In this issue of Garden Railways magazine, Kevin Strong shows press-in ball bearings for the large scale journals. I’m thinking these may be ideal to replace the worn journals in my heavyweights. Unfortunately, Kevin didn’t provide the source for the bearings in the article.

Anyone???

plenty for sale on ebay. Know your sizes to get the correct ones. Metric or Inch? I got some from overseas. USA trains alone uses different sizes for different cars. Not one size for all kind of thing.

These are the ones I’ve used. They fit on my Bachmann, Aristo-Craft and USA Trains axles.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/30pcs-Lot-MF63ZZ-MF63-ZZ-3x6x2-5mm-Miniature-Flange-Bearing-Thin-Wall-Deep-Groove-Ball-Radial/32734640449.html

Thanks guys. My heavyweights “speak” for themselves.

Those bearings made a real difference on my USA woodside reefers. I can only imagine the improvement they would make on a heavyweight passenger car.

I got mine from Avid RC: https://www.avidrc.com/product/1/bearings/ a dedicated car racing site. usually $1 each or less. All my Accucraft coaches have them.

I did find this photo which may remind you to be carefully when you drill. It’s a brass Accucraft coach truck.

I bought the same ones you have Dan G. I’m just waiting for them to arrive so I can use them on my Aristocraft Heavyweights. I looked at finding axles with ball bearing wheels but after looking at Accucraft smooth side coaches and saw how nicely they rolled I decided on ball bearing journals.

Dan Pantages said:

I bought the same ones you have Dan G. I’m just waiting for them to arrive so I can use them on my Aristocraft Heavyweights. I looked at finding axles with ball bearing wheels but after looking at Accucraft smooth side coaches and saw how nicely they rolled I decided on ball bearing journals.

I’m using them with these axles I bought for yet another little project I’m working on.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-model-toys-axle-HSS-steel-axle-connecting-rod-length-100mm-diameter-1mm-2-mm/32415895248.html

Cheap rotating roller bearing caps!

Dan Pantages said:

I bought the same ones you have Dan G. I’m just waiting for them to arrive so I can use them on my Aristocraft Heavyweights. I looked at finding axles with ball bearing wheels but after looking at Accucraft smooth side coaches and saw how nicely they rolled I decided on ball bearing journals.

Looking forward to reading about this before I order . (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

Thanks again guys.

Todd, there was a thread on this topic started almost 3 years ago.

https://largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/24202/ball-bearing-journal-inserts?page=1

David Maynard said:

Todd, there was a thread on this topic started almost 3 years ago.

https://largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/24202/ball-bearing-journal-inserts?page=1

I just re-read that thread. Ended with you saying you had not yet received them. I assume you got them soon after then?

And now I’d like to know what Kevin did with the golf cart!

Ha! I just found that golf cart after being lost in the kids’ toys for who knows how long. Definitely have to get back to thinking about that one. I just started painting my latest mogul project, so once that’s off the bench, I’ll have some time to poke around.

Glad y’all enjoyed the article.

Later,

K

I have a nice stockpile of bearings now. Every USA wood-side reefer gets then before the car is put in service. As for the rest of my fleet, they will get upgraded when I get around to it.

I can’t find mine. I had a nice little orange plastic one years ago.

David Maynard said:

I can’t find mine. I had a nice little orange plastic one years ago.

Did you ask your mom if she has seen it lately? I bet it’s in your room somewhere!