Truck Information Truck Conversion and Cost Truck Installation and Cost What Truck to Use with What Car? Q-Car Gear Ratios - Speed w/Mashima Motors NWSL Magic Carpet Specifications Truck Repair Cost Wheel Type Conversion Outside Hung Motors - Inside Hung Motors? Trucks for your Birney Car When navigating this page use your "Back" button to return to this index.

Note: When ordering any truck please specify insulated for two rail track, or grounded for overhead operation. With noted exceptions, if you do not specify we will assume you want grounded for overhead operation.

Our drives are designed for 12 volt Direct Current operation ONLY.

The use of Pulse Power or any half-wave circuitry that exceeds 12 volts will void any warrantee claim you may have. Most "Modern" DCC Systems are ok to use.

Truck Conversions

Customer Supplied Trucks or Sideframes

We consider customer supplied sideframes (from imports or other domestic manufacturers) a conversion. So if you have a set of frames that you would like to turn into a power or trailer truck conversion is the way to do it. We can supply some Current Line frames at this time.Please see a Special Note regarding the converting of Car Works products and pirated parts.

                      Conversion Truck Pricing

• MD04 1630 Can Drive w/Belt, Wheels and Pulley................ $86.65
• MDW01 Companion Wheelset w/Pulley............................... $5.95
• CS192B1 Low Profile Motor Bolster Set (See Special Note Below).... $10.95
• WS000 Trailer Truck Wheelsets*........................................ $8.30

• Total Conversion Cost of Customer Supplied Trucks............ $111.85

A Special Note: Some imported models are designed to accept this drive with little or no modification to the car floor. Some even have reusable bolster assemblies. However, some do not. Overseas builders do not have a consistant standard in truck and bolster design. Each truck is unique. We have attempted to stock a great variety of truck bolsters for all these different designs. When we do not have such a stock bolster and when we have to customize the installation we now must charge for this service - we did not in the past. The charges are nominal but there is a charge. **We typically charge $2.50 per item we must modify in conversions. If we must remove the floor from the car body we charge $2.50 (in many cases floors do not have to be removed.) We always try to be reasonable, but we must charge for additional time spent on each model.

*Trailer truck wheelsets must be changed to match our wheel profile to avoid derailing problems. We cannot guarantee good operation unless the trailer wheelsets are changed

On conversions all un-used wheelsets, motors, spare parts, and screws (anything) removed from the assembled trucks supplied to us are returned to you.

If you would like to have a conversion done please email us first and we will advise you what we need from your model. In most cases all we need are the trucks.

Truck Installation and Costs

Customer Supplied Cars and Floor

We can mount the drive to the car for you, but there is a $41.20 charge for this service if we have to make modifications to the floor to mount the trucks. On some larger interurbans no floor modification is needed and we do not charge to mount our trucks to those floors. Pole wiring is $15.90 (Double Ended Car) - does not include trolley poles. This Includes installation of trolley pole screw, and wiring to that screw. (Wiring for two rail is no extra charge.) The charge is higher on St Petersburg models.

The price for truck installation assumes you will be providing a floor for the model. If no floor is provided we will quote you a price for making a floor depending on the model.

Please see our "Ordering" page for shipping and handling charges.

What truck to use with what car?

• The St. Louis # 50 are for our Manhattan Gate Car Trailers.
• The 7825 Baldwin can be used for Manhattan Gate motor cars - with a 7222 trailer truck.
• The Brooklyn Gate motor and trailer cars used the 7830-7222BU Peckham trucks.
• The PB150 are for the CSL Pullman (Air Door Car also.)
• The CRT 4000 is the same as the Manhattan Gate Motor car.
• The 39E2X are for the CSL MU Car.
• The 39E2 are for our CSL Safety Car, and the Philadelphia Peter Witt.
• The 77EX is for our Brooklyn 8000, and the 77E1 are for the Boston Elevated Car.
• The C55P Standard is for our 1900 Conn. Co Car.
• The O-50 (Jewett) are for the Conn. Co 185-199 and the Wason Express Motor.
• The General Steel Industries is for our NYCTA R17 or any SMEE R10-42 Subway car.
• The GE95 are for our Steeplecabs.

Q-Car Gear Ratios - Speed w/Mashima Motors

• 17-1 with 26 inch wheels and 1628 Motor will produce about 65 Scale MPH.
• 20-1 with 33 inch wheels and 1628 Motor will produce about 60 Scale MPH; 36 inch about 65 Scale MPH.
• 26-1 with 33 inch wheels and 1628 Motor will produce about 40 Scale MPH; 36 inch about 45 Scale MPH.

• Streetcars with 26" or 28" Wheels - 17-1 Ratio.
• Streetcars or Interurbans with 30" through 36" Wheels - 20-1 Ratio.
• Loco's or Freight Motors used as loco's with 33" or 36" Wheels 26-1.

NWSL Magic Carpet Specifications

• MC I 1220 Motor (Small Motor Case) 27-1 Ratio 30 inch, 33 inch, 36 inch or 40 inch Wheels
• MCII 1620 Motor (Large Motor Case) 19.4-1 Ratio 33 inch, 36 inch or 40 inch Wheels
• MCIII 1220 Motor (Small Motor Case) 17.9-1 26 inch or 28 inch Wheels
• We do not carry 40" wheelsets, or 40" drives.

Truck Repair Cost

All drives manufactured by Q-Car are covered by a one year warrantee. Should your power or trailer trucks need repair after that period of time the following charges will apply.

•   *1) Replace motor - Any Outside or Inside Frame truck - $38.25
•     2) Replace worm - Any Inside or Outside Frame truck - $10.40
•     3) Replace gear - Any Outside Frame truck - $13.70
•     4) Replace Gear & Worm - Any Outside Frame truck - $18.05
•     5) Replace gear - Any Inside Frame truck - $20.25
•    *6) Replace gear & Worm - Any Inside Frame truck - $26.80
•    *7) Gear ratio change - Any Outside Frame truck - $31.15 (Old gear box not returned)
•    *8) Gear ratio change - Any Inside Frame truck - $42.10 (Old gear box not returned)
•      9) Spring Belt replacement - any truck - $3.80
• **10) A complete power truck rebuild - Outside Frame truck - $54.60
• **11) A complete power truck rebuild - B2 or B3 trucks - $56.65
•    12) Trailer truck repair - billed as straight cost of the replacement parts plus $2.15 plus shipping.

Wheelset Conversion Cost

•    13) Grounded to Two Rail Insulated or visa versa - Any Outside Frame truck - Includes new Wheelsets - $26.90
•    14) Grounded to Two Rail Insulated or visa versa - Any Inside Frame truck - Includes new Wheelsets - $30.70

      On wheelset conversions the old wheelsets are re-assembled and returned.

      We CANNOT convert Wagner or Current Line drives. They are too difficult to dismantle.

Pack the truck(s) carefully. Any truck returned for repair that is damaged in shipping will increase the cost of the repair by the cost of the replacement parts needed to correct for the shipping damage.

For complete instructions on how to pay, please see our ordering page.

*Includes free spring belt change.

**Includes replacement of motor, and replacement of any worn components such as axles, gearing or even the gearbox. Generally the only parts that are re-used are the sideframes, bolster, pulleys and wheels. If you are replacing a motor we recommend you also replace the gearing. This package is more cost effective, and will give you a completely re-conditioned truck with a new one year warrantee.

Individual repairs, except number 10 and 11, have a 90 day warrantee; 10 and 11 have a one year warrantee.

Prices for these services are effective 1 January 07.

Domestic Shipping and Handling - $8.50 must be included with all repair orders. Insurance is optional.

Canadian Shipping and Handling - $9.50 must be included with all repair orders. Insurance is optional.

Overseas Shipping and Handling - $14.50 must be included with all repair orders. Return shipping will be via First-Class Mail® International uninsured.

Click here for Insured Shipment information.

(Prices INCLUDE installation of component parts.)

Outside Hung Motors - Inside Hung Motors

Prototype Note: Outside Hung and Inside Hung refer to the manner in which motor units were mounted on the prototype. For Example the 39E Brill used Outside Hung motors, whereas the 8430 Baldwin used inside hung.

All the components in our cars and trucks, with the exception of motors, are American made.

Power and trailer truck prices include sideframes. They need not be ordered separately. Trucks come completely assembled ready for installation. Some cutting may be required for truck installation on some cars.

Sideframes bought separately do not have brass bearings. These must be ordered separately. See B190.