I'm looking for American Flyer gondola and hopper car bodies that I can convert into On30 freight cars. I plan on mounting Bachmann On30 underframes, couplers and trucks. Is this doable, and where can I find AF bodies?
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Best advice is to cruise train swaps and meets for someone dealing with older trains. Gondolas tend to be plentiful, hoppers a little less so.
Rusty
I'll second Rusty's suggestion. Hoppers and gondolas may be missing one or more steps, but common link coupler versions are usually cheap. I used very small bolts and washers to mount Flyer trucks to a Lionel scout boxcar, gluing a washer over the rivet hole and gluing the nut so they won't back off. The same may work for On30.
Hobby surplus supply bought up all the left over bodies when Gilbert went out of production. They still have a lot of this stuff for sale, new old stock.
I think they also go by amatohobbies. http://www.hobbysurplus.com/Am...y&Hobbyhtref.htm
It sounds doable and feasible and a fun project to me. I just checked a hopper body I have, but I don't believe it's in good enough condition for you to want to use.
Like I said, cruise train shows or the 'bay. The el-cheapo shells are long gone:
http://www.hobbysurplus.com/am...rtrains.asp#Original
http://www.hobbysurplus.com/am...ndolas.asp#nhgondola
http://www.hobbysurplus.com/am....asp#NewHavenCaboose
Rusty
Thanks to everyone for your advice and help on this project. Presently I'm scratch building gondola bodies to be installed on the Bachmann underframes and trucks. I'm using Plastruct shapes and craft wood I bought at WalMart for $2.47. The first car is almost done. I have three more to go.
