I recently got some of the BLMA 100-ton trucks for my Walthers doublestack cars. Since they are designed to lower car height. after trying them on, it does look like they've eliminated the clearance problem I had with high-cube/48' containers riding on the stock trucks. However, it doesn't seem to swing very much and doesn't track well on my curves (I hav 18" radius). I also have an MT 1015 body-mounted onto the underframe. Also, the truck seems to be loose in the forward-backward motion when using the stock bolster pin. For those of you who are using BLMA trucks on your Walthers doublestack cars (ahem, Gary Hinshaw ), what kind of bolster pin are you using, and what coupler? Also, did you have to Dremel off some of the underframe as well?
Hi Metro. I'm afraid I can't answer your specific questions, because I'm still using MT trucks with filed-down bolsters on my Walthers sets. I know Jan (jsoflo) has used BLMA trucks on one of his latest Walthers bashes: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showpost.php?p=679648&postcount=138 so he could probably address the specific clearance issues you raise. I've been wanting to get back to my sets (which suffered a bit of damage in my recent move) and try upgrading them with Kato 125T trucks, but those are currently out of stock in the Kato parts store (and they will probably also have clearance issues). I did something similar with a DI Maxi-III set a while back and was really pleased how they fill the space under the articulated joint, compared to the stock DI trucks: [I understand that the new DI sets will come with BLMA trucks - a definite improvement, but off topic. ] Cheers, Gary
Sorry bout that! I thought you posted something about using BLMA trucks on your Walthers stack cars, guess I'm mistaken! But can you tell me if you installed body-mounts on them, and which coupler you used? I think that might be my main problem here, as the MT 1015 box is pretty wide and is the main culprit in hindering the truck swing.
So far I've used BLMA 70 ton trucks on a walthers stand alone car, in conjunction with gold medal models detail set. Turns a rather crude looking car into something darn nice. I havent done the 5 unit cars yet but have several of them waiting their turn in the car shop. I had to file back just a little on the center sill support against the well as it rubbed on the axle. I've only run it on 24" radius and larger curves so far with no problems.
I asked Craig on facebook, he said that MT pins will work for his truck. Also asked if 125T trucks are in the near future, he said maybe.
As for pins the 100 ton I've used on other cars with MT pins but they were a tight fit in the 70 ton truck. Needed to drill them out a bit.
Hmm, I'm really surprised you would have a fouling problem with 18" curves. Is it possible you have a coupler height issue (due to the low BLMA cross-member) that is causing the axle to rub the coupler box? Cheers, Gary That would be great.
Walthers stand alone well car (Thrall) How do you mount the couplers? As the car is made from some kind of metal, I don't have any idea how to make a screw thread for mounting MTL couplers. Besides, what couplers do you use? Frank
I used a 1025 in the set I did years ago with MTL trucks. Drilling and tapping in a metal body is similar to a metal underframe like the old MDC cars and is achievable - just take it easy with the drilling part. I do have a couple more sets that I do need to experiment with BLMA trucks though.
Metro, I put some BLMA trucks on a Walthers 5-car Thrall set that I cut down, but only on the articulated trucks, using the pins as Craig indicated, from a MT set. The first problem tends to be that you have to file down the articulated areas that the pin slides through to connect the two wells, just file the underside of each down to that it is rather thin. The Other problem you are having is because of that center beam area, some of the material must be files back to allow the trucks to roll through curves. Once you do these two things I don't think you should have a problem. As for the ends- I had a similar problem on some MT Ortner Hoppers that I solved by switching to MT Z scale couplers, they are more narrow so the trucks stopped banging into the couplers on curves of any sort, that solution saved me a lot of filing, cutting and precision work! good luck and my best, Jan
