Atlas freight cars rideing too high on Atlas scale wheel trucks

Todd,

I have used Atlas 2 rail trucks on over 60 cars to replace Atlas, Lionel, K-Line, Weaver and some brass rolling stock.  To lower, the first thing I do is turn the top bolster upside down. Need to bevel (file) the side frame a little so it sits flat. And counter sink the screw holes.   Screw it back together tightly.  What type of car do you want to sit lower ?   Sorry I'm out of 2 rail trucks to show.  Same truck anyhow.    JoeW

Some of the Atlas cars are ok, it seems the box cars are the problem. I'll try what  you suggested.

Thanks, John

The Atlas O cars ride the lowest of any freight car produced. 

Andrew

JoeW posted:

Todd,

I have used Atlas 2 rail trucks on over 60 cars to replace Atlas, Lionel, K-Line, Weaver and some brass rolling stock.  To lower, the first thing I do is turn the top bolster upside down. Need to bevel (file) the side frame a little so it sits flat. And counter sink the screw holes.   Screw it back together tightly.  What type of car do you want to sit lower ?   Sorry I'm out of 2 rail trucks to show.  Same truck anyhow.    JoeW

I do the same thing.  Unfortunately I don't have a picture to show as my trains are mostly boxed for the time being.  I also do the same with K-Line passenger trucks to lower passenger cars.  I've resurrected many older kit built cars from the 60's with modified trucks for better operation. 

falconservice posted:

The Atlas O cars ride the lowest of any freight car produced. 

Andrew

No there not !!  Atlas sit way to high, So far the only Atlas that I don't have to lower are the intermodal container cars. These too high..... 89' flats, 8000 gal tanks, 10000 gal. tanks. Double door box's, bulkhead flat, the real long tank. Some of these I can live with because they are not to far off  others have to be changed.  Weaver sit at the correct height when you take the coupler off the truck. 

Above ........Atlas Weaver truck on left       Stock Atlas 3 rail on right

Above.........Atlas with Weaver truck left....................Stock Atlas 2 rail on right

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Atlas 2 rail on left            Atlas with Weaver truck         Atlas 3 rail on right    Even as much as I lowered the center car it is prototypically still to high, my 3 rail flang got in the way.  

Something I did with the Atlas 89' flats and trucks was I took a grinder to the truck bolster and ground it down.  Below is an example, car on left has truck bolster ground down, while car on right is straight out of the box.

That is a lot of grinding. Are not the Weaver truck non rotating bearings? 

I just noticed that he Atlas O 2-rail cars sit lower anyway. It is the 3-rail conversion that doesn't work,the bolsters are too high to accommodate the oversize coupler. Who knew?

John

Went to a train show a week ago and picked up a couple of new 2 rail trucks #7067 and #7068.    When did Atlas change their 2 rail trucks to a narrower 2 rail version.   I looked at the last cars I bought new in 2 rail and the trucks were the same as 3 rail.  That was back in 2012.  

New 2 rail on the left and old 2 rail right I bought in 2012.   The bolster is narrower too.   It was obvious looking at the display of all the Atlas trucks being smaller compared the the 3 rail display next to it.  When did it happen?

Atlas O announced and gave out free samples of the new version at the 2012 O Scale National Convention in New Jersey during their presentation (limit one pair to a customer, darn).  The new trucks entered mass production a short time later. 

Thanks, I  left the hobby April 2012.   Guess I missed that announcement.   Started a new hobby back then and literally pulled the plug and closed the door to the train room.   Everything was just how I left it until this past fall.  Kind od slipped back into it while cleaning and painting the basement.