Trucks on MTH cabooses

Well, I hope somebody who wants the later caboose(s), with the Bettendorfs contacts

you here on the forum, and you can effect a trade of the trucks.  (given that the coupler

shanks are of a compatible length, they clear the steps, etc.)

Here is a prototype photo of the trucks which SHOULD have been on an NYC wooden caboose. Interestingly enough, these T-Section Bettendorf trucks are on a fairly modern caboose. In 1966 a union agreement called for the replacement of the NYC wooden cabosses with steel cars. so NYC developed the N6a transfer caboose. This particular N6a apparently "inherited" the trucks from the car it replaced (This is the ONLY one of these cars with these trucks I've ever seen). Later on, PC built similar transfer cabooses in classes N9, N9E, N11 and N11E. The E indicated that the car was equipped with 10 Edison NiCd wet cells. (12 volts) A charger and 120 VAC inlet receptacle was provided to refresh the batteries.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc18105dsa.jpg

It absolutely escapes me why MTH continues to put those trucks on modern cabooses. It's ridiculous - I have several modern MTH cabooses that should have roller bearing trucks and they have the T-section Bettendorfs, anachronistic by about 60 years. On the other hand, I bought a Rail King model of a wooden bay window caboose that the railroad had made out of an old boxcar, which would have been appropriate with the T-section trucks. What did it have? Roller bearing trucks, of course. I've picked up enough assorted trucks to fix all my MTH cabooses; now I just have to find the time to do the work. 

It absolutely escapes me.......

...why anyone would complain about the type of trucks on a $25 train set caboose...

or

...why anyone would complain about "unprototypical" trucks on a caboose in a fantasy paint scheme!

Modern bay window cabooses with T-section Bettendorfs!!!

News flash: Cabooses have been obsolete for 30 years.  None of them are modern, especially those based on 60 year old designs! 

Take a moment and consider who a model is made for.  Train sets and separate sale items made for that segment of the market are designed to offer quality performance at an affordable price.  To provide that value manufacturers like Atlas, MTH have designated product lines.  Atlas has Industrial Rail and Trainman and MTH has Rugged Rails and Rail King.  To help keep the cost down they have less detail and often more basic trucks and limited truck types compared to their top of the line models.

I like some of the lower end products as potential scale models but I understand that they come with basic trucks.  If you don't like 'em go by a pair of trucks that you do like and you will still be into a caboose for less than the cost of one from any manufacturers fully detailed scale product line.

As for complaining about the trucks on a fantasy caboose made to go with a locomotive in a heritage paint scheme, well, I guess I won't post the photos of my BNSF FP70ACe executive units.  Someone would probably complain that I got them all wrong because everyone knows that the executive FP70s were FP70MACs. 

Ted

Your sarcasm is misplaced. I am talking about MTH Premier cabooses that are intended to be scale models of the last generation of cabooses on the railroads, NOT cheap starter-set items. Lionel and Atlas manage to put trucks on their cabooses that are at least the right generation, if not exactly prototypical. And as for the use of "modern" - I'm a steam guy, anything after the end of mainline steam is "modern." 

Orignal poster said "Rugged Rails" - is that MTH's new name for scale size and detail on three rails?

I agree, the NYC caboose ought to have Diamond Bettendorf, but all of mine have Lionel Arch Bar with leaf springs.  If I ever get a truly accurate NYC 19000 caboose, it will get Mullet River Diamond Bettendorf.  If I had to run giant flanges, I probably would not care what the truck looked like.  Just me.

I did have a scale MTH metal NYC caboose for about a week.  It could not hold a candle to the Lionel 717 or the Williams repro. It was not a scale model in any sense of the word - and I like MTH products.

The term "Modern" as it relates to railroad equipment indicates that it is among the more recent designs of its type. NKP 765 is considered a modern steam locomotive which makes sense when you compare it to say, a 4-4-0. Now to find out how to block your inane comments in the future..

Now to find out how to block your inane comments in the future..

Inane?  I didn't start a thread to complain about the accuracy of the trucks on $25 train set and fantasy cabooses. 

Really, what's the problem with "doing it right" if it doesn't cost anything. That having been said, Ted, I apologize for my "blocking" comment because it is obvious that you are one of the most knowledgeable posters in this community.

Once again I am embarrassed. I always think of how some posts affect new comers to the forum.  Is this a forum they can take serious or do they shy away from it. 

Doesn't just affect newcomers (who do shy away from participating); it also affects manufacturers.  Little wonder they tend to devote less attention to O gauge these days.  The whining and complaining is incessant.  It all relates to the power of words...and, more importantly, how they are used.

  I have a few Railking Cabooses with Bettendorf t-section trucks.  I also have some Rugged Rails wood cabooses with the roller bearing trucks.   Is a truck swap possible?

I know of no O gauge rolling stock where a truck swap is impossible.

Go ahead and swap those trucks.

Case in point, I took a Lionel hopper and replaced one of it's trucks with a Marx scissor coupler truck.  Now I can use my TMCC equipped K-Line Big Boy to pull all my old Marx freight cars.

The truck swap is no problem. You have to take the caboose apart, and it can occasionally be a challenge to find all the screws holding the thing together, but it's basically an easy job. If the caboose has an interior, you will probably have to remove it to get at the truck mounting screws.  The other thing to watch for is that you usually have to disconnect the ladders at the end of the caboose, but this varies by model.

I guess this makes me a greenhorn. I never noticed what trucks were on any of my cabeese.

They have 4 wheels per truck and couple up, Good enough.

Some are RailKing, Some Premier, some woodsided, a couple steel sided, whatever.

Bob2,  Rugged Rails = less detail than Railking, or possibly starter set level detail.

         (You may have been posting sarcastically, it does not translate well in text.)

I agree.  I'm of the mindset that anything you want to do can be done and it will be fun to boot.  That's part of the joy of model trains and tracks and buildings.  Slice and dice till you have what you want.