# Does anyone have a source for Bachmann freight car turnbuckles?



## yellow_cad (Oct 30, 2020)

I can't seem to find any of these turnbuckles on any parts list. Thanks, Jim


----------



## Fred Mills (Nov 24, 2008)

What Bachmann equipment has the "Turnbuckles" you require ?
Most of their rolling stock has them cast as part of a truss rod, and are not separate.
All of the "Big Hauler" line is of this type, as far as I am aware.
The Spectrum line of 1:20.3 equipment may have separate parts, but I doubt it, and don't have have any to look at.
Ozarc Miniatures has turnbuckles in their line of parts, but probably not in the scale you require.
Please give us more information on what Bachmann equipment you are speaking of.
Fred Mills


----------



## yellow_cad (Oct 30, 2020)

Almost all of my Bachmann box cars and refers have long plastic turnbuckles (usually four) under each car spanning from one truck to the other.


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

yellow_cad said:


> Almost all of my Bachmann box cars and refers have long plastic turnbuckles (usually four) under each car spanning from one truck to the other.


Ah - a terminology problem. The turnbuckle is the metal piece in the middle, that adjusts the length of the (long) truss rods. We usually make the truss rods from round brass about 1/16th inch. Turnbuckle dummies can be obtained from Ozark in white metal or from Trackside details in brass.
LARGE TURNBUCKLE (slotted) (4)










I am not aware of Bachmann selling the assembly of long rods and turnbuckles, which is a one-piece pastic molding on their freight cars. But they are easy to make - as you can see from the photo of the Ozark part, the ends are open so you just glue the rod in place.

On the real thing, the turnbuckle would be threaded opposite at each end, so tightening it draws the rods closer [the same happens with wire turnbuckles for tents, screened frames, etc.] I have not seen a g-scale model with opposite threads, though the Accucraft freight cars have threaded turnbuckles - but they are both the same thread! You can adjust them by taking them out, unscrewng or screwing one end, and re-installing them.

The Bachmann Spectrum 1:20.3 cars also had a dummy piece of plank pushed between the turnbuckles to prevent them turning.


----------



## yellow_cad (Oct 30, 2020)

I saw the plastic ones I am referring to for $1.50 each, but I can't remember where that was and can't find it again.


----------



## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Hi,
Are these Bachmann?
I can't remember why or how I have them!
Cheers,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


----------



## yellow_cad (Oct 30, 2020)

Those are the ones I am referring to David.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

You might not have used them because they were not prototype on your cars. Aristo included the truss rods with their heavyweight passenger cars even though they were not prototype for all cars.

Greg


----------



## Jackpeter1 (Feb 28, 2019)

Get me a quick drawing with Size and I can resin print you a bunch of them then you can add your own rod


----------



## Fred Mills (Nov 24, 2008)

"Truss rods", and "Turn buckles"....two different things. Combined they serve a very necessary function on many early, wood framed rolling stock.
This request from a person not acquainted with the knowledge of railroad equipment, gives us all an opportunity to learn more about the railroad equipment, in model form, that we often just use as toys.
I hope a few take the opportunity, and ask more questions about the features included in the models we take for granted. You might find it interesting. 
Here is a question....and if no-one answers it, I might try to answer...
Why did Bachmann put a simulated wood board through those turnbuckles on some of their 1:20.3, models ?
Or does anyone care ?
Fred Mills


----------



## Jackpeter1 (Feb 28, 2019)

Fred Please keep explaining the wood board through the turn buckle please


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Tighten/loosen, mechanical advantage... or perhaps so it would not change on it's own. Depends on length of board and if the end is resting against something.

Greg


----------



## Fred Mills (Nov 24, 2008)

Generaly speaking, "Sometimes:" a wooden board of a size that would fit through the turn buckles was used to prevent the turnbuckles from turning on their own through vibrations. The board might extend through several turnbuckles on parallel truss rods. It was not a standard practice, as far as I can research.
Sometimes Hobos would place wider boards across several truss rods, to form a platform of sorts, to lie down, and ride on; thus the old saying of "Riding the rods"
The Bachmann model example would likely be an oddball situation...
Later, and more standard was to employ "Lock nuts" on both or one end of the turnbuckle, to prevent it from turning.
BTW; Truss rods were part of the engineering of the frame of early wooden framed rolling stock. A simple example would be, looking at a picture of a wood framed car, that looks "Swaybacked". That could be an indication that the truss rods needed tightening, to pull it up in the middle. 
Don't forget the usual two "Queen Posts" holding the truss rods below the main longitudinal beams. They were another part of the "Bridge" that formed the floor of the car....then at each end of the car were the large Nuts on the ends of the truss rods where they cane through the end beams. In effect the car frame was built much like a simple wood framed bridge.
The need for the turnbuckles was caused by the wood used in construction, was subjected to drying, rotting, etc; so that adjustments had to be made frequently, to prevent them from falling apart. 
There; more than you might care to know, about "Truss rods" and all the other parts involved with the original subject of this thread; "Turnbuckles" !!!
Others may be better at describing them, and are very welcome to jump in. Corrections are welcome.
Fred Mills


----------



## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

Fred, thank you for the info on Truss Rods. The hobo part is most interesting, could easily see this becoming a 'look at that' detail. Would have been a harrowing ride to say the least. I find any information about railroads interesting.


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Fr.Fred said:


> Generaly speaking, "Sometimes:" a wooden board of a size that would fit through the turn buckles was used to prevent the turnbuckles from turning on their own through vibrations. The board might extend through several turnbuckles on parallel truss rods. It was not a standard practice, as far as I can research.


Bachmann seems to have supplied boards on many of their 'spectrum' 1:20.3 cars. I recall seeing them, but I had a devil of a time finding a pic in google! This is a frame from a video introducing the boxcar, with my annotations:


----------



## yellow_cad (Oct 30, 2020)

From having built a few mechanical things, it is pretty easy to understand that when the truss rod assembly was first made, they overlooked that the turnbuckles might move in use so to solve the immediate problem, boards were used by people on the ground and in subsequent production jam nuts were added to solve the problem. This is how mechanical things evolve.


----------



## Jackpeter1 (Feb 28, 2019)

So my question is did they tighten the truss rods to put a small bow in the floor to handle weight . Semi trailers these days do this


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Jackpeter1 said:


> So my question is did they tighten the truss rods to put a small bow in the floor to handle weight . Semi trailers these days do this


I'm not sure semi-trailers have truss rods, but yes, I have seen ones with an upward bow which presumably makes the trailer level when it has a significant load.

To my knowledge they did not do that with the wooden flat cars. It might be that wood is not as easy to bend as steel. All the photos I have seen show a flat top or a sag!

However, the Accucraft 1:20.3 model flatcars had a significant upward bow when delivered. I left mine over a warm floor vent to persuade it to go flat.










It turned out the truss rods were too tight, and flattening it mangled the bolsters, where the rods are hooked.










So I backed off the turnbuckles before I re-installed the bolsters. The Accucraft flatcars have the piece of wood pushed through the turnbuckles too.


----------



## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

> So my question is did they tighten the truss rods to put a small bow in the floor to handle weight . Semi trailers these days do this


You are partially correct. The upward arch in semi trailers are the ones manufactured out of aluminum. Aluminum has about half the strength per pound of steel, so aside from thicker members the arch adds some structural load capacity.

To the best of my knowledge, wooden rail cars were manufactured to be flat and level. Truss rods acted in the same capacity in wood rail cars as the thicker, arched aluminum does in trucks. Wood will only bend so far before is fails. Structurally, wood is strongest in compression, steel is strongest in tension. If you look at the side profile of a wooden flat car as you load the center of the car, the wood tries to sag. As the wood tries to sag, it pushes down on the queen posts and truss rods. This downward motion tries to stretch the steel rods, which they try to resist.


----------



## Fred Mills (Nov 24, 2008)

When General Motors had their "Electromotive" plant in London Ontario, Canada; I was able to go on a plant tour.
On the tour they showed the assembly of the main frame of a Diesel Electric locomotive. It was pointed out that the frame was designed/constructed with an upward bow in it, so that when the motor, generator was installed, the weight would force the frame to become level/straight.
Fred Mills


----------

