Large Scale Central

pedestal?

General Discussion
#21

Steve Weidner said:

If memory serves - the pedastal in a 4 or 6 wheel truck is the part the journal box rides in. In the time frame we are speaking of, trucks were multiple parts bolted together. Still used in todays terminalogy to speak of the foreged part of the truck side frame the the journal block or roller bearing is conatined within.

And you are correct as I had to look this up. I learned something here as I always referred to the pedastal as the center of the bolster where it’s pinned to the car. However I was also thinking about modern trucks but as stated the journal block/bearing rides in the pedastal of the sideframe. I always just called them side frames.

#22

John Caughey said:

4 wheel cars had pedestals . On a dead pc I had a series of pics where a B&O water car started with pedestals ad they morphed into 4 wheel trucks.

My vote Randy

John

I found the car, an early hopper, that started with unsprung pedestals and was converted to a 4 wheel truck. This design was limited to 20 tons.

The wheels can rock up 'n down to equalize.

John

#23

John that is an interesting picture in that is shows the developmental stage going from a single axel and pedestal/journal set up to the modern (arch bar and beyond) side frame and bolster idea. This is half way in between. It is clear to me now how the pedestal migrated to its location on the side frame at each axel. very cool.

Now find me a picture of a pedestal that is stamped NP and has a n3 stamped in it as well. The guy in alaska is thinking the n3 means narrow gauge 3 foot as this did come from a narrow gauge truck.

But i am not sure why with this setup is would be different than a standard gauge pedestal. Wouldn’t the only difference be the bolster and axel width. Seems they could used the same pedestal and jjournal for both.

#24

B’mann, or one of the LGB passenger trucks look like that, if you are in 1:29, or 1:22.5 scale…you could get away with them in both those scales if you are not too fussy.

#25

…not on that last picture…the passenger trucks I mention are like the earlier fuzzy picture in Black and white…

#26

now If only they had it in 1 20.3. I am not to fussy but thats a stretch from 1:29 to 1:20.3 and I will need four

I will have to see if I can track one down to use for a template for making mine. As that is about the best picture I have. Hopefully by the time I get to that point I willhave other pictures of at least similiar trucks.

#27

Devon Sinsley said:

But i am not sure why with this setup is would be different than a standard gauge pedestal. Wouldn’t the only difference be the bolster and axel width. Seems they could used the same pedestal and jjournal for both.

You would think, But heavier standard gauge cars required larger journals and pedestals to hold them. The reason the EBT was able to stuff narrow gauge truck under standard gauge cars an haul them over their line was because they developed special narrow gauge trucks that had bigger journals installed to accommodate the added weight. may be the reason for narrow verses standard gauge pedestal design.

#28

![|610x458](http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/$(KGrHqR,!igE-6,b!-5NBQD+nmVe5g~~60_57.JPG)

Is this it Fred, this is an LGB one.

#29

I just used the Bachmann trucks when I did the model of this but then again I wasn’t that fussy and no one at the museum has complained about it yet. Guess it depends on how detail oriented and particular you want to be.

#30

That truck would work also. Either one. As long as the thing doesn’t look ridiculously small I won’t complain. I mean I don’t mind making them but I don’t want to reinvinte the wheel either. If I do make them I will make one as a blank and then cast them.

#31

Hey Devon you might want to look at an old set of truck plans that came out of the Garden Railways magazine. Maybe Ron Spencer can chime in. He scratch built a set of 1.20.3 passenger cars from plans and made his own trucks from these plans. He had an thread under the modeling section when he did it so you might want to do a search under his name.

As far as the truck in Alaska, it sounds like a road trip to me.

Chuck

#32

Devon, if you can find a reasonable drawing or photo of the truck, you might see if Mark can print you a set. He did some freight trucks for me in Fn3 at a very reasonable price.

#33

Steve Featherkile said:

Devon, if you can find a reasonable drawing or photo of the truck, you might see if Mark can print you a set. He did some freight trucks for me in Fn3 at a very reasonable price.

Its that whole reasonable picture thing. I am hoping the guy in Alaska will take pictures of this pedestal and truck but he is a real dinosaur. He doesn’t know how to take digital photographs and email them. I am working with him and maybe we can get that worked out. Honestly I am not trying to re-invent the wheel. A reasonable approximation would work find. I will get it figured out. Printing them is a viable option for sure. This will be the next project once the loco and tender are done and they are close. I have to make two coaches.

#34

Chuck Inlow said:

Hey Devon you might want to look at an old set of truck plans that came out of the Garden Railways magazine. Maybe Ron Spencer can chime in. He scratch built a set of 1.20.3 passenger cars from plans and made his own trucks from these plans. He had an thread under the modeling section when he did it so you might want to do a search under his name.

As far as the truck in Alaska, it sounds like a road trip to me.

Chuck

I will search for that Chuck. Right now I just want that pedestal but dang that truck would be nice. But I am not sure I could justify it to the wife to drive all the way to skagway alaska for a truck. I could use it for the base of a coffee table, think she would go for that.

#35

Devon,

The same cast pedestals were used on early coaches. Here’s a pic of the wooden-frame truck on EBT #29 (Baggage/RPO). Bachmann passenger car trucks are similar.

#36

The B’mann, and LGB passenger trucks are the same scale and look just about identical. I don’t have an AMS passenger car, but I imagine their NG passenger trucks are the type you want, in 1:20.3 scale. They should be much the same as the B’mann, and LGB trucks in looks.

#37

…but… the AMS ones would probably be very expensive, if they were available, as I think they were only available in brass.

#38

Pete that truck looks very good. At least something there to work with to model should I decide to build my own.

#39

Here’s a couple of Accucraft 1:20.3 trucks I used on a couple of models.

They are pot metal, (not brass), and avaliable for around 80-90 bucks a pair. And I just noticed they are different designs.

#40

John, that top one is a Bachmann truck. The bottom one is Accucraft. The Bachmann truck–when measured in 1:20.3–has a wheelbase of 4’ 2". The LGB truck is identical, though a bit more detailed in terms of rivets and other things. Hartland sells their passenger trucks as well, which are also nearly identical in terms of wheelbase. It would not be uncommon to find passenger trucks with a 4’ 2" wheelbase. Jackson & Sharp and Billmeyer & Smalls both made trucks like that. The Accucraft truck has a 5’ wheelbase. Likewise, you’ll find plenty of trucks of that wheelbase as well.

Here’s a Bachmann truck that I modified with improved details:

And painted/weathered:

If you’re building 1:20 passenger equipment, your choices for trucks are pretty limited. I can’t remember if Accucraft has spare trucks for sale or not, but when they did, I remember them as being pretty pricey as John mentions. The Hartland and Bachmann trucks are pretty inexpensive.

Later,

K