Tahoe Model Works

Back in the late 1800s, this kind of truck was known as a Rigid Diamond Freight-car Truck. This one was built for the Union Tank Line and drawings of it were published in the 1895 Car Builder's Dictionary. Prototype features included a five-foot wheelbase, 20-ton capacity journals and brake shoes that were hung from the truck.

This swing motion truck was manufactured by the Bettendorf Co. from 1924 to the early 1930s. Railroads that had some cabooses with this truck included ATSF, BN, CB&Q, C&O, Erie, EL, MILW, MKT, MP, NKP, N&W, Pere Marquette and Rock Island. These trucks could be seen under wood double sheathed, single sheathed, all steel, transfer, drovers and even extended vision cabooses. The second image is a data sheet about this truck.

Here is a 40-ton truck from the 1920s. The prototype for this truck was made by the Scullen Steel Co. for the Illinois Central Railroad in 1927 and is now at the Illinois Railway Museum. It features a spring plank and Barber Lateral Motion Device. Other railroads using similar trucks included C&NW, DL&W, NP and SL-SF. Also, late 1920s-built refrigerator cars for North Western Refrigerator Line (NWX) and Western Refrigerator Line (WRX) and some North American Car Corp. refrigerator cars (NADX) and tank cars (NATX) used this truck. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

The Barber Lateral Motion device used steel rollers and a roller seat between the bolster and springs to provide a little side-to-side movement of the car body to the track, resulting in a smoother ride. U-section trucks with this feature were manufactured from the early 1920s to the late 1930s. Railroads that used this style of truck included ATSF, B&O, CB&Q, CN, CP, CV, CofG, C&NW, C&EI, ERIE, DL&W, GTW, IC, MP, NP, RI, SL-SF, SP, T&NO, T&P, UP, and WP, also PFE and SFRD. The second image is from a trade sheet about this truck.

This swing motion truck was manufactured by the Bettendorf Co. from 1924 to the early 1930s. Railroads that had some cabooses with this truck included ATSF, BN, CB&Q, C&O, Erie, EL, MILW, MKT, MP, NKP, N&W, Pere Marquette and Rock Island. These trucks could be seen under wood double sheathed, single sheathed, all steel, transfer, drovers and even extended vision cabooses. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

"Self-Aligning Spring-Plank-less Double Truss Truck" is the full name for this truck design. Introduced in early 1936, it quickly became popular for new freight cars built up into the mid 1940s. The Double Truss feature strengthened the spring seat area allowing room for more springs.

"Self-Aligning Spring-Plank-less Double Truss Truck" is the full name for this truck design. Introduced in early 1936, it quickly became popular for new freight cars built up into the mid 1940s. The Double Truss feature strengthened the spring seat area allowing room for more springs.

This truck was manufactured by the Buckeye Steel Castings Company from the late 1920s until the late 1940s. Conventional trucks, such as this one, complied with American Railway Association standards, and prototype features included a spring plank spanning across both side frames and, in each side frame, four coil springs grouped close together. Field research was conducted at the Niles Canyon Railway at Sunol, California.

This version of the swing motion caboose truck was manufactured from 1935 to the late 1950s. Originally a proprietary product of the Bettendorf Co., in 1942 the manufacturing rights were acquired by Standard Car Truck Co., who then added their trade name Barber to this truck's name. The prototype had 4¼ X 8 in. axle journals (30-ton capacity), plain bearings and a 5'-6" wheelbase. Over forty railroads used this caboose truck. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

Dalman 2 Level trucks could also be equipped with the Barber Lateral Motion Device. This feature used steel rollers and a roller seat between the springs and bolster to provide a little side-to-side movement of the car body to the track, reducing wear to wheel flanges, journals and couplers. Railroads using these trucks included ATSF, CN, CP, CNJ, CB&Q, CNW, IC, MP (and subsidiaries I-GN and StLB&M), NP, RI, and SP. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

The Barber Lateral Motion device used steel rollers and a roller seat between the bolster and springs to provide a little side-to-side movement of the car body to the track, resulting in a smoother ride. U-section trucks with this feature were manufactured from the early 1920s to the late 1930s. Railroads that used this style of truck included ATSF, B&O, CB&Q, CN, CP, CV, CofG, C&NW, C&EI, ERIE, DL&W, GTW, IC, MP, NP, RI, SL-SF, SP, T&NO, T&P, UP, and WP, also PFE and SFRD. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

The Scullin Steel Company made this 40-ton capacity freight car truck. It is a conventional ARA (American Railway Association) cast steel truck with spring plank and was manufactured during the 1920s. Railroads that used similar trucks under some of their rolling stock included Atlantic Coast Line, Chicago & Eastern Illinois, Georgia & Florida, Illinois Terminal, Lehigh Valley, Louisville and Nashville, Milwaukee Road, Wabash and some Swift wood-sheathed refrigerator cars. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

Barber S-2 trucks use built-in snubbing devices to provide a smoother ride. These are spring-loaded wedge-shaped friction shoes, located inside pockets cast into the bolster ends. These push out against the side frame columns to dampen vertical spring oscillations. Introduced in 1939, this design is still used today. Model replicates prototype trucks under a Milwaukee Road rib-side box car at the Western Pacific RR Museum in Portola, CA. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

This truck was manufactured for the United States Railroad Administration. In 1918, the USRA ordered 67,000 freight cars with this truck. These included 25,000 50-ton single-sheathed box cars, 20,000 50-ton composite drop-bottom gondola cars and 22,000 55-ton steel twin hopper cars. These cars were bought by 53 American railroads. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

American Steel Foundries' A-3 Ride Control truck was arguably the most successful design ever. Plain bearing versions were manufactured from the mid 1940s to the mid 1960s. The 70-ton trucks featured a 5'-8" wheelbase and 6" X 11" journals.

"Coil-Elliptic" trucks added leaf springs to provide a smoother ride. Double Truss trucks with this spring package were manufactured from the early 1930s to the late 1940s. Railroads that used these trucks on some cars included BAR, C&O, CGW, D&M, DT&I, Erie, LNE, LS&I, MRS, N&W, NP, TA&G, VGN and WM, and some AC&F tanks cars built in 1937. A similar 70-ton version was used by B&M, CNJ, CRP, D&H, DT&I, Erie, LNE, MEC and PRR. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

The prototype for this arch-bar truck was built by American Car and Foundry and is in the collection at the Illinois Railway Museum. This truck has a 5'-6" wheelbase and is suitable for 40- and 50-ton capacity freight cars. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

Many freight cars built in the 1920s were equipped with Dalman trucks. The Dalman 2 Level truck design used additional springs to give a smoother ride. Railroads using this version included C&O, CGW, ITC, L&N, MILW, M-K-T, NC&StL, PM, TC and many Texaco 10,000-gallon tank cars. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

The Scullin Steel Company made this 40-ton capacity freight car truck. It is a conventional ARA (American Railway Association) cast steel truck with spring plank and was manufactured during the 1920s. Railroads that used similar trucks under some of their rolling stock included Atlantic Coast Line, Chicago & Eastern Illinois, Georgia & Florida, Illinois Terminal, Lehigh Valley, Louisville and Nashville, Milwaukee Road, Wabash and some Swift wood-sheathed refrigerator cars. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

Here is a 40-ton truck from the 1920s. The prototype for this truck was made by the Scullen Steel Co. for the Illinois Central Railroad in 1927 and is now at the Illinois Railway Museum. It features a spring plank and Barber Lateral Motion Device. Other railroads using similar trucks included C&NW, DL&W, NP and SL-SF. Also, late 1920s-built refrigerator cars for North Western Refrigerator Line (NWX) and Western Refrigerator Line (WRX) and some North American Car Corp. refrigerator cars (NADX) and tank cars (NATX) used this truck. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

Barber S-2 trucks use built-in snubbing devices to provide a smoother ride. These are spring-loaded wedge-shaped friction shoes, located inside pockets cast into the bolster ends. These push out against the side frame columns to dampen vertical spring oscillations. Introduced in 1939, this design is still used today. Model replicates prototype trucks under a Milwaukee Road rib-side box car at the Western Pacific RR Museum in Portola, CA. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

This truck was manufactured for the United States Railroad Administration. In 1918, the USRA ordered 67,000 freight cars with this truck. These included 25,000 50-ton single-sheathed box cars, 20,000 50-ton composite drop-bottom gondola cars and 22,000 55-ton steel twin hopper cars. These cars were bought by 53 American railroads. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

Back in the late 1800s, this kind of truck was known as a Rigid Diamond Freight-car Truck. This one was built for the Union Tank Line and drawings of it were published in the 1895 Car Builder's Dictionary. Prototype features included a five-foot wheelbase, 20-ton capacity journals and brake shoes that were hung from the truck.

American Steel Foundries' A-3 Ride Control truck was arguably the most successful design ever. Plain bearing versions were manufactured from the mid 1940s to the mid 1960s. The 70-ton trucks featured a 5'-8" wheelbase and 6" X 11" journals.

"Coil-Elliptic" trucks added leaf springs to provide a smoother ride. Double Truss trucks with this spring package were manufactured from the early 1930s to the late 1940s. Railroads that used these trucks on some cars included BAR, C&O, CGW, D&M, DT&I, Erie, LNE, LS&I, MRS, N&W, NP, TA&G, VGN and WM, and some AC&F tanks cars built in 1937. A similar 70-ton version was used by B&M, CNJ, CRP, D&H, DT&I, Erie, LNE, MEC and PRR. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

This truck was manufactured by the Buckeye Steel Castings Company from the late 1920s until the late 1940s. Conventional trucks, such as this one, complied with American Railway Association standards, and prototype features included a spring plank spanning across both side frames and, in each side frame, four coil springs grouped close together. Field research was conducted at the Niles Canyon Railway at Sunol, California.

This version of the swing motion caboose truck was manufactured from 1935 to the late 1950s. Originally a proprietary product of the Bettendorf Co., in 1942 the manufacturing rights were acquired by Standard Car Truck Co., who then added their trade name Barber to this truck's name. The prototype had 4¼ X 8 axle journals (30-ton capacity), plain bearings and a 5 ft. 6 in. wheelbase. Over forty railroads used this caboose truck. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

The prototype for this arch bar truck was built by American Car and Foundry and is in the collection at the Illinois Railway Museum. This truck has a 5'-6" wheelbase and is suitable for 40- and 50-ton capacity freight cars.

Dalman 2 Level trucks could also be equipped with the Barber Lateral Motion Device. This feature used steel rollers and a roller seat between the springs and bolster to provide a little side-to-side movement of the car body to the track, reducing wear to wheel flanges, journals and couplers. Railroads using these trucks included ATSF, CN, CP, CNJ, CB&Q, CNW, IC, MP (and subsidiaries I-GN and StLB&M), NP, RI, and SP. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.

Many freight cars built in the 1920s were equipped with Dalman trucks. The Dalman 2 Level truck design used additional springs to give a smoother ride. Railroads using this version included C&O, CGW, ITC, L&N, MILW, M-K-T, NC&StL, PM, TC and many Texaco 10,000-gallon tank cars. The second image is the data sheet about this truck.