2RL to 3RL Conversion

GF93 posted:

Hi all. Not sure if this is the right place to pose this question/request for guidance.

I have a 2RL Atlas O Comet coach with Kaydee couplers. I want to convert this to 3RL. All I know is that I need 3RL trucks. Any advice? Anyone do this before? Thanks!

Why not just replace the wheel sets with Northwest Short Line wheel sets? You can contact them, and they will even make you a custom set of Hi-Rail wheels, that will fit into the Atlas O trucks, if required.

GF93 posted:

Hi all. Not sure if this is the right place to pose this question/request for guidance.

I have a 2RL Atlas O Comet coach with Kaydee couplers. I want to convert this to 3RL. All I know is that I need 3RL trucks. Any advice? Anyone do this before? Thanks!

Not familiar with the car, but the way I would approach it is using Atlas 3RO trucks. Check if Atlas has any; check eBay.

Often, the only difference within the same brand is the wheel sets - and the couplers, of course. These will come with the 3RO trucks. Typically, or at least frequently, you can remove the old ones, and the Kaydees, and screw the new trucks on with the same screw. (Other brands of trucks can be adapted, if necessary. Sometimes easily; sometimes with more work.)

Sometimes you can change the wheel sets, get Atlas (for example) 3RO couplers, and there you have it. If you can find the complete 3RO trucks/couplers, go that way.

I convert 2R cars to 3R quite a bit - and some of these cars are old cast brass/Japanese brass/white metal pieces that were never meant to deal with 3RO Hi-rail. That can be a party.

Your track type may have an impact in this decision. You may not need to alter anything depending or flange code and if your rail is flat topped.   Curve size might create coupling issues as well. How Waters suggestion is a good one for the most part though. It should keep it sitting right; when you swap trucks the height may easily change (which would change the KD height too)

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! I'll take a look and see what I can find.

Note that the Comet trucks are inside bearing with no sideframes; the same construction that the "China drive" power trucks use. I have the opposite problem, converting from three-rail to two-rail and because of that, have not done any.

Also, you will have to deal with the wiring for the lights.  The two rail car has light pickup from one of the outside rails.  I would  stick with Atlas Comet three rail trucks and run a question to Atlas customer service and get input from them on the conversion.  Just my thinking.

On this same topic, can the car shells be swapped on the Horizon and Comet cars?  Thinking about buying a 2rail set and swapping shells with a 3rail set.  Different Amtrak phases of paint being the reason.

PRRMP54 posted:

Note that the Comet trucks are inside bearing with no sideframes; the same construction that the "China drive" power trucks use. I have the opposite problem, converting from three-rail to two-rail and because of that, have not done any.

Up for a swap? Lol.

I'll give Atlas a call in the morning. They're local, too.

I can't seem to find any 3 rail comet trucks, which may be an issue. The only options I'm seeing on ebay, etc., are the 3 rail streamlined passenger trucks.