued Budd Cars?

Id like to add two non-powered #2559 cars and not sure if I should look for the older, more expensive used originals.
I’ve been satisfied with the reissued SF blue stripe passenger cars I had previously acquired , so perhaps these will be acceptable. The color may be brighter silver, but if the couplers, etc operate fine and are decent quality, they could be okay. Thank you.

I'm kinda fond of the Budd cars. I have both of the conventional classic sets and also several of the original pw sets, all four of the Canadian National's, both service station sets and the Amtrak set.

A pw 2559's in very nice condition can range anywhere's from $150. on up.  They're a little scarce at train meets.

I have had both.  I like the Postwar motors a little better.  As stated, cost of the Postwar ones is high.   So I have a PW 400, 2559 and a PW celebration 2550.

The one thing I do on the modern and even some Postwar versions is to get the wheel bearings on the non-motor trucks to stay in place.  In my mind the brass bearings should be press fit in the truck housing.  Some are a slip fit so they may turn in the housing along with the axle.  Also they move sideways along the axis of the axle changing the wheel clearance or centering a little.  You may never have a problem running them, but if you do the fix could help.

I had one axle out of 24, that was so bad with the slop the bearing could just come out of the truck housing and drop the truck housing on the axle or jam the wheel.   That is what triggered the "fixing" of these bearings for me.

What I do is to make sure the bearings are all the way in to the shoulder, so the wheels have the correct side play.   If the bearing is loose in the truck, I add a very small amount of epoxy on  the outer part of the bearing, inside part of the truck.  To hold it to the truck truck housing.  I use a tooth pick as an aplicator.   A small bead for about 1/4" is all you need.  Just enough to keep the bearing from sliding around.    Don't get any on the axle!  Make sure the bearings are held in place until the epoxy dries.  Jamming a toothpick between one wheel and bearing usually works to hold both sides in.   

I have the CC 3 car set and absolutely love them. 

I have the CC sets ( 2276w remake and 2 car commuter set ) and love them both - they run well / nice horn / spot on as far as color and graphics also

I have a Williams Budd upgraded with TMCC and directional lighting. Its pulling a MPC RPO dummy repainted to match.

Pete

@VHubbard posted:

What I do is to make sure the bearings are all the way in to the shoulder, so the wheels have the correct side play.   If the bearing is loose in the truck, I add a very small amount of epoxy on  the outer part of the bearing, inside part of the truck.  To hold it to the truck truck housing.  I use a tooth pick as an aplicator.   A small bead for about 1/4" is all you need.  Just enough to keep the bearing from sliding around.    Don't get any on the axle!  Make sure the bearings are held in place until the epoxy dries.  Jamming a toothpick between one wheel and bearing usually works to hold both sides in.   

You could also use Loctite 660 Retaining Compound, made for jobs like this.