[toddalin]

I am looking for sets of AristoCraft 3-axle trucks as were used on the heavyweights.



I know that many of these were replaced with 2-axle trucks to improve tracking (mine included), especially after the plastic wheel insulators broke.



I want to try convert these to active track cleaners and don't need the wheels, just the frame assemblies, preferably with the wiring and spring mechanisms still in place.



Let me know if you have any and what you want for them.



Thanks,



Todd

 

[Greg Elmassian]

If you cannot find them, be sure to check this aftermarket supplier with 3d printed parts, he has the truck parts.

GLX Scale Models Inc.

Top Quality Products for the Model Railroad Craftsman.

glxscalemodels.com

Greg

 

[toddalin]

Thanks.

So far so good with the single that I have. Here you can see what I'm doing. I will have to disconnect the pick-up wiring because I had to use lower profile wheels and very few wheels on the market have insulated axles. The existing AristoCraft wheels are too large in diameter for my needs.

As it is, the two outter axles are sprung and the spring suspension holds the central pads just above the rail head. As weight is added, the pads will bear down on the track. The amount of weight controls the tension, provided the CA that holds the axle shafts to the motor shafts continues to hold. I haven't tried gluing it yet.

I need to continue to grind the flanges that I made into spacers so that their diameter is a couple tenths less than the pads so that thay don't short out the track when using track power to push this along. With everything in perfect alignment, flanges shouldn't be necessary just as there are no flanges on the two center axles on the C-16. I can't put a washer on the outsides dues to spatial limitations, but the nut digs into the rubber pretty well.

The motor will be CA'ed to the acrylic and the acrylic screwed to the frame making it removable to change the pads. Otherwise, you couldn't get them on/off because the side frames would be in the way.

 

[toddalin]

I decided to mill a thicker piece of acrylic to size so that I could use the Aristocraft wheels. They are much heavier with bigger flanges which should help tracking. And, I can use the pick-ups to power it.