N JTC Container Chassis

cfritschle Oct 14, 2019

  1. cfritschle

    cfritschle TrainBoard Member

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    Stan's email this morning indicates the container chassis will be here soon! Here is a quote from the email:

    " We have a lot of new projects, new containers/schemes, and new accessories that will be coming to the market in the coming months. Our projects that require more hand assembled parts are tending to take a consider amount of more time to produce like the chassis which consists of 22 different hand connections. We are always in continuous contact with our factory front line managers receiving update stats regarding completion of these products. The chassis are in the final stage and will be here soon. The first release of chassis will be in 2 different 6 packs with 3 different road names in each jewel case. Each 6 pack has a MSRP of $89.95 which averages about $15 a chassis, retail price. These will be ready for immediate release upon arrival. (Email will be sent out)

    JTC will continue to strive to fill the N-scale market in the areas lacking and will also embark on viable opportunities suggested by you our customers. We have heard many times, I like your product but it is too modern for me. We heard you all, and we will begin to deliver containers that date back many decades, so be on the lookout for these. Also, we will be producing a ‘back-dated’ version of the 40’ Chassis that will have the landing gear with round ‘wheels’ instead of the square ‘feet’, and decorated in earlier paint schemes (usually no conspicuity striping)."

    Carter
     
  2. cfritschle

    cfritschle TrainBoard Member

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    A really nice feature (at least for me) is the design of the kingpin on the JTC container chassis. I like to replace most "standard" kingpins on the trailers I have with a smaller diameter metal kingpin. The kingpin on the JTC chassis has been designed to simplify that process. (The Trainworx flatbed trailers have a similar design.)

    Shown below is the JTC APL chassis resting on its side to "expose" the kingpin. Note that there is a hole in the center of the kingpin that can be used to attach a metal rod.

    [​IMG]

    To "install" a metal kingpin, a small section of 0.032 inch brass rod is glued into the hole, and once the glue sets, most of the plastic kingpin is filed away from the brass rod.

    The next photo shows that the JTC container chassis can be used with older containers, such as this one from Walthers.

    [​IMG]

    This Maersk chassis has had the plastic kingpin replaced with a brass rod, which allowed it to be pulled by a modified Atlas LNT-9000. The "factory" hole in the fifth wheel plate on the Atlas LNT-9000 has been "plugged" and a 0.04 inch diameter hole was drilled into the center of the plug to hold the smaller kingpin more securely.

    Another really cool feature of the JTC chassis is that they have metal axles which allows the JTC wheels and axles to be interchangeable with Atlas, Micro-Trains and Trainworx wheels and axles. :)

    Carter
     
  3. VinceP

    VinceP TrainBoard Member

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    Cool now waiting on the older setups for my 1979 era layout.
     
  4. cfritschle

    cfritschle TrainBoard Member

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    Vince,

    When JTC releases the "older" chassis you might want to consider replacing the "stock" JTC wheels with Dayton spoke wheels from Trainworx. The spoke wheels were generally "standard" for container chassis until rather recently.

    Carter
     
  5. VinceP

    VinceP TrainBoard Member

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    Carter CDL A holder here so yeah that would be most appropriate.

    Hate those wobblies
     
  6. cfritschle

    cfritschle TrainBoard Member

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    I did find a few photos of prototype container chassis with conspicuity stripes and spoke wheels, so this APL chassis may not be completely "unprototypical."

    [​IMG]

    However, when JTC releases the chassis without the conspicuity stripes, substituting spoke wheels like these from Micro-Trains for the stock JTC wheels should be very appropriate.

    Carter
     
    Kurt Moose likes this.
  7. cfritschle

    cfritschle TrainBoard Member

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