Need correct trucks for Weaver Troop Sleeper

The only way I've found to get them is to get a cheap MOW troop car and use it for parts. To my knowledge, only weaver makes the allied cushion trucks. If you have the 2 rail trucks, swap the wheel sets in the trucks for 3 rail ones. Allied trucks were outlawed for interchange service in 1956. I dont know what they were swapped out for, it probably depended on the railroad.

Isn't the early MPC trucks Allied full cushion?

Nope, the MPC trucks were based on the Symington XL-70 "high speed" freight truck, a model that may not have traveled much farther than the drawing board, as I've never seen evidence that any real-life ones were built, beyond a mechanical drawing reprinted from a trade journal.

---PCJ

The trucks can be 3 railed. The bolster for these typical weaver. The end of the coupler shank is the bolster, and the whole thing is held together on a common screw. The 2 rail "bolster" is a small piece of plastic in the same shape as the end of the coupler shank. So if you have 2 rail trucks and a 3 rail coupler, just stack the coupler on the truck and screw it all to the bottom of the body. 

I forget how the trucks come apart. I think the sideframes come off with tiny screws, just remove one sideframe and swap. The wheels on these are a somewhat wide, flat profile wheel. I'm sure angled wheelsets would fit, so long as the outboard bearing end is long enough and fits in the bearing.

Justrains usually has racks of the converted express cars at York for $35 or $40. Since a set of diecast trucks is almost $20 anyways, its not that much more for the whole car, which then becomes the trucks you need and any kind of scenery project that you can use a boxcar for (yard office, junkyard, etc...).

After they were outlawed, the use would probably have dictated what the trucks were replaced with. Company MOW cars probably got standard freight trucks. Cars still in passenger train mail service would have received high speed trucks (Commonwealth express trucks or the like). If you're going to use this for MOW service, the freight trucks you have are probably fine, and appropriate.

The trucks can be 3 railed. The bolster for these typical weaver. The end of the coupler shank is the bolster, and the whole thing is held together on a common screw. The 2 rail "bolster" is a small piece of plastic in the same shape as the end of the coupler shank. So if you have 2 rail trucks and a 3 rail coupler, just stack the coupler on the truck and screw it all to the bottom of the body. 

Forgive me but are not the 3 rail trucks fast angle and are much thicker than scale wheels... thus needing a slightly larger bolster? Is'nt that the complaint for the older atlas o 2 rail trucks.. their bolster was too long necessitating the truck sideframes being too far out from the wheels.

OK, we (LHS) were told by Weaver that their diecast Allied Full Cushion trucks WILL be available for separate sale.  You will find them in a "Reserve It" category on their website.

After the troop cars left their product line-up a few years ago (no longer catalogued), the AFC trucks for separate sale also disappeared.  I believe this is all intertwined with the miasma that occurred when Sanda Kan gave some of their 'lesser' accounts the boot, but I can't be sure of that.

Anyhow, when the troop cars returned to the Weaver catalog a few months ago, I called and asked if we could expect the return of the separate-sale AFC trucks.  The answer was "Yes!".  And, shortly thereafter, the part numbers P754 (2-rail) and P755 (3-rail) for the AFC trucks did, indeed, pop up on their list.

As with anything of this sort, we must be patient.  I fully trust the Weaver folks.  The trucks WILL come.  BTW, though, we're only talking diecast metal trucks...no plastic for this type. 

If you have ANY vision/projection for needing this unique style of truck (e.g., several roads put them under 40' and 50' boxcars for express service...ATSF, for one.) I wouldn't plan on these being available forever.  If I were you, I'd order NOW to cover your present and future needs.  That's what I've done, anyway.  Besides, the good folks at Weaver would, I'm sure, appreciate knowing the most realistic size of their demand market on an item of this sort when scheduling a manufacturer half a world away.

FWIW, always...

KD

dkdkrd,

I have been searching the Weaver site lookng for the reserve it section. Could you point me in the right direction?

Thanks,

Richard

OK Richard, here ya go! Weaver OK click on the link, scroll down to the trucks you want and click on "Reverve It". It will take you to the reservation form.

I'm 99% sure you're looking for the P755

Hope this helps...

To look at other cars, select Product Locator, then the type of car. Say you're looking for "Troop Sleepers"; under Freight cars there is a pull down list. Select Troop Sleeper and click "Transfer Ticket". That will take you to the page showing all your choices for the Troop Cars... There's a long list of Troop Cars with open reservations still available.

Gilly

Thanks Gilly,

Appreciate the help.

Richard