I did a little quick lunchtime research on-line, and the first RB truck was built in 1923 (and was an arch bar side frame, IIRC).
Timken began pushing the design in the 1940's, the concept became popular by the second half of the 1950s and by 1963 all newly constructed cars were required to have RB trucks. In the 1950's most of the trucks had covered bearings, usually with "Timken" marked on the outside of the cover. By the 1960's the open bearings became more common, and many plain or solid bearing trucks were converted with RB wheelsets, which saw the open roller bearing exposed in the original plain bearing journal box area. These conversions can be modeled with PRS trucks by leaving off the journal cover. The open bearing trucks are distinctive because the bearing cap can be seen rotating. Only the Smoky Mountain trucks have this feature in S. It appears that the covered and converted bearing trucks were "outlawed" in 1990, as the covers or remaining journal box on the converted trucks interfered with the automatic hotbox detectors. Please realize all this is via what Google found, I have not had time or inclination to cross-check and verify that all this is completely accurate. Corrections welcome. I don't recall whether the Ace roller bearing trucks had covered bearings, but AM, SHS and SSA RB trucks all appear to have open bearings. maybe we need someone to make a bearing cover to go on the current trucks to make the earlier style. Pieter E. Roos --- On Tue, 10/23/12, Alex Binkley <[email protected]> wrote: Bruce: Dave Branum posted a note over the weekend on the timeline for the introduction of RB trucks. I think they were close to non existent in the 1950s. cheers > To: [email protected] > From: [email protected] > Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:40:01 +0000 > Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} S Scale Loco & Supply new stainless steel wheels > > I have quite a few Roller Bearing trucks that are not being used. The NKP in > the mid 50's didn't use them (as far as I can tell neither did many others). > A trade might be brewing??? I am looking forward to the SSLS wheel sets tho!!! > Bruce > > --- In [email protected], Alex Binkley <alex.binkley@...> wrote: > > > > > > If you look around they are. SHS, AM, DPH and SWWM all offer them as well. > > PRS had them. There's probably others. BTW, what's your era? Thinking of > > our earlier discussion. > > cheers > > > > > > > > > > To: [email protected] > > From: johnalbee03@... > > Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2012 10:28:29 -0500 > > Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} S Scale Loco & Supply new stainless steel wheels > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Are those RB SHS trucks still available? > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > On Oct 23, 2012, at 8:15 AM, Alex Binkley <alex.binkley@...> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > the blunt end axle is for ??? trucks. > > this sounds great. want to try the AM and PRS ones when available. My SHS > > RB trucks work well. > > cheers > > > > > > > > > > > > To: [email protected] > > From: rirocket@... > > Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2012 08:10:16 -0500 > > Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} S Scale Loco & Supply new stainless steel wheels > > > > > > > > > > NWSL is carrying code 88 wheels; who else in HO, well, that is them, we is > > us. DJE > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: John Degnan > > To: [email protected] > > Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 10:15 PM > > Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} S Scale Loco & Supply new stainless steel wheels > > > > > > > > Code 110 or code 88 tread? Can't tell for sure from the photos... looks > > like 110 to me. > > > > Would be REALLY nice if they were code 88 with the profiled back. One of > > the HO companies is now making such wheels... can't remember who right > > now... > > > > > > John Degnan > > Scaler164@... > > Scaler187@... > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Bill Lane > > To: [email protected] > > Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 07:10 PM > > Subject: {S-Scale List} S Scale Loco & Supply new stainless steel wheels > > > > > > All, > > > > I have just revised the website http://www.sscaleloco.com to include a new > > page devoted to the new SSLS all stainless steel non-magnetic wheels. These > > will be available shortly, but give it a look now to see how nice they are. > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > >
