Several varieties of freight car truck are in development (as I have time). Each will be available in investment cast brass with your choice of plain steel or nickel plated wheelsets. At present, each truck is either an incomplete casting pattern (cut from either brass or 304 stainless bar stock on my wire EDM) or is a 3D CAD drawing awaiting to be CNC machined into a wax pattern. Each truck is based upon an specific, common prototype, using either my own measurements, or where available, actual railroad blueprints. My thanks in particular go to both the Norfolk & Western Historical Society archives and the archives of the Southern Railway Historical Association for their generosity with the latter.

Prices are TBA. I will post more pictures of the patterns, and then the completed production trucks, as I make progress. In the meantime, Iron Creek Shops has both a 6'-0" wheelbase archbar truck available in white metal as well as a cast urethane 50 Ton AAR-Bettendorf truck (pictured below).

30 Ton Archbar  (5'-0" Wheelbase)

The prototype for this truck is a typical late 19th-early 20th century archbar design using a pair of steel I-beams for a bolster. The 5'-0" wheelbase and 4¼ x 8 journal boxes were very common for this era and could be found beneath multiple varieties of wooden rolling stock. This particular truck supports a 36' Ma & Pa wooden boxcar preserved in flawless, operable condition on the Strasburg Railroad located near Lancaster, PA.

40 Ton Archbar

(5'-0" Wheelbase)

With the dawn of the steel car era, archbar trucks of greater capacity were developed, some of which were easily able to support loads of 50 tons or even more. This 40 ton example, with 5 x 9 journals and a cast steel bolster, was in use on the Cass Scenic Railroad and its lumber hauling predecessors beneath 40' wooden flat cars originally built prior to WWI. The model is based upon my own measurements of one of the remaining trucks made on a rainy, cool September day in 2002.

50 Ton USRA Andrews

(5'-6" Wheelbase)

As a successor to the archbar truck, the Andrews concept of a cast steel frame with removable journal boxes antedates the United States Railway Administration (USRA) by nearly 20 years. The USRA U-section 50 ton design and its clones were made in the 1000s until just after WWI and remained in service through the WWII era, particularly in work trains. The casting pattern show above was cut on my wire EDM and will soon be joined to miniature 5½ x 10 journal boxes w/ square bolts.

40 Ton D&RGW Andrews

(5'-6½" Wheelbase)

The Andrews design was first patented in 1896 as a "T" rather than a "U" section side frame; and as such, did not have the strength of the later U-section designs. Nevertheless, the T section was an improvement upon the old archbar trucks, and could still be found in the post-WWI era on small locomotive tenders, some freight cars, and, as in the case of this truck, the Denver & Rio Grande's standard gauge idler cars. This particular truck supports idler car X-3050 at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden and is still used on occasion for switching on dual gauge track. The F scale version will be unique in that (1) this truck has never been modeled before and (2) the pattern will be CNC milled from a SolidWorks 3D CAD file. My thanks to Kevin Strong & Rick Blanchard for their help!

50 Ton AAR-Bettendorf

(5'-6" Wheelbase)

In steam era railroading circa WWII and into the steam-diesel transition years, the most ubiquitous friction bearing freight car truck is some variation on the steel-side-frame-with-integrally-cast-journal-boxes. The Bettendorf company originated the concept prior to WWI with a T-section design, later superseded by the much superior U-section design. The concept was so popular that the American Association of Railroads standardized the concept; and though many other companies aside from Bettendorf produced their own variations, the name stuck. The prototype for this truck follows 1938 AAR standards and supports a Southern Railway transfer caboose, built atop a 1920s era steel flat car, here in Knoxville.

Cumberland Kits are typical craftsman style laser cut basswood car kits with brass and/or white metal detail parts. Each kit comes with appropriate trucks and your choice of either Kadee "G" scale or Accucraft knuckle couplers. Please also see Iron Creek Shops 36' boxcar kit available below. Price and availability: TBA

Mower Lumber Company 40' Trussrod Flat Car

The first wooden craftsman kit I hope to offer is an F scale version of the 40' trussrod equipped flat cars used by the Mower Lumber Co. (and predecessors) for hauling spruce logs out of the West Virginia mountains, and then later by the Cass Scenic Railroad for hauling passengers in its early years. The prototype car is, well, in dilapidated condition, but the CAD work for the model has been completed, and a test kit laser cut. Hardware and truck patterns must still be developed before the kit will be ready. This is the same car that Bachmann Industries modeled in HO scale for use with their Shays!  

I maintain a limited supply of axles, driver tyres, and some driver center castings that are essential to scratchbuilding ones own steam locomotive in 1:20.3 standard gauge, either live steam or 2-rail electric. Generally I do not have time for custom work (sorry), but contact me and I will try to do whatever I can to facilitate help for you or research.

F Gauge Axles

(12mm axles w/ Nickel Plated 51" Driver Tyres)

Axles are made from 303 stainless and are shouldered at the ends. Shoulders on locomotive axles have either keyways or are knurled. Complete specs are available upon request.

6mm Conversion Axle for LGB Motor Blocks: $5.25

8mm Axle for Inside Bearings: $5

8mm Axle for Outside Bearings: $5.25

12mm Axle for Locomotive Drivers (w/ ⅛" Keyways): $6.25

Steam Locomotive Driver Tyres

(Cast Iron 47" Driver Tyres)

Our locomotive driver tyres are turned from either mild steel or cast iron. Some are available with electroless nickel plating. Flanges are roughly .075" high. Complete specs are available upon request. ID of tyre is usually a scale 6" less than its nominal OD. Prices are per tyre.

Steam Locomotive Driver Centers

At present I am not able to offer machined and assembled drivers; however, I do have a number of driver center castings on hand which, matched up with some of the above tyres in the hands of a capable home shop machinist, can be used to arrive at realistic F scale standard gauge drivers. Drivers are investment cast in white bronze. Crankpins, axles & tyres are available separately. Prices are per casting, unmachined.

Steam Locomotive Crankpins

I maintain a limited supply of stainless steel crankpins & brass knuckle pins for those assembling their own drivers. These are intended for pressing into a 5/16" reamed hole. Three configurations of crankpin are available for Stephenson valve gear: Short, Medium & Long. Walschaerts and Baker valve gear will use Extra Long for mounting eccentric cranks. Specs are available upon request.

Most freight car trucks from the steam era rode on 33" wheelsets while modern roller bearing equipped trucks generally use 36". Similarly most passenger cars from both eras have ridden on 36" wheelsets. The wheelsets pictured below were produced by Cumberland Model Engineering for Iron Creek Shops and are available in either rusty, polished steel or nickel plated finishes. Each wheelset is double insulated and uses a stainless steel 8mm axle with 3/16 journals on the stub ends.

Steel: $12.95 each

Nickel Plated: $15.45

36" Wheelsets:

Steel: $12.95 each

Nickel Plated: $15.45

Iron Creek Shops offers both a freelance 6'-0" wheelbase archbar truck as well as a 50 Ton AAR-Bettendorf truck. The archbar truck features white metal side frames, an I-beam styrene bolster, and ABS plastic spring plank. The AAR-Bettendorf truck is cast from urethane. Both trucks are sprung and come with your choice of 33" wheelset: rusted, polished, or nickel plated.

50 Ton AAR-Bettendorf

(5'-6" Wheelbase)

Price: $150 per pair, assembled and weathered.

Freelance Archbar

 (6'-0" Wheelbase)

Iron Creek Shops offers several products for handlaying F Gauge and/or Dual Gauge (F & Fn3) track. But for the person with little time or patience for needle nose pliers and individual spikes, UV-resistant plastic tie strips are available for assembling your own flex track in either F Gauge (70.6mm between the rails) or Dual Gauge (F & Fn3: 70.6mm & 45mm) configurations.

Roller Gages

Code 250 or Code 332 Dual Gauge: $12.95

Code 250 or Code 332 Standard Gauge: $11.45

3-Point Gages

Code 250 or Code 332 Rail: $24.95

Standard Gauge Tie Strip

Individual Strip (7.5" long): $2.95 each

Box of Eight (makes 5' of track): $23.60

Dual Gauge Tie Strip

Individual Strip (7.5" long): $2.95 each

Box of Eight (makes 5' of track): $23.60

These tie plates are made from urethane and must be painted for outside use. They come 25 per package and will support both code 215 and code 250 Llagas Creek rail or any rail with at least a 5mm foot. Price: $6.45 per pack.

Iron Creek Shops offers quality laser-cut freight car kits which include detail parts, trucks and your choice of either Kadee or Accucraft couplers. You supply the white glue and paint.

From the mid-19th century through the end of WWI and the ascendancy of the steel car, the most common "house" or boxcar on America's railroads  was the ubiquitous 36' footer, equipped with trussrods and archbar trucks. Iron Creek Shops is pleased to reissue a free-lance design offered privately several years ago to members of the 1:20.3 Yahoo Discussion Group as the "F&CC Standard Gauge Boxcar" kit. Comes with long wheelbase archbar trucks (New 5'-0" wheelbase trucks from CME will shortly be available for this kit).

Price: $250

Last update: 11 June 2008