# Truck replacement on NewHaven car



## TimmyD (Dec 6, 2021)

Hi all, I have a lit New Haven car that I would like to swap a truck on, as the coupler portion was fully removed, and I want to make it a transition (link to knuckle) car. I pulled a truck off of a 640 hopper car, it will be an easy return to original if I choose since it is a screw mount. Question: Is there anything special about the truck itself on a lit car vs. a standard car? I understand that the pickup wheels must be swapped over, and this particular truck is the non-insulated one, so I will need to maintain conductivity with the base. I am hoping to (temporarily) re-use the orriginal brass rivet likely with a little solder reinforcement, but will replace (temporarily with a nut and bolt if needed, just wondering if it is imperative to use a truck off of a lit car for the swap or whether a freight truck will suffice if electrical conductivity is maintained.
Thanks!
TimmyD


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

The trucks are the same, just the wheels are different. There are many variations of the link coupler trucks, any will work although they should both be the same length. I assume your original 650 trucks are the short (2 spring) ones so that is what you should use for the replacement.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

For anyone interested in the 650 series cars here is a reference table with likely more year by year detail than someone wants to know. I expanded the table to fill two pages for ease of reading.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

As an amusing comment, note the typo in the first bullet item under 1950. "Dye should be "die."


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## alaft61ri (Oct 11, 2019)

Cool thanks


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

That's one heckuva chart, and it comes at a wonderful time. I have red and green cars, with thick shank unweighted couplers, black weighted couplers, and brass weighted couplers...It's confusing,lol!!!


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## alaft61ri (Oct 11, 2019)

When I replace a broken coupler always have a hard time putting new won on right the couple move up and down can't really get the split pin in right any advice what iam doing wrong.


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## TimmyD (Dec 6, 2021)

Thanks Tom,
I think my cars are too beat up or modified to tell... Definitely weighted couplers, die cast floors, but corner screws were used at the 4 corners - I just broke the last remaining hole on the inside of the car.  There is enough of a friction fit that I am not too worried about it, but I wil likely epoxy in some new material for the screws to bite into. 
Al, I am seeing a similar issue, but I think if I tighten up my split rivet (currently installed, but loosely) that will help, I also think that bending/tweaking the top tab on the truck a little that you can make a much tighter fit between the new coupler and the truck by making the rivet hole effectively smaller. Just 2 cents from a newbie, but I think that will help with my 'loose' coupler.
TimmyD


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## alaft61ri (Oct 11, 2019)

Thanks any advice is welcome sometimes it will come out pretty good other time not happy. Lol


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## TimmyD (Dec 6, 2021)

So these new haven cars I have (I acquired from someone else whom had done a lot of 'work' on them) had been giving me fits uncoupling regularly, regardless of how much work I put into the link couplers, which seem to be operating quite well. After looking into axle play in relation to AF diesels, I on a whim checked the play in the trucks on the New Haven cars. In the process, I noticed that the PO had replaced the rivets with standard pop-rivets, and I found that one truck on each car could rotate freely on axis, but had very little side to side play. I then put a couple of the cars on the track, and simulated the side to side motion of operating, and sure enough, the tight truck lifted slightly, and the cars uncoupled. I have since loosened the rivet connection giving more side to side play on the trucks, and no more random uncoupling! Just wanted to throw this up there in case anyone else is having a similar issue.  Have a good day all!
TimmyD


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