.

[John Webster]

Tichy also makes grabs, stirrups, eyebolts, turnbuckles and queen posts in O scale.

[E7]

Properly assembled and cemented, the plastic bits weld in nicely and gain strength. If you are going to handle the dingus with some respect, the plastic ones are actually plenty strong enough to last. I never have broken them by handling it as a model, not a toy.

Amen Sarge...that's the truth of it period. Robert

If you guys think the center steps on those old IM reefers are anything even remotely resembling the word STRONG, you must have been sniffing the glue you used to assemble them!

[Robert]

What Sarge Said...!

Robert

[sarge]

It easily could be that I'm a member of a minority here. I grew up building Airfix, so plastic models are delightful to me. In modelling, I'm very used to injected kits from the old Three-Aitch and Peco wagon kits through Slaters and Parkside today. I still very much enjoy a good airplane kit today. Over fifty years of plastic modelling, pretty much in parallel with over fifty years of O.

Don't get me wrong. I solder brass and glue wood just as happily, but I just never had the same issues dealing with delicate details on these cars. Just some care, not doing the Gomez Addams bit on the railroad, and not just chucking them in a box when I was done (the true enemy of delicate detail is piling em up in boxes as a collector, I'm afraid).

No, the centre stirrup of an IM reefer is not "strong" but I don't expect to drag the car around by the stirrups or wrap my hand around it in the manner of The Claw. Its all just common sense.

The whole debate reminds me of an article I wrote for 48/ft O Scale News, in which I introduced legless benchwork for those with little space. In short, the technique was to run a 2x4 plate around the walls of a spare bedroom, nailed or screwed into the studs of the wall. Then, using joist hangers, you framed the benchwork out and the wallstuds became your uprights. Do it all at close to eyelevel and you could use the space under the railroad for your workshop. No legs on the benchwork to get in the way. Anyway, Tom Nixon, who fancied himself an engineering expert, put a disclaimer in the article, something to the effect that the result should be inspected by a certified structural engineer and not to expect the strength one was used to in the result.

I was kind of surprised at that, for the result is easily as strong as any "normal" benchwork that any modeller builds without engineering guidance. I asked him where the hell that came from, and he said it was because O Scalers were different than everyone else because they like to walk (!) on their benchwork.

The whole notion everything has to survive a nuclear exchange in American O Scale still mystifies me.

Also Sarge Walked my through building a set of I’m trucks.

OK, here's the trick to these. The bugger about these is inserting the inner springs with the shoes between the plank and the bolster.

1) put the sideframes in position on the bolster.

2) slide the plank through one sideframe, across the bottom of the bolster, and into position through the opposite sideframe.

3) You should have four pieces properly assembled at this point; sideframes on the bolster and springplank in position through the sideframes under the bolster.

4) The unsaid trick. Take a regular pencil and gently slide it between the plank and the bolster at the bolster screw/pin location. This bends the plank down at the middle in a vee, the legs of which will actually be far enough away from the bottom of the bolster to work with the inner springs.

5) Now you can insert the spring/shoe casting on its back in between plank and bolster. Once slid in between, just flip the casting so the shoes are long side down and the springs oriented to fit into the sideframe and slide it into position.

6) Once you have both springs where they go, slide the pencil out and give the springs a look to make sure they are clicked in place.

7) Then finish the assembly; the outside springs snap in place easily with your fingers, the journal box lids pressfit, and you can pop in the brake pulls if you use them, and Bob's yer uncle.

There is no glue required to assemble these trucks, and they stay together just fine. That is important, because any glue ruins the equalisation built into them, and won't stick that type of plastic anyway, so you're wasting your time.

Anyone who doesn't want to build them, and instead prefers to replace with something they are comfortable with, thats fine. Athearn and any others following Athearns geometry will bolt right up. Just don't throw the IM ones away. put them in a box and send them to me. I'll happily cover the postage because I love those trucks, myself. Grin!

[Robert]

I prefer the IM truck regardless of the somewhat fussy assembly...I still order them from Intermountain and they gave a discount on my last order.

Sarge...your definitively a modeler to be respected, and admired for the ways you continue to build so nicely.

Robert

[Rufus T. Firefly]

The whole notion everything has to survive a nuclear exchange in American O Scale still mystifies me.

Blessed are the cockroaches for they shall inherit the layouts.............

[2railjon]

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[rex desilets]

Wait until you tackle an IM hopper car kit

[2railjon]

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[Rufus T. Firefly]

BTW, these Wiseman trucks are quite crappy.
No, seriously crappy!!!
But what did I expect for 20 bucks. Lesson learned!

1/2 the price is the wheelsets; I've used the archbars from Wiseman on/off and prior to his acquisition of that line - not found them to be all that bad but they do take a bit of work. If you want to spend $45+ for trucks to go under a $20 car, have at it!

[sarge]

Looks like a knockoff of the Athearn truck in whitemetal.

Crack out the files and clean 'em up purty, or follow the directions I posted and build the IM ones, then put those wheelsets in instead of the plastic ones.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Looks like a knockoff of the Athearn truck in whitemetal.

Crack out the files and clean 'em up purty, or follow the directions I posted and build the IM ones, then put those wheelsets in instead of the plastic ones.

Yeah, that's the ticket!

[J. S. Bach]

I mostly use with Athearn or Weaver trucks with IM wheelsets.

[2railjon]

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[2railjon]

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