Today I received an order from ExactRail for their Barber S-2 spring plankless plain bearing trucks in a 50 ton rating.. I am really excited because this is such a prolific truck used on many prototype cars. These used to be available from Branchline but with Atlas taking over, they are much harder to find. I ordered every set I could from Atlas a couple of years ago in fact. My supply was getting low so when a friend told me Exact has these I ordered a couple of sets right away.
These are very good representations of the Barber S-2 spring plankless truck with plain bearings. It’s more finally detailed than the Branchline offering and the brake pads are in the correct location, in line with the wheels.
Tahoe Model Works makes the earlier version S-2 trucks with spring planks in 50 ton as well as a version with lateral motion devices instead of the spring wedges.
Rapids Trains produced the Barber S-1 that was fitted to the 37’ meat reefer they offered a few years back, but unfortunately the tool is no longer available for producing further copies.
I’m going to use them on a Yarmouthmodelworks CN Boxcar with 8 foot door. Next to to the venerable ASF A-3 ride control truck these are the next most popular truck of their era.