So, here is the first 70 Ton truck on its way to completion. I added bearing end caps printed in Frosted Extreme Detail and I made custom truck springs from .019 brass wire which is closer in diameter to the coils used in prototype truck springs. They do look a little heftier and aren’t that hard to make, but a little time consuming. Since I have been robbing Peter to pay Paul with my truck conversions, stealing springs from one to use in the other, I am either going to have to buy springs or make them at some point. Since these trucks are rigid, not sprung, it doesn’t matter that these aren’t very … springy.

You are supposed to clean the FXD (or FUD for that matter) models with Bestine before painting … but I didn’t. What does that mean for paint adherance long term? I’m not sure, but since I don’t have any bestine where I am at right now, I didn’t feel like waiting.

The FXD bearing caps look nice, but are they worth the premium? I’m not sure. Perhaps if I drybrush the caps with a lighter color the lettering on them may pop a little more and the extra money may be worth it, but we will see.

These will be going onto my first Proto48 foray, an AtlasO Trainman 50′ 6″ boxcar that I weathered up and replaced the cast on grab irons with wire when I started out several years ago, before my start in 3D printing. I will do a post on that car once I mount these trucks on it, perhaps tomorrow.