Switcher trucks

Yes.  I forget who - I think I recall openable journal lids.  Car Works sold stuff separately, and it was good stuff.

I never much cared for that screwhead holding the truck to the bolster, but lately I don't notice it on the NWs that I have.

I am building an NW right now, will be an ex-IHB unit we had locally when I volunteered down at the short line RR here in town.  Did anybody ever do roller bearing side frames for these?   I would like to do the two other units the line had, but they had roller bearing trucks and twin sealed beam SW type headlights.  I think I saw someone on Shapeways offering the headlights.   I plan to build all of them from All Nation units, I like the heavy diecast.  Jay C. is rebuilding my chain drives for my current one for me.  That should cure the split sprocket issues.  Mike

If I recall correctly, the original EMD NW-2s (1940s to early 1950s) did not come with Roller Bearings because these were a maintenance replacement that became available in the 1960s... NW-2s had to be re-greased frequently which is why Roller Bearings with less maintenance eventually became more popular.

I assume that you are looking for AAR Type A Trucks made by GSC which have modified Journal Boxes that open to show Roller Bearings? Do you prefer all-Brass or else cast White Metal?

Regarding 2-Rail O-Scale AAR Type A Truck Kits, you may want to contact Mike Calvert in England... he has cast many different types of very detailed Trucks over the years and may have the mold designs that you seek.  He can make the same Truck in either Brass or White Metal, but 260 Brass is harder to cast & more expensive.

As far as cast White Metal AAR Type A Trucks, the only O-Scale Brass Manufacturer I know that used these is Locomotive Workshop (Jan Lorinzen).  I have 2 sets that came with my LW ALCO S-4 Kits and they do not have great detail nor do they have Journal Boxes that open...

Regards, Steve

Cincinnati, OH

The roller bearing type switcher trucks lacked the journel boxes like on the stock NW2 trucks, looked more like freightcar journels.  If you google any of the IHB switchers from the last years of use, they all had roller bearing trucks, even the last two NW2's.   Mike

I just repaired and AN F7 B unit that was handed to me at Strasburg last Saturday.  The lower chain drive cog on one of the transfer towers was broken in three pieces.  I opted to install AN geared towers with the skewed gears.  No more problems!  Although it looks like the speed of the locos would match with either the chain or gear drive, if you decide to do this on a dual powered model, you must change both towers.  The chain drive assembly will turn the wheel sets in the opposite direction from the gear drive when power is applied.  I am not an advocate of the AN chain drives.

Joe Foehrkolb

rrjjf posted:

I am not an advocate of the AN chain drives.

Let me know if you have any you want to be rid of, Joe.  I can use them in freight motors,

Jay C is rebuilding my pair of chain towers for my NW2, hope to get them back from him in a week or two.  I picked up a US hobbies GP35 pro painted in Chessie for $150 from the LHS, needs some TLC, non running due to broken wire to one of the trucks, and has a few loose hand rail stanchions to fix in place.  My wife is a huge Chessie fan, so she loves it.  I might paint the NW2 into a beat up C&O basic blue paint scheme.  Chessie is a bit beyond my ablites.  Mike