I recently purchased the Lionel heavyweight Prr Liberty Ltd. Set. It's a really nice set with sprung die cast 6 wheeled trucks. However the chincy rubber diaphragm pairs are falling apart. Any recommendations for a detailed diaphragm set?
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When were these cars made? The Lionel diaphrams made in the last 5 years seem to be pretty good. I use them to replace the ones on the KLine cars which are failing. MTH diaphams are good. Some of mine are over 15 years old and show no signs of deterioration but the mount differently than Lionels.
Pete
Norton:
Do you have a part number for those?
Here you go.
Pete
My definition of a "good" O Scale passenger car diaphragm must include the capability for them to softly stay in full contact with one another with on scale length passenger cars navigating 60" radius curves. To my mind the only ones that came close to that performance standard were the soft rubber ones made years ago by HP Products. Perhaps with today's materials a new generation of high performance diaphragms could be developed. In the meantime I use the folded paper ones offered by Keil Line. The diaphragms I've looked at on MTH, Atlas, and GGD cars are too stiff for prototypically close coupling. The downside of the folded paper style diaphrams (formerly sold by Walthers) are that over time they lose their "spring" and no longer extend out to maintain contact with the adjacent car's diaphragm. Does anyone know if high performance scale diaphragms are available in HO, and if so how are they made?
Folded paper is not difficult to do - just fold into a zee shape at the approximate outline of the door, then fold the accordion shape across all three layers. Contact cement to the striker and car and you are good to go.
bob2 posted:Folded paper is not difficult to do - just fold into a zee shape at the approximate outline of the door, then fold the accordion shape across all three layers. Contact cement to the striker and car and you are good to go.
Sounds like a neat "how to". could you post a pick or two on how this is done?
No - I can no longer post photos here.
picture a zee, with the middle leg exactly the width of the top of the diagram, and the longer top and bottom the height of the diaphragm viewed from the side.
Use a scrap piece of paper - fold it like an accordion, then open it up into its finished U shape. Note the prototypical way the folds operate when you unfold it.
the experiment should take 30 seconds or so - then find some good black paper.
I've always thought the PSC diaphragms were good, but I haven't had much experience with other brands either.
Here's an issue I have with them though. Below is a photo of a K-line Baggage car, I used PSC diaphragms so all would match, but there's this "gap" behind the top of the diaphragm where the roof tapers down to the end:
If I move it up/down then it won't align with other cars or the floor of the car. How do I eliminate/fill the "gap"?
The other issue is, if these are close-coupled so they touch, the flatness of them causes them to catch on sharp curves. A slightly curved striker plate (so the edges don't catch) might take care of the problem. I would try it but have too many projects going on to do a test.
Keystoned Ed posted:.........the folded paper ones offered by Keil Line.
Are these available now from Scale City Designs?
Yes Ed and they are all over da bay.
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