Atlas Premier Scale Test Car - Conversion to Kadee 745's

Added some hi tech details rubber airhoses

This is awesome! I'm using these test cars as buffer cars in a steel mill operation and I've been wondering about how they'll convert to Kadees. Sounds like it wasn't too bad at all.

Unbelievable hoses! haha

Great minds think alike. I was also planning to remove the original couplers and replace them with 745's as well. They look and perform better than the Kadee knock-offs that I've had on Atlas cars.

@BillYo414 posted:

This is awesome! I'm using these test cars as buffer cars in a steel mill operation and I've been wondering about how they'll convert to Kadees. Sounds like it wasn't too bad at all.

Unbelievable hoses! haha

Bill, Just remove the 4 screws on the bottom  of the car, two for the truck sideframes (if you're changing wheelsets, otherwise can skip these two screws) and two for the centerplate.  From there you can remove the two screws each holding the coupler box to the body.  A full size Kadee gearbox works.  I did end up clipping off the rear mounting hold just to make sure there was enough clearance.

My couplers are mounted a little more simply:

Unless you are installing scale wheel sets, only the two middle screws need to be removed; the wheels in mine are MTH 33" two-rail sets from a Bettendorf truck. Now I remember why I have a truck without any wheels! :

The final result:

Note that I may install the plastic KD pocket at sometime but with the tiny bit of use that this car would get, I am not sure that it would be worth the time or expense!

Dave, Yeah.  Certainly understand the thought process there.  IMO, it's wasn't that much more work to just install the whole Kadee gearbox and get a more reliable operating coupler.  But like you said depending on usage, may not need that kind of installation.

@Mike DeBerg doesn't seem too bad at all! I think I could manage that. My greatest fear with the Kadee's is finding out they can't handle my whole layout. I have a few sharp curves, a helix (in the future), elevation changes, and live coal loads that tend to weigh quite a bit when you throw in a few die-cast hoppers.

But switching would be so much more fun with them! I guess I'll have to convert a few cars and see what happens.

@BillYo414  I would give it a shot as you mentioned.  They definitely add to the realism and certainly more fun in operations.   What coupler are you using today on your equipment?   Most of those factors should be non-factors and using kadees would actually improve your operations.  Keeping in mind for each of the factors you listed, there are always exceptions. :-)

@BillYo414 posted:

@Mike DeBerg doesn't seem too bad at all! I think I could manage that. My greatest fear with the Kadee's is finding out they can't handle my whole layout. I have a few sharp curves, a helix (in the future), elevation changes, and live coal loads that tend to weigh quite a bit when you throw in a few die-cast hoppers.

I had all my freight rolling stock up-graded to Kadee couplers. I was a 3RS modeler, and also a member of the modular 3-Rail Independent Hi-Railers, Midwest Division group,  and regularly ran 50 to 100 car freight trains on the modular layout. Although I had many, MANY coupler failures with those Atlas Kadee "knock-offs", I never had a Kadee coupler fail (I used all metal 805 or the later 745 models). We could run 25 to 40 car freights on the home layout, without issues.

But switching would be so much more fun with them! I guess I'll have to convert a few cars and see what happens.

With body mounted Kadee couplers, you will NEVER have to "bash" them together in order for them to couple and STAY COUPLED!

I have a question relevant to this thread.  I've never seen a test scale car, so this was something new.  I just bought one, NIB, on ebay for a very, very good price IMHO.  I read with interest the installation of the Kadee 745 coupler, and I have never done that before.  I looked that up on the Kadee site, and at the bottom of the page it has a list of recommended tools, most of which I'm not familiar with.  The list includes;

#237 Coupler Trip Pin Pliers
#240 Double Headed Pin Vise
#241 Dual Tool Manual Uncoupling Tool and Spring Pick
#246 Tap (2-56) and Drills (#50 and #43)

Are these special tools needed, or would most normal tools that we have be able to install them?

texgeekboy.......  Some of the tools you list really are not needed.  The trip pin pliers are more for the smaller scales, I've never used them in O scale.  Tap set with proper sized drill bits are a must.     I just use a very small flat screwdriver as a spring pick,.    A pin vise is good to have as well.      A Kadee coupler gauge is a good investment as well.

@texgeekboy Richard's comments I think will be fairly consistent across many modelers.  If you start using Kadee couplers I would suggest also purchasing the #812 O scale Coupler Height Gauge.   This height gauges provides all of the following functions

1. Provides instant visual reference of proper coupler height
2. Gauges car underbody height from the rail
3. Gauges track width (N.M.R.A. Standard)
4. Gauges wheel width (N.M.R.A. Standard)
5. Gauges proper height of trip pin

#812 O Multi-Purpose Coupler Height Gauge (kadee.com)

@R Nelson posted:

Tap set with proper sized drill bits are a must.   

Invest in several and get good quality ones as well; a small bottle of cutting oil makes things last and work well, too

A pin vise is good to have as well.     

Never used my double end ones and gave them away; invest in 2-3 good quality single end ones with multiple sets of collets. The two I use I have no idea of source, but the rest just gather dust.

Eventually you find that a lot of the shiny things that catch your eye or are recommended to you gather dust as you settle into the tools that work for you.

There are several great examples of the single ended pin vises.  I personally use pin vises similar to these, but find ones that work for you.

Search results for "pin vise" (micromark.com)

Following along. Bought an Atlas 3 rail scale test car when I saw it at a shop I was visiting.  Looks like an easy 2 rail swap.  Pulled the bottom off and popped off the couplers. Just waiting on a set of NWSL wheel sets as the set I had the axle was too long.  

I first saw a C&NW scale test car at Caboose Stop Hobbies in Cedar Falls, but they didn't have a 3-rail version at the time. I didn't seem to see any on the Atlas site. Are these around in 3-rail?? There was also a comment made to me that the Atlas box did not indicate whether it was 2-rail or 3-rail.

I just bought a NIB on eBay, but it was made by MTH.

@Jeff B. Haertlein posted:

I first saw a C&NW scale test car at Caboose Stop Hobbies in Cedar Falls, but they didn't have a 3-rail version at the time. I didn't seem to see any on the Atlas site. Are these around in 3-rail?? There was also a comment made to me that the Atlas box did not indicate whether it was 2-rail or 3-rail.

Jeff,

This is absolutely true regarding the box, at least the one 2-rail one I purchased was not marked 2-rail.

Atlas still shows some 2RL and 3RL versions in stock.

Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc. Online Store - O ATLAS PREMIER SCALE TEST CAR (atlasrr.com)

Atlas Scale test car 3 rail to 2 rail completed. I used Kadee 805 couplers and #2x3/8 self-tapping screws.  NWSL #8269-4 wheel sets for the wheels. 33”/145. (1/8”x 1.800” x 100”)

Checked it to the Kadee coupler height gauge and came right on the money.