Hi Folks,

 

I was working on HOn3 ET freight trucks in my spare time for a while. The project hit a road block when I got to the wheels. It then turned into a secondary spare time project to assemble a CNC lathe to support my initial spare time project (which was also a secondary spare time project to put together some Mount Blue boxcars). Bottom line is that I already have a design for ET I-Beam truck frames. I’ve posted pictures in the photo section. I cheated with the pictures and loaded the truck frame with KD wheelsets which the frame wasn’t really designed to accept. I could however pretty easily modify the design to properly accept the KD wheelsets. I don’t think I could offer the trucks with KD wheelsets. I like the guys at Kadee a lot and they like me, but they aren’t keen on helping me compete with them. So, I could probably offer the truck frames and leave it to the customer to go buy the wheelsets separately from KD. Their ribbed back HOn3 wheelsets do show up on their website as a standalone item (Item #718, 8 wheelsets for about $9). 

 

These truck frames are equalized and investment cast in zinc like some of my couplers. Assembly is similar to the Hoffman trucks, except mine use a split bolster for equalization. My castings are also more precise and better detailed since I 3D print each plastic pattern rather than inject pliable wax for each one. I’ve modified the design slightly since the pictures were taken. The new design also includes brake shoes. I’m not sure I can do make those look/work right with the KD wheelsets though.

 

If there is interest in these trucks that work with the KD wheelsets, let me know. It will probably take me a couple of months to get the design modified and have product available. I haven’t thought about price, but my process doesn’t typically allow a really low price. Otherwise I’ll continue to work on my lathe so I can eventually make my own ribbed back wheelsets (in P87n3 for my own use). 

 

I don’t want to step on anybody’s toe’s here. I consider both David Hoffman and Jim King friends. I was under the impression Hoffman has pretty much lost interest in making ET trucks, and as far as I know, Jim is just starting to consider making these things. If I am mistaken, please let me know and I’ll back off. Let’s face, no one is going to get rich selling these and this is a market that gets flooded pretty quickly with more than one manufacturer.

 

Cheers,

Frank