New Haven Deluxe Diner part 4

Correct trucks & brake system for the era of the layout.

General Steel Casting co. 61-NO six wheel all coil spring outside swing hanger trucks and Westinghouse Air Brake co. schedule D-22P brake system were installed on NH diner #5247 during July 1948. Modeling diner #5247 during the mid 1950's will require this equipment.

Part out a perfectly good model for parts?

Rapido recently released NH 900 series stainless steel diner cars. These models have the necessary trucks and brake equipment mentioned above, in addition they also have a complete interior with tables, chairs, wall partitions and cabinets.

Although not needed for the layout, one of these stainless steel diners was purchased to support the combined effort of the New Haven Railroad Historical & Technical Association with Rapido making it possible to offer these highly desired and impressive models from the association.  

When deciding to build the heavy weight diner a second stainless diner with a different car name and number was purchased also from the association for all the well detailed parts that could be transferred to diner #5247. These parts are not available separately from Rapido. The remainder of the Rapido diner is not a write off though, the car body of these diners are so easily removed/replaced that it can be swapped occasionally with the first stainless diner body with a different name making two diners out of one further justifying this purchase.

Mounting the trucks

A comparison photo between an unaltered factory molded Branchline chassis top and the blind end chassis from BCW below shows the modification needed to the bolster area and notches in the center beams to mount and clear the side-to-side swing of the Rapido trucks. The mounting holes closest to the car ends will be used to screw the trucks to the chassis. These truck centers are one scale foot short of the 59' 6" prototype dimension, this will aid the trucks clearing the pair of steps on the kitchen end of the car (see prototype photo).

The trucks mounted on the chassis. The notches in the center beams will be trued up before painting.