Large Scale Central

LGB's American Standard Gauge Car "Roller Bearing" Fre

Modeling Rolling stock
#1

LGB’s American standard gauge 1/29 Scale freight truck applications include their 40 foot Boxcar, Modern 50 foot Boxcar, Modern Tank Car, Center Flow Hopper Car, and 50 foot Flatcar.

The LGB truck as factory equipped can be in different colors and equipped with LGB’s plastic or metal wheels.

LGB

With respect to a prototype truck’s sideframes, the LGB truck seems to resemble a friction bearing “hot box” type, but for having emulated roller bearing caps, that if concerned about the era of rolling stock, say for the 40 foot boxcar, may seem out of place. Of course, if adhering to the “10 foot rule”, none of this will be of concern.

However, if desiring to body mount couplers, the truck can be modified to lower the car it’s used on to not only make for a more prototypical appearance but facilitate body mounting couplers without needing excessively thick spacers.

By design the truck’s bolster is high up, even with the top of the sideframes, which is unlike most other brand trucks, so for an LGB car that’s already too high from the railhead, the car can be lowered by either replacing trucks with another brand’s trucks or by modifying the LGB truck.

For more information about the LGB truck and how to modify it, see “vignette” (article) hosted for me by Greg E. on his Web site, title:
LGB’s American Standard Gauge 1/29 Scale Trucks & Mods for Car Lowering

-Ted

#2

I dunno, it looks like a roller bearing truck to me.

Edit to say that seeing them side by side, here in this thread, I see your point. The side casting is almost a cross between the roller bearing and bettendorf truck. My bad.

But since I like ones with the end caps rotating, I have swapped the few LGB ones I have for Aritsocraft roller bearing trucks.

#3

They also used this truck on the tenders for the mikado. Really wrong.

#4

Paul, yes, I forgot about the LGB Mikado tender that uses the same LGB freight car trucks.

If I recall correctly, I think you may have referred to the LGB truck as “junk” in a post a long time ago. I think the truck is a vestige from the “toy era” with maybe LGB’s intent to use it on anything American, hence, it has molded-in roller bearings so it could be used across eras. Since LGB products are typically expensive, one would think they could do better. So that makes me wonder what 1/29 scale American cars (not narrow gauge ones) LGB first offered for sale. Does anyone know the timeline for them?

-Ted

#5

The steam locomotive tenders at the Tennessee Railroad museum ride on roller bearing trucks. But, those are restored locomotives, and I guess some changed were made.

#6

I am not sure I would consider LGB’s grain hopper 1:29th scale as I think its a tad undersize when compared to the USA grain hoppers, which are huge when put next to my Lionel Large Scale GP20’s. I need to try the LGB hopper to see if it looks better. The GP20’s are roughly 1:32nd to 1:22.5ish looking in size. Kind of that early era of Large Scale where scales and such were mixed and beat with a rubber ruler! Mike

#7

I have a LGB caboose , that scales out to 18.5 feet tall and about 5to7 feet longer than the prototype. Still not sure I will ever put it on the track, it is way bigger that my USA 50’ boxcar, the whole upper level is above the height of the boxcar

#8

Those cabooses were huge! I did put the AML rib side grain hopper behind my Lionel GP20, doesn’t look to bad, but the curves on the indoor loop are to tight for it to run right now. I hope to upgrade the ceiling loop to LGB R2 this coming summer. But I know the LGB grain hopper can do R1. Mike

#9

Mike,

Based on the car’s height, the LGB Grain Hopper Car is 1/29 scale. I put body mount Kadee centerset couplers on it.

LGB Center Flow Hopper Car

LGB Car

The LGB car looks like the prototype.

Prototype Car

-Ted

#10

Those trucks sure make it look better! I went ahead and bought the LGB Burlington Northern hopper. My wife and I want to gradualy build up a grain train to take to open houses on larger layouts. For now I will retain the LGB trucks, but I like what you did. Can the Aristo trucks have truck mounted couplers or are they only good for body mount? I need to stick with truck mounted couplers for now due to tighter curves. Mike

#11

Take a look at the new roller brg trucks from Kadee. They roll very well and are readily available.

#12

Since Mike desires to retain truck mount couplers, the Kadee roller bearing trucks won’t work since they do not have truck mount coupler tangs. I did not try Aristo’s truck mount couplers on the LGB car, but I suspect it will be OK.

RLD Hobbies has a “used” Aristo MODERN FRT TRUCK W/ROLLER BEARING truck pair with coupler tangs. It looks like these trucks have metal wheels included.

-Ted

#13

I put the roller bearing Aristo trucks under my LGB covered hopper, and I used truck mounted couplers (KaDee 831). She runs fine on my railroad that way.