Hey Ric -
Disregard the email I sent. I hadn’t read your full post before firing off a note. Looks like you have the solution worked out.
Cookies???
chocolate chip???
Interesting fix. I’m expecting my AMS flat car (1:20.me photo contest prize) any day now, so it will be interesting to see how it performs compared to the B’mann flats. More to the point, it will be interesting to see if they’ve got the new tread profile that’s on the passenger cars. Those wheels seem to do rather well, at so much as I’ve run them.
Any thoughts to drilling out the journal boxes to accommodate ball bearings?
Later,
K
Kevin wrote - “Any thoughts to drilling out the journal boxes to accommodate ball bearings?”
Yes, I just don’t have access to the ball bearings. It was interesting in the process of the 5 cars (1 gondola and 4 flats) to note the difference of the bearing material. The flat’s bearings drilled easily with the residue turning to a very fine powder, immediately. The gondola bearing’s brass were tougher and peeled off in long strings of brass, but ended up snagging and spinning out better than 50% of that car’s bearings.
Next problem to attack with these cars is the air hoses hanging too low. Modified one last night by shorting the hose up about a 1/4 inch. This should be high enough to keep them out of the turnout frogs.
Nice job Ric!
Phil’s Narrow Gauge (link) offers a service to put ball bearings in the Accucraft trucks. I’ve read several reviews reporting excellent results using his Accucraft Freight, Caboose, Tender and J&S Passenger Trucks Service (link). He also offers Sierra Valley wheelsets as an option.
Phil is an LSC advertiser and his prices are very reasonable.
Happy RRing,
Jerry
Thanks Jerry. I think my fix will resolve the “Shelf Queens” for my needs. Future purchases will probably be mostly Bachmann 1:20.3 that come without the problems.
If they keep de-railing, I’m still gonna bad-order them… hehehe
Doug had to drag a combine that he wants to bad-order, too…
lmaoooooooo, Bruce, you gots it… I’ll reduce them down and make them all G-Scale…
Just make sure you don’t forget the first R in Order. But then again, maybe the combine needs a Bad Odor sign 
Now, Jon, that all depends on how long it’s been sitting out at Cat Dump…
HEhehe but Doug will just get mad and leave them at Old State Light and go get another train!
…grinning…
I did a very similar mod to my AMS trucks but found what may be a simpler method. There are brassbushings glued into the side frames. I use a tap and as the tap hits the bottom of the hole it pulls the brass bushing out. I then replace the brass bushing with a Aristocraft ball bearing which is a good fit for the hole and accomodiates the standard 1/8"axle for replacement wheels.
I do have to grind down the side frames a little but result as you report is very good.
Stan
Stan,
Good idea.
A plug tap (blunt bottom), right?
And any particular size? Course or fine and what thread count?
Need more info.
Now that’s a neat idea, Stan. Thanks for the tip. I have a bunch of AMS stock I need to do this on.
I also have a ton of white-metal trucks that need bearings. I guess Ill have to rig something in the drill press to drill these out.
Where was that place with the < $1.00 bearings?
Nevermind, found an EBay seller with em.
John Bouck said:John
Stan, Good idea. A plug tap (blunt bottom), right? And any particular size? Course or fine and what thread count? Need more info.
The tap I have been using is a 10-32 I have a tap set and it seemed to fit the best. When you make the threads into the bushing you are trying to break the glue bond. Once you hit bottom it just takes one more hard turn of the tap and the glue joint breaks and you can then pull out the bushing. Once out the Aristocraft ball bearing set is a good fit.
The ball bearing adds some more thickness to the sideframes which is why I use a grinder to grind off most of the part of the sideframe that protrudes inwards. When done the inside of the sideframe is basically flat.
I also generall replace the older springs with weaker ones that Accucraft will provide you or sell you.
Its a little work but the cars I have converted stay on the track and roll much better.
I am also experimenting with replacing the couplers with Kadee 830s. I like the slack in the couplers and the cars go through the turnouts better.
Hope that Helps
Stan Ames
Thanks!
What is the dimension of the bearing?
ID OD & length.
You don’t need to pay twice as much for the same bearing from Aristo, when you can get it at a bearing supply.
The aristo site says the The journal hole in the side frame needs to be .226”
And the axles on my Accu are a heck of a lot bigger in diameter than an ordiniary Aristo steel wheels axle.