Hello y’all,

Does anyone have diagrams or line drawings for the Gould version of the Bettendorf caboose truck? Our organization just acquired the MP 13777 shorty bay window caboose and apparently whoever placed the caboose at its present location was too impatient and booger’d up the truck placing it. The side frame is hanging off the bearing seats (?). We are planning on resetting the truck when it arrives in San Antonio. I appreciate any info y’all can offer.

Gary RodrigueZ
SA, TX

Not sure what you're getting at. Just looked at a picture of a sister caboose. We're looking at roller bearings here. There's an adaptor that sits on the top of the wheel bearing between it and the top of the pedestal opening - the slot in the sideframe that holds the bearings. That opening also provides the bearing and adaptor some vertical wiggle room within the pedestal. There may be a keeper or strap bolted to the underside of the bottom of the pedestal to keep the wheelset from dropping out of the pedestal if the truck is lifted.

The pedestal top/sideframe does not ride directly on the bearing. If that's what's happening, then you're missing the adaptor.

A picture would be real helpful in determining what's going on.

As I recall there is a single boss on the side frame that goes into a hole in the transom. If that boss was out of place it could produce the situation you are describing.