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Original Post:

Posted on January 2, 2018 Hi all, I recently bought two “identical” HHF carriers, which I intend to use for a project (I hope this doesn’t enrage the purists). I’m adapting these pieces to use as rollers for a large door which I am hanging in barn door fashion. The door is is circa 1920 (I think) from a train station. It is quite large, so I wanted something robust and different for rolling hardware. These HHF carriers appear to be just the ticket. When I received the carriers, I noticed they were slightly different. I’m curious if anyone can tell me more about them, when they were made and if they are just modifications on the same model. The website shows a model 1126, which appears to be the same. But these have different markings. One has 503A cast in the side rail and one has 1053. The catalogue image on the web site shows that the 1126 has the 503A mark. The wheels are also slightly different. Below are some pics. I can post more if needed. The one with the 503A had a larger, heavier more complex pulley, but both pulleys say PAT Oct 4 1910. The larger pulley also has a date of May 22 1926 on it. Is that another Patent date, or is it a manufacture date?
Pics below:
1, 2. disassembled carrier rails
3. marks on 503A
4. marks on 1053
5. large pulley
6. smaller pulley
7. project door
Also had a question about the bearings on the track wheels. The advertisement indicates that the wheels have roller bearings. Is this really the case? I want smooth operation, so my intent was to have machine work done to remove the wheels, and outfit them with bronze bushings or perhaps ball bearings. Any thoughts about attempts to restore the old roller bearings? I assume I’d still have to have the wheels milled off, then have the bores honed, find shafts, rollers, etc. to rebuild each wheel. Seems like a lot of work.
Thanks for any information.
Keith

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– Responses:

SO, YES THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME FOR WHAT YOU ARE USING THEM FOR. ONE WHEEL TRUCK IS JUST AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE OTHER. THE UNDER CARRIAGES, WHICH YOU WILL NOT USE ARE WHERE THE DIFFERENCES ARISE. THEY LATER VERSION WITH THE 1926 PATENT DATE HAS AN ADDITIONAL FEATURE INVOLVING THE ROPE BREAK. THE “ROLLER BEARINGS” ARE IN THE LARGE LIFTING WHEEL, NOT ON THE WHEEL TRUCKS YOU ARE USING. YOUR IDEA OF PUTING BALL BEARINGS IN THEM IS A GOOD IDEA, AS MOST OF THE WHEEL RIVETS AND WHEEL ARE WORN OUT. YOU MAY WANT TO USE ORIGINAL TRACK, WHICH IS “Y” SHAPED. THE “Y” WAS USED TO KEEP THE TROLLEY FROM BUCKING ON THE TRACK. TURN OVER THE WHEEL TRUCK AND YOU WILL SEE A SMALL LIP BELOW EACH WHEEL. IF YOU MAKE YOUR OWN TRACK, IT MIGHT BE WISE TO GRING THESE LIPS OFF SO THEY DONT INTERFERE WITH THE TRACK YOU FABRICATE. GOOD LUCK ON YOU PROJECT. SEND USE THE FINISHED PROJECT PHOTO, WE ARE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN WHAT FOLKS DO WITH TROLLEYS.
Steve

Thanks so much for the information Steve. I didn’t think the track wheels had bearings from what I had read, but there was one ad that made it sound like all the running gear had bearings. I’m just starting the planning and designing of the system now, and it is clear that I’m going to have to do some non-trivial modifications to shoehorn these things into my door system.

One followup question – in that photo of the pulley from the later model, you can see that the big stud that holds the wheel truck together is still in the pulley frame. In the other one, that stud slipped right out of the pulley. But this one seems to be captured in the mechanism. I don’t want to go wailing on it with a big hammer if in fact it has a flange or something on it that holds it in there. Will I need to split that pulley assembly open to get the bolt out?

Thanks very much.
Keith

BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I RESTORED MINE. I WOULD JUST GRIND THE TWO RIVETS DOWN AND PUNCH THE RIVETS OUT. OTHER WISE YOU MIGHT BOGGER UP THE THREADS.
Steve

That’s what I figured. Those carriers are absolutely beautiful. Is that an original color? I’m thinking about what color to go with, and that deep red really is nice.
Keith

RUSTOLEUM SATIN COLONIAL RED SPRAY PAINT IS THE COLOR
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