RY Models New 70 ton Keystone truck – Side View.

RY Models New 70 ton Keystone truck – End View.

Imported By: RY Models
MSRP 12/2012 $42.00/pr.

Description:
With the release of the USRA 70 Ton Triples from RY Models, Rich also introduced a new Proto48/O Scale truck. The Keystone 70-ton pedestal-type side frames truck, which was built by American Steel Foundries (A.S.F.). They appear in photographs of the of The USRA cars throughout most of their lives.

The new truck was produced in Proto48 and O Scale and is available on the new USRA 70 ton cars and as a seperate item. The trucks are available from RY Models for $42.00 per pair. http://www.richyodermodels.com/rym-o-scale-trucks.htm

I received these trucks under my hopper cars and also purchased a couple of pairs to go under a pair of cars I have been kit-bashing from the IM USRA Twins which will rerepresent the spot-repaired cars the NYC rostered later in their service lives. 

NYC 915709 – photo from RY Models Website

The photo shows an NYC triple after being rebuilt with a center saw-tooth hopper and you can clearly see the Keystone Truck under the car. The website also shows them under C&O, P&LE, PMcK&Y and Virginian hoppers.

NMRA Proto48 Specification:
I measured the trucks and find that they are within NMRA spec. Here are the measurements and I’ve added their measurements to the NMRA S-4.1 Proto48 Wheel Standards

Plus and Minus… Opinions:
On the plus-side: The trucks measured up fine against the NMRA Specification and the track fine under the cars. The trucks do look very nice, they capture the look of the prototype based on the photo I’ve seen.

On the minus-side: They do look slightly compressed (width wise) at the spring area, the photos show a wider three spring front face, as typical with 70 ton trucks of the time. The model has the center spring slightly recessed, almost like the difference between a 70-ton and a 50-ton truck.  

Another issue with most RY Models trucks is that they do not have any casting information on the side frames. You know, the cool looking letters on the side frames that in O scale you can actually read. But being able to read them is part of the problem also, what should it say? I know Rich has wanted to model this information in the past and has reached out to a number of freight car experts seeking out this information with varied success. I know first-hand that rather than guess or put the wrong information there he has chosen to not include it.

Overall: The minuses have not held me back from purchasing these trucks. I look forward to their use under my hopper cars for many years to come.

I’m very glad to see a new freight car truck on the Proto48/O scale market.