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Assembly of Cache Creek Scale Models Freight Trucks Locos and rolling stock
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Prolific poster 2,047 posts Jackh Prolific poster 2,047 posts
Jackh

This is an On30 car. It has freight trucks with separate side frames and center piece, (bolster?), and wheels. Directions are 2 photos and one line of directions about inserting bearing into side frame. That's it there is nothing else!!!

Anybody have an experience putting these together? Do you glue the frames together and hope you can get the wheels in afterward and hope they don't fall apart sometime down the road? And then there is 4 little pieces that go where????

Jack

0_155112.jpg 
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Prof_Klyzlr Moderator 7,966 posts
Prof_Klyzlr

Tichy Trains

Dear Jack, Those trucks are Tichy Trains archbars They are used by a number of kit manufs as "OEM" parts. Assembled with care, they make up into a smooth running, reliable truck. Some tips from someone who has assembled and operates many 10s of pairs: - A good quality ACC glue (green Zap-a-gap) is fine for assembly - Tichy castings are generally clean and ready-to-use, but a few moments checking for and removing flash is well worth it. This include any flash or fuzz on the nylon bearings. - One the flash is checked, I drag an X-acto knife blade sideways around the blunt-end of each bearing, just to ever-so-slightly knock the hard corner/edge off. This allows the bearing to be aligned onto the sideframes hole just that little-bit easier, and pushed home with a little less force. - You _can_ put a small drop of ACC in the bearing hole and then press the bearing in, but this is not necessary from an assembly standpoint (the bearings are tight enough to stay put as a "press fit"), And the compression can squirt the glue out around the bearing, gluing finger to sideframes and marring the concave/conical bearing surface. (Ask me how I know this). - Bearings first, _then_ glue the sideframes to the bolster. The other way round is a recipe for pain and broken sideframes. - The sideframes have a square indexing notch for the bolster end. Dry fit test to get a feel for how the sideframes and booster "sit together". It's a snug accurate fit. - That said, if you attempt to glue the bolster in "freehand", esp up in mid-air. You may end up with a bolster who's top surface is not aligned "flat", and/or a truck with the sideframes skewed relative to each other. The solution is to 1- do the assembly on a piece of glass (IE guaranteed flat surface) 2- place the sideframe Upside Down on the glass (it will be sitting on some rivet detail, that's OK) 3- use a thin piece of styrene (apologies, can't remember the right thickness at the moment) to pack the bolster up to height 4- Put the bolster Top-Face-down (IE upside down, to match the upside-down sideframe) on top of the styrene packing piece 5- and press together firmly while the glue sets (approx 30 secs for ACC). - For wheels, I've used a number of options, but the best match seemed to be the Proto2000/Lifelike/Walthers delrin-axle + metal wheel HO wheelsets. HO 36" wheels give the little extra bulk needed for On30 missions, although I'm not sure if the Cache Creek kit coupler height is tuned for 33 or 36" wheels. The wheels can be "popped in" after the truck is glued together, just remember the sideframes are Styrene, so flex them as Little As Possible to get the wheelsets in, and flex With Care! The small square pieces are axlebox/journalbox covers, which glue onto the front visible surface of each journalbox. I hope this helps. The Tichy instructions are so short because they are just that-simple to assemble, but as always, application of care and patience in assembly will always result in a better model than one which is just "slapped together". My Tichy Archbars have over 20 years of show operations under the wheels, and are still going strong. Happy modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr PS if you can't get the P2k wheels, Kadee HO wheelsets also work well and have the right axle length...
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Jackh Prolific poster 2,047 posts
Jackh

That helps a lot

So far so good up to the gluing part. Did one side and I will have to see if it is square. Used Gorilla glue. A flat surface I've got and will experiment with styrene bits to find the right size.

The wheels included seem to be high quality all metal including the axles. Definitely have some weight to them.

You have made me a happy camper I hope.    Jack
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Prof_Klyzlr Moderator 7,966 posts
Prof_Klyzlr

Cache Creek wheels

Dear Jack, Unsure what wheels Cache Creek have supplied, Tichy ship all-plastic wheels when bought direct, or as part of a Tichy car kit, which is why I've always reached for the P2k, Kadee, SEM, or AR Kits wheels... Happy modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr PS can't speak for Gorilla glue, but I have successfully "split and re-assembled" Tichy trucks (sideframe <> bolster joints) which were put-together _without_ due-care, when assembled with ACC...
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Neil Erickson NeilEr Moderator 5,804 posts
Neil Erickson NeilEr

Cache Creek Scale Models

I had to look up the company on the Google machine:  http://www.loggingcars.com/

This looks promising - Thanks!

Neil Erickson, Hawai’i 

My Blogs
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Jackh Prolific poster 2,047 posts
Jackh

Neal

Cache Creek models are ok. 3D printed, with additional parts from other manufactures. Cut and bend your own hand rails. Down side to the one I am working on, the caboose, is the side walls are warped. Tried the hot water method to straighten them out and that didn't work. Maybe water wasn't hot enough? I opted to cut new ones out of scribed sheet wood and did my own window framing, which was pretty easy in O scale after having done it some in HO. Made my own doors also and used wood channel for door guides because I had it on hand.

I am happy with how it came out and will be posting a photo when I am done which should be in the next couple of days.

Jack
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krjone01 Active Member 92 posts
krjone01

Tichy Trucks for On30 Cars

These are Tichy Train Group's 100T Heavy Duty HO Arch Bar Trucks part# 3022.  Not sure what wheels they are including with them. I have been using Intermountain 38" HO wheels in mine for small ON30 cars. They scale out to just over 20" in O scale. They look pretty good once assembled and painted.

HY_TRUCK.jpg 

My assembly sequence is to add the friction bearing covers first before removing the side-frames from the spue. I then removed the side frames and add the nylon bearing inserts. Finally, I glue the bolster to the side-frames and the clamp up the assembly to dry overnight. I have used various clamps and vices to hold the truck together while the solvent weld sets, but finally 3d printed my own clamp/vice.

0018_MRH.jpg    

 I usually add wheelsets after painting. I insert the wheelset into one side and then gently push on the set until there is enough give to pop the wheelset into the other side. Do not force it our you can snap the end of the side frame off.

Kevin Jones
On30, HO, Unfinished basement, Lots of Wishful Thinking
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Prof_Klyzlr Moderator 7,966 posts
Prof_Klyzlr

Looks gorgeous

Dear Kevin, Thanks for the description of your assembly process. For the life of me, I can't explain why I didn't think to put the journalbox covers on first... (putting them on at-all has been annoying, doing it last just seemed extra challenging...) Would love to see/hear more of your On30 cars, the end looks gorgeous.... Happy modelling, Aiming to Improve, Prof Klyzlr
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