replace trucks on Walther well car and other similar questions


chadbag

chadbag

Well-Known Member
As those who follow the Coffee Shop know, I mostly do Euro and Japanese N-scale. However, I "accidentally" bought a KATO Union Pacific diesel loco or two and a bunch of intermodal cars (mostly well). I mostly have bought KATO Gunderson articulated Maxi IV well car sets, but also bought a smattering of other misc well/flat cars to add in, as the photos and videos I've seen of modern intermodal, including UP, show mixed consists of well cars of various sizes, flat cars, piggyback trailers, etc in one train.

I got a NIB Walthers set of 3 "double stack car" (48' well cars, individual not articulated). They came with "universal" couplers, aka Rapido. They also have plastic wheels. I'd like to replace the trucks with metal wheel ones that have a modern knuckle coupler (MT or similar that should work with the KATO couplers). I have another single Walthers 48' well car that has the knuckle couplers, but has plastic wheels, and I'll be needing to replace those wheels. (I have another eBay score of similar cars coming but am not sure the details on how they are equipped and who made them, off hand).

I am not sure where to start as this realm is all new to me. If they were my Japanese or Euro trains I'd just keep the Rapidos and get some wheels from KATO or Tomix or one of the Euro brands.

Looking at how the trucks come off it appears there is a plastic pin holding them in -- I tried a light tug and it did not come out so I am not sure of how these trucks are supposed to come off. I tried Googling but am not sure what to search on as I did not find anything relevant.

Thanks for any pointers. I am more than willing to RTFM if someone can point me to TFM
 
Chad: I model in HO scale, but there shouldn't be much of a difference in removing trucks. Removing trucks secured with pins I usually very carefully use a flat blade screw driver and gently pry the truck frame up and that pulls the pin loose.

Hope this helps.

Greg
 
Thanks, I'll give that a try. Was not sure exactly how they worked when I first tried and did not want to force anything.
 
So I am still struggling to figure out what couplers to get (not brand, but configuration) that will fit in my existing trucks, and if I wanted to replace the whole truck and coupler, which ones to get (which ones match and would fit, etc). This US stuff is all new to me and I don't know what I am looking at when I got look at trucks and couplers etc at online hobby shops or eBay or where ever.

I ended up with another eBay win -- a 5 car articulated Thrall well wagon set with "universal couplers" on the ends (rapidos). Again needing to replace them.

Thanks
 
On those Walthers well cars, I have about a dozen of them and simply replaced the entire truck with MTL 1035 short-shank roller bearing trucks. I just kept the plastic wheelsets that came with the trucks, but you can also buy metal wheelsets from MTL to replace those.
 
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