Advice on reinstalling Atlas O sideframe springs.

I use those small jewelers flat head screwdrivers to compress the springs. I find placing one end onto the nub, then compressing the spring with a small jeweler's flat head screwdriver until it can clear the upper nub.

smart that you do this in a clearplastic bag as those springs EASILY shoot out and they are tough to find on the floor!

I use a pare of tweesers to compress the spring. I always run a thread about 12 inches long through the spring to pull out after the install.  This will keep the spring from flying off into the wild blue yonder. And you wont have to work inside a bag.

Ken the guy from AR

I do it ths same way as Ken.

I take them apart inside a plastic bag (keeps everything from flying everywhere) and use Ken's method (I prefer waxed dental floss) when re-assembling.

Matt,

Half the fun is trying to find a rogue spring!

I grab it about 3 "spots" down with a small flat head screwdriver, 1/8" or so, and have at 'er.  You'll get a rhythm

Cann't be all that hard.

My twelve year old nephew has no problem replacing the coil spring in his ho freight car trucks - according to him.

Thanks everyone. Someone had mention the threaded spring trick a few years ago so that's worth a shot. But my luck with Atlas trucks has gone from poor to rotten since last night.

Early on, I've used a jewelers flathead screwdriver to help move the spring around, but was afraid of launching them and switched over to my thumbnail. After 3 trucks in 90 minutes, the tip of my thumb had started to blister, not to mention that I was starting to get frustrated with the last truck, one that came from the new Trinity covered hopper with the working bearings caps. In addition to taking the spring off, I would have to pop off the caps so that I could get the wheelsets out.

After many choice adjectives, I've managed to get the caps popped off, and the truck assembled, I've made a horrifying discovery.....the axle on the truck as it turn out was different than the pointed axle that was used with the wheelsets that came with the 2-rail conversion kit (#7036)! The newer version has a shoulder axle rather than a point so that the caps can be attached to it.

What's worse is that when I called Atlas a few days ago, they assured me that the 2-rail conversion kit would work with the newer roller bearing truck designs.

And to top it all off...I can't take the tinplate wheels off as they are on the axle TIGHT! Any attempt that I try to make in pulling the wheels just bends the axles.

AGAIN, I've would have been better off and just buy a new pair of trucks and be done with it.

Robyn (CarolinaRail)