Atlas O Scale Wheelsets

Been running scale-wheeled equipment on the club layout (Gargraves/Ross/Atlas) for quite a while. The only caveats are that you may (read will probably) have issues backing scale-wheeled cars through curve-replacement (O-72, etc.) turnouts, but they seem to do alright on #5's. O-54 (27" radius) is pushing things a bit, but the shorter scale-wheeled rolling stock will get through it.

Everything I've bought so far has been able to handle 36" radius (O-72), including Atlas 89-foot trailer flats. I would have bet money wouldn't make it through an O-72, but we have easements on our curves. I run MTH scale-wheeled diesels and Atlas and Weaver cars. My Blue Goose Hudson also makes it through O-72. They will find every uneven spot in the track work, though.

O-72 flat-top with #5 turnouts seems to be the working combination. If you have the space, go with O-84 or larger.

Good luck in your new journey.

Matt...thanks for the comments.  I never seem to finish anything...just go off on another tangent...but, perhaps this could help me narrow my "focus."

Kind of a dumb question...but, I was looking at Atlas O scale wheel conversion sets.  How does one know when to use 33 or 36 inch wheel sets??

Aren't the MTH 2-rail diesels difficult to find?  Have you converted any 3-Rail to 2-Rail with the fixed pilot??

When you buy the -2 locomotive from MTH...does that mean it has Kadee style couplers as well as scale wheel sets?  Are the pilots "fixed?"

Generally the 33 inch wheel sets are for freight cars and 36 for passenger cars.

Selected MTH engines have come with "high rail" wheel flanges or "scale" wheel flanges for a long time now.  There are many combinations of wheel sets and electronics.  Certainly many less with scale wheel sets.

The latest and most flexible are the new Proto 3 engines which can be purchased with scale wheels or high rail wheels.  These engines also can be configured for DCC 2 rail operation or DCS 2 rail or 3 rail operation by just flipping switches.

For example my scale wheel MTH PS3 Rio Grande GP 35 engines came with fixed pilots and NO couplers.  3 rail pickup rollers were included in the box but not installed.  The trucks have provisions for the big pumpkin couplers.  But none were provided.  I installed Kadee scale couplers. 

These engines run very well and equally well under NMRA DCC control or MTH DCS control. 

It's my understanding the some MTH engines with scale wheel sets, (like my GP-35's for sure) come with fixed pilots and other engines with scale wheel sets  come with the swinging pilots.  Others can elaborate on this.

Hope this helps

Thanks...Austin Bill...that helps.  I am always late to the party...but, I think I am going to get into this dance.

I hope others will comment as well.

I buy the MTH -2 models but I swap out the scale wheels for Hi-Rail wheel sets. I just like the reliability of the larger flanges, but prefer the looks of fixed pilots and Kadee couplers.

I also convert to fixed pilots with some of my Lionel engines, and Atlas diesels will be converted eventually. You can convert any the 3 rail models to fixed pilots with a little work, or a lot of work in some cases. The only draw back is you normally have to have at least an 072 curve for fixed pilots and Kadee couplers.

This is a Lionel GP30 I converted to fixed pilots with Kadee couplers, but still has Hi-Rail wheels.

This is another Lionel engine I just converted to a fixed pilot, with a Kadee coupler on the rear, but still rolls on Hi-Rail wheels.

Thanks gentlemen...keep the comments coming, please.

Larry, I've posted this one before, but here's what a 3-rail conversion to fixed pilots and Kadee's looks like- alot of work, but the effort is worth it..I've done 14 so far.

Thanks, Jeff!  I don't know if I have the skill to make those conversions.  I have read your other posts, however.

If some of you could post some detail photos of how you fix the pilots and/or attach those Kadees it would be helpful to me.

Otherwise...you continue to do great work and those locomotives are beautiful that way.

Wellsome are more work than others, and a bit of scratch building is usually involved.

Take the unit apart and figure out how to attach the pilot to the frame. I drill & tapped this one. Screw holes just barely fit inside the shell on the frontand rear. 

I removed the footboards on this unit to make it a bit more modern.

A spacer is required to lower the pilot. Styrene cut and sanded to fit profile.

Scratch built a new pilot, and Kadee mounting platform. Always use a Kadee height gauge to get the correct height.

This conversion required removing the outer brake shoes so the rear truck would turn with the fixed pilot. This also made it a more modern GP30 with footboards and outer brakeshoes removed.

Of course the last step is bending new full length handrails, or ordering 2 rail handrail sets om Atlas or MTH IF you can get them. Usually you're better off bending your own.

Larry,

The biggest obstacle is making that first cut, after that it's not that hard.  I've fixed all my pilots and added Kadees except the new Lionel with Legacy GP9 I have and a Williams/Samhongsa brass USRA 2-8-2 I recently bought, and 3 MTH passenger cars, all are on the list to do.

1st thing...get one of those Kadee height gauges, then maybe some of the new offset shank couplers.  Some of the pieces I've done have required shims of almost 1/4" thick, the offset shank will cut the thickness down a bit.

Once you witness 2 cars silently coupling together you'll see what all the excitement is about.  I can back my MTH NW2 switcher up to a piece of rolling stock at 1-2 mph and coupled them up without the rolling stock even move.

Bob is right about that. Once you figure out how to get it apart, the hardest thing is making that 1st cut, and it's usually with the Dremel tool and a cutoff disk. Then after you have it all laying their on the bench in pieces... you get this

I personally don't like the offset couplers because of the look. I figure if I have to shim anyway, might as well shim it all and use the center shank couplers because that's what the real couplers look like. That's just my opinion.

Another member of this forum, Rich Montague (? spelling) has done some of the best fixed pilot conversions I've seen, including new handrails.