Delaware Central Rail Road and Navigation Company

HO Scale Trucks

There are quite a few brands of trucks available for those modeling Civil War era railroads. The trucks that come with your Mantua/Tyco, Bachmann, and Pocher/Rivarossi/AHM/Mehano/IHC rtr stock will work just fine though if you decide to go this route, I strongly suggest replacing the stock wheels with all metal wheels such as are available through Intermountain, Precision Scale, or, my favorite, Reboxx. The Reboxx company is, unfortunately, no more so their precision wheelsets can only be found occasionally online or tucked away in a hobby store somewhere. My personal experience is in HO scale but I have included a few others. Here are those that I know of:

Bitter Creek Models Bitter Creek Models

Jeff offers a fine line of cast metal trucks suitable for all HO scale 19th century era modelers. These are cast metal trucks so the weight of a car is over the wheels for better car stability and tracking. In the past, Jeff has also built trucks for customers with wheels sent to him by customers. He has even sold me just his side frames. Make sure if you prefer code 100 or proto 88 wheels. Upon visiting Jeff's website on 2021 02 14, the trucks page says, "Sorry, not available at this time." He is in the process of updating and retooling his trucks. He hopes to get the truck page back up and his retooled trucks available by the end of March. This is the old list of offerings that he graciously emailed me for this blog post. A number of these trucks are similar to trucks that used to be offered by 2 now defunct companies; BC Models and Redball.

Here are a couple of images of Jeff's actual trucks sent to me by Thom Radice.

Photo courtesy of Thom Radice

And here is an image of one of my cast metal DCRR flat cars using Jeff's T-21 trucks:

DCRR #11 using Bitter Creek T-21 trucks but substituting in Reboxx wheelsets on a diorama I built. Bambo skewer ties & code 55 rail. Freight platform built by the late Al Mueller.

BTS BTS Details (btsrr.com)

Bill offers fine HO scale brass truck kits that require assembly. These require some effort to get together but have the advantage of adding weight low in the car and directly on the wheels for optimum tracking. I have a number of these kits yet to be assembled but have primarily used the Panamint Models trucks because all they require is cleaning, wicking, priming, painting, and popping in the wheels.

Woodbeam truck kit #22907. These produce the trucks usually

seen in photos of USMRR rolling stock.

Woodbeam truck kit #22910. These are similar to the above trucks

but lack the iron cross bracing. This style was widely used by

many railroads in the mid 19th century.

5'5" wheel based archbar trucks #22912.

4'6'' wheel based archbar trucks #22913.

He does not presently offer trucks in either N or O scales. Per Bill,

"Precision Scale has a nice [O scale] brass archbar truck with a 4'-6" wheelbase. It will fit the era nicely. I use the too-modern Athearn archbar trucks. They have a 5' wheelbase, but are acceptable to my personal modeling eyes."

BTS offers the finest HO scale brake wheels currently on the market. They normally come with his kits but he also offers them separately in a 4 pack #20616. I use the Tichy brake wheel 4 pack but substitute in the BTS brass brake wheels for the Tichy plastic brake wheels. Bill also offers HO scale brass figures, a number of which can be used in Civil War era dioramas and layouts. BTS Details (btsrr.com)

Bill also offers an O scale USMRR freight car decal set with white lettering.

Panamint Models Panamint models by EricCox - Shapeways Shops

These are designed by Eric Cox and available through his Shapeways store, Panamint Models. Eric offers the greatest variety of HO and N scale trucks available. These are the most realistically detailed trucks currently on the market. They are 3D prints and the HO scale trucks require wheel axle lengths of 1" or less. I prefer to use Reboxx proto 88 wheel sets but intermountain, MDC, or Kadee could be used instead. Get the finest available 3D print material you can afford. The names of the material have changed over time and may do so in the future. Avoid all of the cheaper versatile plastics offered. They are VERY gritty, do not show the detail well, and can literally fall apart when you attempt to clean them. I go with either the currently offered Smooth Fine Detail Plastic or Smoothest Fine Detail Plastic.

B&O RR 1850s Woodbeam Truck (2 or 4 pack)

Live Spring Trucks (1840 - 1860) Offered in 2, 4 or 8 packs.

54" Live Spring Trucks Same as above but can accommodate

European style wheel flanges or 36" spoked wheels. Offered in

2 or 4 packs.

Wood Frame Trucks (1840s - 1870s) Offered in 2, 4, or 8 packs.

Two versions included in the 4 or 8 packs. One with rubber

springs and the other with canistered coil springs. These have a

scale 44" wheelbase. These trucks can be seen under rolling

stock from many different railroads during this time period.

USMRR Wood Beam Trucks (late 1850s -1870s) These 54" wheel

based trucks were used by more than just the USMRRs during

this period. Offered in 2, 4, or 8 packs.

Allen/California style swing motion, wooden bolster arch bar

trucks as seen on Adam's Express cars during the Civil War.

(1860s - 1880s) Especially popular on Western railroads.

Early short Cleveland style rigid archbar trucks with 58" wheel base.

Similar to those used on PRR in 1870s to 1890s. Brakes are close

to bolsters rather than hanging. Sold in 2, 4, 8 & 16 packs.

Archbar 58" wheelbase Cleveland pattern freight trucks. This short

wheelbase diamond arch type was popular from the early 1860s

through the 1880s. Outside brakes on both trucks hung from the

car's underfloor on the prototype. Sold in 2, 4, 8 & 16 packs.

Circa 1850 through 1875 wood beam coach trucks. "Modeled after those under Virginia & Truckee car No.9 at the Nevada State Railroad Museum, with iron parts locally made, possibly after a Harlan & Hollingsworth pattern." Six foot (72") wheel base and outside hung brakes.