Can Weaver 2 Rail Diesel wheel sets be swapped out for 3R

Is the engine an earlier Weaver product, with the horizontal motor and tower drives? If so yes, you can swap wheelsets.

If it is a later vertical two motored drive. Then it is far more involved. Unlike the MTH with removable truck bottom plates, the Weaver has captured axles requiring a wheel puller. NWSL produces a kit that contains the new insulated wheels, etc.

Ron,

The earlier Weaver production with the horizontal motor is tedious, but easy to do. No special tools required. The hardest part will be finding the wheel sets. The later production with the vertical motors mounted to the trucks may be a different story. I've not had any experience with them.

Chris

LVHR

I've done the reverse (3 rail to 2) on a couple of units. It isn't difficult, but you have to be gentle with some of the plastic parts ( side frames in particular). May have a set of 3 rail wheel/axle/gear sets if needed...

Mark in Oregon

P&D hobbies peobably has the 3-rail wheelsets in stock.    They continuously stock the 2-rail ones.

Thanks for the responses thus far.  How can I determine if this is the older or newer version?

The place selling it does not have a box and I can't see inside to determine motor configuration.

Here is the description.

The only chain drive locos would be the rs3, gp38 and FA2.  So basically... it’s a can motor drive. Swapping trucks would be the easiest way to do it, or just buy an MTH one. It’s the same tooling.

@Boilermaker1 posted:

The only chain drive locos would be the rs3, gp38 and FA2.  So basically... it’s a can motor drive. Swapping trucks would be the easiest way to do it, or just buy an MTH one. It’s the same tooling.

When you say, just buy the MTH one.  Do you mean the MTH wheel sets or just Buy the MTH SD40?

MTH PS1s are just going for crazy money right now.

An MTH SD40-2 is the same as a Weaver since MTH acquired the tooling from Weaver about 25 years ago.

A PS1 locomotive shouldn't cost more than $200. If it does then you're being ripped off.

The three-rail Weaver models had the "captured" axles, and I believe the two-rail versions were the same. So unless a complete truck swap is in the cards, in all likelihood a conversion will require a wheel puller and installation of the three-rail wheels on the axle. It's not going to be easily convertable like the current MTH "3/2" trucks with the removable bottom plates.

It's also not quite right to say "[a]n MTH SD40-2 is the same as a Weaver since MTH acquired the tooling from Weaver about 25 years ago." After acquiring the Weaver tooling MTH changed the three-rail wheel configuration. Weaver had placed blind wheels on the center axles. MTH moved them to the innermost axle, producing the wonderful effect of blind wheels swinging off the rail on curves that catch on the railhead with a jarring "klunk" when coming out of the curve.  Needless to say the Weaver design was so much more graceful, that MTH switched to it on the "3/2" trucks (after a decade of customer complaints).

The Weaver model was a nice enough mass production model in its day, but I would urge anyone interested in an accurate SD40-2 to seriously consider the Sunset Third Rail model. Reservations are still open in both two and three rail.

RM

There will also be the issue of couplers and sharp curves. My MTH 2-rail SD45's can handle O-72 curves (Gargraves/Atlas/MTH) but your mileage may vary with Weaver. The option I'm getting at is it might be an option for you to install a pickup roller assembly.

One forum member has pulled that off with Atlas 2-rail Trainman C40-8's (which has me looking for their U23's and C40-8's now), so that's a potential option as well.

As more modelers are switching to "flat-top" rail, we could see potential changes in diesel construction in the future.

Sounds like you're probably best just getting a 3 rail engine to start with... opinion, of course.

Mark in Oregon

Thanks all so much for the information.  I'm not very familiar with Weaver Engines. 

I want a cheap (Bold, Underline, Italic) SD40 engine that has the potential to look good with some cleaning and possible paint.  It doesn't even need to work.    I will be putting just over $300 worth of electronics inside so you can understand why I don't want to spend a whole lot on the engine.  I don't need pickup rollers because this will be battery powered.

It sounds like I have some decisions to make, but it might be easier to go with the three rail model.   I have all O72 and O81 track, but in the past I had an MTH 3R Scale wheels model that would NOT go through MTH Scaletrax switches.  Wierd huh.  A manufacturers train won't go through it's own track switch.

Here was the Weaver 2R model I was considering.  I can get this for ~$125.  I was hoping to find someone that just might want to trade wheel sets and then just start cleaning and add electronics.

Here is another Weaver 3R model that I can get for just over $180.  It is 3R and the seller says he does not know if it works.  No biggie really.  I just need the motors to work not any of the electronics.  I guess I would not have to worry about couplers either with this model.

I've worked on and converted MTH models before, but they seem to be selling for crazy money.  The lowest priced MTH PS1 SD40 I can find at this time is selling for $290.

Then... If I hold out for a PS2 model, the model details increase.  All of the grab irons in the PS2 are separately applied.  I seem to care about that when looking close, but could care less as it's traversing the layout.  So I don't know.  The lowest price PS2 I can find is $360.  It's not Chessie, So I would need to paint it (Not a problem... just part of the project).

I just can't seem to justify spending more than $200 on a used engine where I'm adding $300 of new electronics.  My Son is calling me a crazy old man because the new MTH PS3 SD40's are going for around $460.  But then there is no project.  Just take it out of the box and run it.  I like projects.  I will admit, the details on this PS3 are pretty good.

More thinking and pondering...

Ron

You can try Stout Auctions if you want a 2-rail project to convert to 3. There is also this if you want another to consider from the same auction.

@catnap posted:

You can try Stout Auctions if you want a 2-rail project to convert to 3. There is also this if you want another to consider from the same auction.

Wow!!!  Thank you for that.  I could actually leave the LN as is and double head with the Chessie.  I will look into these further.

Ron

I have done this swap with Brass Car Works DS4-4-100, VO1000 [b4 Weaver & MTH came out with a 3 rail one] , H-20-44, and the H-16-44,

the Car works Diesels have the same Weaver horizontal motor drive. the hardest issue is adding the 3rd rail Roller Pick-ups.

I have a Car Works VO1000 with BOTH wheel sets for sale if interested.