Mounting USA streamliner trucks on Aristro bolsters

[Rooster]

Yeah I know what you are thinking …Here we go “Gather round the campfire, get out the weenies and marshmallows Rooster is gonna tell us a story” Then we can all sing Kum By Yah while he spits bourbon on the fire and plays a 12 string with 7 talons (lost one in a cock fight years ago).

So yesterday at the York show I was asked (along with a few others) if it was possible to do such. Then of course a discussion of LIGHT thought on the subject with others (council) ensued. The person that asked the question and myself then walked the floor to find and Aristo Streamliner that was out of the box so we could refresh our memories on the design. Well that went no where other than discussing tomato plants along with other plants as well.

Today after I unpacked all the stuff I got from the show (which I have too much of already). I started tinkering around in my man shed remembering the conversation from yesterday. I grabbed one of the Aristo streamliners I have and looked at it. Then I grabbed a set of USA streamliner trucks (which I keep in stock) and before you know it I was removing screws. So here is the answer to the question that was asked. YES it is actually a rather simple conversion and it took me about 1/2 hour to do it.

DISCLAIMER:

If the below pictures do not explain the simplicity then you probably should not be doing this mod anyway. Final note …my Aristo Streamliners are lowered by removing the floor and shifting it up wards so results may vary on ride height. However it’s a simple mod that can be done especially considering the original Aristo streamliners trucks are made of unubtainium these days. The Ro truck is much heavier but a different look.

Aristo Truck ^^^^

USA truck^^^

Take the piece you just cut and ream it out a bit on the bottom with 1/4" drill bit and down through the top with a 3/16" bit “BY HAND” then lay it on top of the center pin. DO NOT GLUE ANYTHING

Get a smaller washer and run the screw through the piece you just cut and into the main bolster.

Very Very simple mod. The result is a heavier car and a different look but YES you can use USA trucks to replace the unavailable Aristo ones.

NO Greg you may not have this for you’re website but you can certainly view it here on LSC as this is my home always has been and always will be.

Thanks Pat for bringing this up as I honestly never thought about it but it certainly is an easy and doable mod.

[mcginty26 (Pat McCarty)]

Thanks for the tutorial Dave, I don’t care what Shawn says about you, you’re aces in my book. Was great seeing you and the other at The Alcove. Also, the Drag and Brag was another success. See everybody in Timonium next year !!!

[todus2 (mike dorsch)]

I put USA trucks under this Aristo combine years ago. I made my own bolsters for it .

[Greg_Greg_Elmassian]

It’s too simple for my site Rooster, you keep it. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

[David_Maynard1 (David Maynard)]

Sigh

You know, this is supposed to be a friendly site, unlike the other site.

[Greg_Greg_Elmassian]

I was just encouraging a well respected custom manufacturer to come to this site and post, and he won’t because of garbage like this. He was pretty specific about it.

With all the incredible modeling skills Rooster has, too bad it seems to have this side effect.

What happened to Bob’s “be nice” rule?

Greg

[smcgill (Sean McGillicuddy)]

To recap … The trucks are an easy install , heavier, and available … Nice … Thanks Roosta ! (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

[admin1 (Bob McCown)]

Can you two just stay out of each other’s threads, please?

[Pete_Lassen]

Bob McCown said:

Can you two just stay out of each other’s threads, please?

It would be nice … but I doubt it will ever happen, Bob. They seem to enjoy it!

[Greg_Greg_Elmassian]

Bob McCown said:

Can you two just stay out of each other’s threads, please?

That’s not the issue, it’s any thread. I’m not the attack dog. This one was clearly out of left field. Read the posts.

[Rooster]

Working on finding the pictures because I was asked from a fellow hobbyist

[Rooster]

BTW …the pics ain’t on your end BD only mine .

It’s all good !

[Rooster]

Found the pics and loaded them to LSC…done!

[Ted_Doskaris]

Hi Rooster,

The USA Trains trucks look great on the Aristo Streamline car you did.

Have you given thought to lengthening the car to be more like a prototype? Maybe taking two cars, cutting them at a good place, and putting them together - difficulty may be to match the Budd car flutes so not noticeable, but if anyone has the skill to do this I think you can.

Southern Pacific had articulated cars with a common truck. I was thinking of taking 2 Aristo smooth side observation passenger cars, removing the plastic observation ends and doing an articulated car set.

-Ted

[Rooster]

Hey Ted,
I have thought about it and yes you are correct.The biggest issue is lining up the fluting on the roof. Thank you for your kind words on my skill set however I came to the conclusion years ago that it would be entirely too much work. I honestly think I would be better off starting from scratch if I decided to do so. Dave Marconi did an articulated car several years ago that has run on my RR several times. However I do not have any pictures of it on “this laptop” or online.

[Rooster]

Wait…you said Smoothsides on the articulated car…That’s a hell of an idea Ted ! Dave Marconi used the Streamliners. I have honestly been contemplating an extended Smoothside obs car but never thought about an articulated one nor do I want one either as I already have a football field length of Amtrash to store in a top secret place

emphasized text

[Rooster]

The original post is working on bloody 5yrs Bill and you missed it !

[Hines (Bill)]

Actually, I had been avoiding this post Rooster. As you well know, I have had concerns about doing DSP&P by itself and you keep pushing that ”Amtrak is safe”.

Your ”Amtrak is safe” verbiage, has already lead me off site and not only into a high risk organisation, the *Triple R”, but I now find myself in charge of their Australian div. with no responsibilities.

Well, Rooster, I warned early on that; “once you Amtrak, the next thing you will find yourself doing is bolsters on trucks on a RR you’ve never heard of…” and “you could easily end up in the York”

@Rooster

So yesterday at the York

The other risk appears to be that one day you could find yourself in a York! or a York! I mention this twice as the far away place comes up if you add railway to the google search. But I digress…

And where does it stop?! … I’ve heard from a friend of a friend of mine, that this might lead me to mainlining Aster and Accucraft, having to change my name, and post things on one of ”those sites” mentioned in the thread above.

I should have heeded the rhetorical warning from @Cliff_Jennings