Replacement (Better Looking) Truck Sides for 2671W

Ooh, blasphemy!  Hurry up and delete your post before all the postwar apologists read it and declare a fatwa on you! 

Kidding aside, I wouldn't be too hard on the unknown junior design engineer.  They're no less detailed to my eyes than the 4-wheel bar-end or staple-end freight trucks from the same era.  Were these borrowed from the Madison cars?  I'm pretty sure they were used on the crane cars as well.  They're a reasonable approximation of a Commonwealth six wheel roller-bearing trucks that could have been found on the most modern steam tenders in the late '40s.  The worst thing I can say about them, is they're plastic and might crack if subjected to rough handling.

If they really bother you, I'm sure you could swap in the six-wheel die-cast trucks Lionel started using around 1980 when they revived the Berkshire.  That's all I got for ya!

Thanks Ted, that's where my thoughts were heading also, newer stuff. Your point is well taken, I guess they aren't much different than the others of that era. I just sort of had it in my head that I wanted something die-cast, sprung and had more 3 dimensional detail. And I was kind of hoping there was another enthusiast among us who managed to adapt and adopt something better than original.

And I was braced for the poo-storm 

My poo-pooing desires aside, take a look at the Lionel 9329-50 and 8215-T90 trucks. They are die cast and probably about as close as bolt on replacement you could get...

The problem here is you want scale detail, but with sprung 6 wheel trucks they are going to be scale size, much larger and longer than will fit under the tender. I don't know of any trucks or sideframes aftermarket that will replace the short wheelbase stock trucks, other than the already mentioned die-cast MPC 6 wheel trucks.

Well, not the answers I wanted to hear, but at the same time, it's exactly the facts as I asked for.

BMORAN4, I could not find the 9329-50 trucks you listed on Lionel's site, Google or ebay - got a link?

So Chuck, BMORAN4, and TED S thank you for chiming in. I'll keep my eyes peeled for something more to my liking, but if I don't see it, I'll certainly learn to love my new (new-to-me) tender. Thanks ya'll.

George

To see what they look like, look at the Lionel 783, 784, or 785 locomotives and tender. Parts like that are not necessarily overflowing at the parts suppliers.

Here's your best bet:

These are from the 1980s era remakes of the postwar Berkshire that came in a variety of road names (UP and Southern among others). This tender is from the Great Northern 4-8-4 version. The others were 2-8-4s. I think they also came on the Nickel Plate Berkshire and many other Lionel engines in following years.

Same wheelbase as the original 2671W tender but more detail:

The longer wheelbase scale Hudson tender has a 1/4" longer wheelbase between outside axles:

It might make the coupler extend out too far for a nice appearance.

By the way, Williams used an identical truck side frame on their semi scale N&W J and many, many other engines, but with a little less crispness in the detail:

 A little hunting on the auction sites will eventually get you a pair of used trucks (Lionel or Williams). You might have to buy a whole used tender, but the price for a basket case might actually be less than new trucks. The odds are good since they came on the tenders of so many different engines.

It will still take some patience, but you will eventually find them! 

Jim

Props to @Jim Policastro for posting pics from his collection!

After looking at them I actually like the stock plastic truck sides because they're a modern, roller-bearing design that somehow seems appropriate for the streamlined 2671W.  I guess they remind me of the Buckeye trucks that roll behind big, modern steam like the 614 Greenbriar and 765.

I do like the look of the MPC friction-bearing truck sides on the boxy 2224 and 2426 die-cast tenders.  But they're your trains-- do what makes YOU happy!

Thank you Jim, that was very kind of you to share your pics. They certainly gave me some ideas of what's out there, and what I might like. I will be searching the auction sites  !!!