EBT Jim posted:Roo posted:
Hi Roo.
What a great railroad you have down there! Really nice work. Enjoy following along with your posts here on the forum.
I'd like to ask you about those black ore cars. Who made them? Are they the old Atlas 3-rail ore cars?
If you did a 3-rail to 2-rail conversion on them, can you give me any details on how you did it? I'd like to do some for the little 2-rail layout that I'm putting together, and I've never converted anything before.
Thank you, Jim
Thanks Jim for your kind comments.
Yes, the Ore cars are the old Atlas cars from the 70's I love them at one stage I had about 50 of them I now use about 30 on the layout in rakes of 10.
To change them to a good running 2-rail car is not hard more hard on your wallet than on the bench.
I take them apart and toss the trucks and couplers which leaves a hole to be filled where the truck screws on (my finger is pointing at the hole!) this is filled with a piece of wood dowel. I then use Weaver trucks with Intermountain wheelsets and Kadee couplers to save money you could use plastic wheels and set up the cars with draw bars in sets of three to save on couplers I go all out and use Kadees on all the cars here are some photos I hope this helps. As a postscript. I have seen blokes use the original trucks by turning down the flange on the original wheels also some blokes use Athearn trucks instead of the Weaver I had a lot of Weaver trucks so I used them when I screw the truck to the wood dowel I drill a small hole in the centre of the dowel and use a small metal screw (2g X 12mm I think!) with a washer under the head also some firm once made plastic plugs instead of using dowel but these as far as I know are long gone a bit of lead shot in the bottom of the hopper for weight and 3mm MDF with woodlands scenic ore glued on the top, so your running full one way and empty the other, lots of ways to do these things my way is only one of many ways. Hope I haven't confused you and instead helps you get started. Take care. Roo.
