I know of an organization that is looking for a pair of these turn of the century passenger car trucks. Curious how common they are after, say, the wood camp car they were on disintegrates.

Can't help you out with a spare set of trucks wish I could. But I have witnessed some really good out of the box scavenging and people networking and finding what they need. A while back in rural MN a collection of wood cars were in worse than bad condition and were unrestorable. The plans were drawn and made, the cars were stripped of almost anything usualbe to be used in other restorations, including trucks. Then demolished. Another privately owned wooden sleeper/camp car was bought and scrapped for parts in a restoration. This car was at the tipping point of no return and its salvage has greatly aided another worthy sleeper under restoration. The decision to buy a derelict MOW or camp car is another way to get what you need rather than the parts end up on the ground and fall victim to the next round of "scrap drive" or cleaning up the property. Many parts are unobtainium but creative networking and getting the word out of what your looking for can buy results. If one can find a derelict camp car it might be an option.

Word of mouth found Mid Continent two narrow gauge passenger trucks on the west coast for the C&NW #1099 project. No not original C&NW trucks but they will do the job until the universe delivers an original set.

When I drove truck years ago I used to see on dead sidings all sorts of stuff that everybody had somehow missed. Out in the woods just south of Peshtigo, Wi a wooden passenger car on wheels about to be taken back my mother nature. No doubt gone now but the stuff exists but often not in the open where easily found or accessible. And it doesn't hurt to have trade material. A lot of irreplaceable artifacts get tossed into scrap bins by well intended people who are trying to beautify the back forty of their museum. Usually not trucks but smaller parts that are not easily recognised as "valuable" to a restoration or that someone else might need it or know what it is. Like land, much of this stuff is not made anymore and it is not available. Preaching to someone not sure who? Maybe the choir? Good luck finding the things you need. Regards, John.

IRM has a pair available for sale, but you might need to take the car that's sitting on top of them too:
https://www.irm.org/in-the-news/irm-offers-historic-1908-railway-car-for-sale/

I have heard of another car on the west coast with the same issue, and to me it isn't good preservation to demolish a car just because you want the trucks for a different car, unless the former was, say, tubed for MOW service in the first place and then left to the elements for more than half a century. But thanks for all the suggestions, I'll pass them on. It's actually not me who is looking for them, and the group in question are not champing at the bit to acquire any right this minute, but as was mentioned above, a set in the woods with the body of the car too far gone to preserve would be a good match, eh?


Exactly.

That accurately describes the car IRM has deaccessed, though it was "tubed" at some point after retirement, possibly by the hardware foundry that owned it before IRM. The museum has another virtually identical C&NW baggage-RPO car that is complete, and that car is being retained as part of the historic collection.

More like, say, this condition would be better, where no one can ever question if it is too far gone, but again, thank you very much for the info (Jeff Terry photo, this is just an example, the car no longer exists):

Has the party seeking the 6-wheel trucks anything to trade, or are they looking for a cash or donation-only deal? And (maybe just as relevant) where in the world are they?

At this point they are only sniffing around to see what's available, and if they approach anyone at all it will only be once they have a handle on what else is around. I am only involved because I am a good scrounger and I like the group's mission, I am around 2,000 miles from them (they are in the midwest). As anyone here can probably understand, they are looking to get by as cheaply as possible, and are even considering some sort of replicas. All-steel heavyweight three-axle trucks are actually quite common still and look similar.

Gopher State Railway Museum found a set of appropriate trucks finally. Too bad about the donor car, MTM said it was not restorable, but based on the photos I've seen, frankly I've seen worse restored. Manitoba is James J. Hill's former office car, with a remarkably intact interior, photos here: viewtopic.php?p=309812#p309812

https://www.facebook.com/gopherstaterai ... jrm5hxwv2l
"Gopher State Railway Museum
4h
GSRM would like to thank the folks at Minnesota Transportation Museum, specifically volunteers Mike, Paul and Bob, for their help today in loading up a pair of six-wheel trucks at their Jackson Street Roundhouse facility in St Paul, to be used in the restoration of car Manitoba.
The trucks were salvaged off a Pullman coach built in 1915 for the Northern Pacific Railway. While 35 years newer than car Manitoba, they are a “similar” six-wheel style which would have been found underneath car Manitoba, itself an 1880 product of Pullman.
MTM scrapped NP coach 1370 last fall after it was deemed too far deteriorated to be restored. GSRM was able to acquire the trucks for its car Manitoba project.
Volunteers hope to begin restoring car Manitoba’s steel under frame later this fall and place it on trucks.
Look to see more progress on this project next year."