Proper Trucks for Express Boxcars

Atlas offers a Commonwealth Express Truck, but it may not be accurate for the express cars you are modeling.

http://www.atlaso.com/oexpresscartrucks.htm 

Express boxcar trucks varied widely. Some were regular freight trucks (most likely roller bearing for sustained high speed), some were express trucks as above, and some cars such as the GN 2600-2649 series 51 foot express boxcars rode on equalized roller bearing 4 wheel passenger trucks. You really have to research each car you are modeling, even if owned by the same railroad.

These look like standard freight car trucks

These are Allied Cushion

I have no clue what these are

There were also some Timkin roller bearing-equipped trucks that looked like retrofitted Bettendorfs. It would not surprise me if those were fitted to express cars as well. As was said above, road/era-specific research is required here.

The Pennsy used A.S.F. Ride Control and A.S.F. A-3 Ride Control (class 2D-F26) trucks on their X40 and X40B cars used in express service. Express service X29 cars used class 2D-F7 or class 2D-F14 (Young) trucks.

BTW, folks....   When Weaver announced re-release of additional troop cars with the Allied Full Cushion trucks, I called to find out whether they would reinstate the trucks, themselves, for sale. 

The word came back "Yes!'.

Ergo, those diecast trucks would be my first preference for equipping a freight car to run express in a passenger train.  Many roads did so, among them ATSF and Rock Island.  I'm sure others did, also.

Now, if only we could get Weaver to reinstate the diecast archbar trucks!!!  Pleeeeaaase!?!?!?

KD

Aside from trucks, the NYC block 737-B cars used for Pacemaker Service had modified brake systems and steam lines added so they could be blocked into passenger trains, whether they actually were or not. So any 'rivet counters' might want to include the additional connections.

"Freight Car Trucks 1900-1960" by Richard H. Hendrickson just appeared in May's issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist.  http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/  He shows and explains most freight car trucks.

Jan

The milk cars put out by Lionel a few years back, I believe had high speed trucks.

I don't know how accurate they are, but the trucks MTH puts on the R-50-Bs are very attractive and like a passenger truck.

The big issue I have read about was the bearings.   At higher speed, the bearings overheated.   Pennsy used a truck on their X29s in express service that looked like a common freight truck (see note above).    However, If you find the references, you will find that it had bigger, wider bearings.   

A followup on my previous post.    I had to log off for awhile.

A second issue with the high speed trucks was the bolster.   There were other types of bolsters, often combined with leaf springs to improve the ride and tracking at passenger speeds.

An example of a converted boxcar is the X29 PRR express reefer that Middledivision/Atlas did.   It is the X29 modified for passenger service.   the trucks have different springs - Atlas did not bother with new trucks.   however they added the steam lines and I guees different brake detail.    And they added additional and different grabirons which were required by the FRA (or whatever the regulartory board was) for passenger service.   

It might be worth looking one of these cars over to get some ideas about addtional details.

The latest issue of the online mag "Model Railroad Hobbyist" has a good article on freight car trucks.