Tichy Trucks

That is a Tichy kit and uses Tichy trucks. I am pretty sure it is this:

https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Shop/tabid/91/c/trucks/p/3022/Default.aspx

Thank you Greg, I have the HO

Thank you Greg, I have the HO kit that I started on last night and was planning to use the trucks supplied. I would like to update the kit some by using a more up to date truck. the supplied trucks are the heavy duty archbar trucks but they were typically in use up to the 1940's as the text indicates. 

Ahhh

I see, depending on era I would assume any 100 ton truck would be appropriate. 

Sounds good. Thank you

Sounds good. Thank you

A bit more of a guide on trucks

See April 2015 ModelRailroader (yes, print sometimes Does it) for a guide to Freight Car trucks.

Note: Cranes often used custom trucks. 

Also, as a rule of thumb...  Archbar to Andrews to Bettendorfs (Several variants) to Roller bearings... convenient how they're nearly alphabetical!

Archbar trucks were built-up (think: riveted truss bridge reduced to freight truck) and the progression contains improvements in fabrication... reducing / removing bolt-on parts, increasing casting / forging size & weight, improving bushings & bearings, better 'hot-box' management (i.e., removal!)  In this mix are a few more names: ASF, Vulcan, Barber... but I'd say the 4 on top are the basics.

120 Ton Crane Trucks

Hi,

The original cranes were most likely delivered with archbar trucks w friction bearings in the early 20th Century.

Cranes were usually assigned to specific railroad divisions and often spent their working "lives" on one or very few divisions. As such the MOW crews would often literally customize their cranes over their working lifetime. As materials became available (usually from other scrapped equipment like locomotives) whistles, bells, headlights, backup lights, air pumps, water pumps, doors, windows, ladders, air tanks, etc. were salvaged and added to cranes. Tender trucks were often taken and put on these cranes. Andrews trucks were common -- all 4 wheel trucks. Look to your road for what might have been used on your tenders. Nearly every steam crane wound up with lights, a whistle, and a bell !

I have never seen 2 of these 120 ton cranes equipped the same, even on the same railroad. I've seen 4 former SPMW cranes -- all different. By the way, the 120 ton reference is to the maximum weight it can lift with the main hook at a specified angle with a specified boom. These could be ordered with several different booms -- 120T and less. 100T trucks were not a requirement.

Have fun! 

OH, BTW what does

What does The truck rating mean...  Tons per truck or tons per axle?

Tons per pair of 4 wheel

Tons per pair of 4 wheel trucks

Howard Garner

Crane

I think you will like the crane once you have it built, painted, decaled, and weathered.......This is mine that I built in 1993........but didn't get painted until 2008.

Trucks

I wouldn't change the trucks.  Since cranes aren't in interchange service, they are exempt from the rules that apply to interchange cars.  They woun't swap them out with just any truck, they would have to be especially heavy duty trucks, and they may have gearing on the wheels so the crane can move itself (why some of those types of cranes at called "locomotive cranes", because they can move themselves).

People get pissed off when you say "Google it", but I checked Google images and of the 20 or 30 cranes I looked at in about 2-3 minutes, all of them had archaic or specialized trucks.  If you didn't want Andrews (and some cranes had archbars) then a heavy duty tender truck might be more appropriate than a standard freight car truck.

Want to Update from Archbar Trucks?

How about some roller bearing archbar trucks?  

Thank you all for the

Thank you all for the comments and suggestions. After looking at a couple of pictures online I think that I will after all stick with the Archbar trucks as supplied with the kit. I am leaning towards finishing the kit as shown.  

And no way am I going to try and duplicate this picture when done!!