I have a post-war Lionel car with a broken coupler. I also happen to have a spare trunk assembly (with good coupler) from another damaged car. I see that these trucks rotate on tiny rivets (maybe the wrong word). Is removing one truck and replacing it with the good one a task that requires special skills and tools? Always hoping to learn!
Rick
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If you give us the numbers on the cars we can check and see how they are mounted and offer some repair options. Invest in a copy of any of the postwar repair manuals.You will find them valuable when doing repairs with the plus of part numbers.
JohnK
Just switch the bottom base plates.
I took this good advice: read the repair manual, carefully drilled out the rivets, and bolted the working truck+coupler to the Lehigh Valley hopper. I even installed a home-made coal load, which looks great. Thanks.
I
Note:a shoulder bolt vs fully threaded bolt ,is best long term; though either would work. The threads will chew at the holes and/or can wedge the sheet metal in the threads, etc. (note a rivit body is smooth like a bolt with a shoulder)
It will still likely last for decades, but you can see smooth would be best, eh?
Most rivits can be set with a wood backer, hammer, and drift or punch, etc.. it isn't hard unless the rivit is tall, and even then a press can bend them crooked too. (like a bent axle)
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