Atlas replacement floors for weaver troop train

Bossman284 posted:

Received my replacement floor yesterday (thanks Mr. Muffin) Atlas did a nice job on these and it looks like a perfect fit.  Little disappointed Atlas didn't take the time to paint these.  Gonna be a while before I can get paint on it and permanently secure it to my troop train.  But at least I'll be able to get this back on the tracks!

At long last.  How much were they?

$29 for the floor and the underframe.  No brake line or other details (you'll need to save them off the old car, and no trucks (but I did hear they will be available at some point)

Did you need a new floor because of the zinc pest issue on some of the Atlas floors and if so did you have to pay for a replacement?

N5CJonny posted:

Did you need a new floor because of the zinc pest issue on some of the Atlas floors and if so did you have to pay for a replacement?

I needed a new floor because of the zinc pest on WEAVER floors.  When Weaver closed shop they sold the molds to Atlas who is now making the troop cars again, and is also offering replacement floors so that the old weaver floors can be fixed.  I did pay for the replacement as Atlas is making the parts for the old Weaver cars.

N5CJonny posted:

Did you need a new floor because of the zinc pest issue on some of the Atlas floors and if so did you have to pay for a replacement?

These "replacement floors" he is referring to, are for the original Weaver troops cars. Since Atlas purchased the various tooling for former Weaver cars that were made in China, Atlas decided to offer, for a price, replacement floors for those folks that experienced warping of the original Weaver diecast floor assemblies. 

The newly released Atlas troop sleepers & express cars should NOT experience the floor warping problems that the original Weaver cars had.

Ok, thanks Hot Water for the information. That is a little disappointing that the floors were not painted, but if that happens in my case I guess a few shots of Krylon semi flat black would do.

What's so hard about painting the metal frames Black?

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

What's so hard about painting the metal frames Black?

Never said it was hard.  Just an extra step that I have to find the time to complete.  Would have thought for the price they would have come painted, considering the the underframe work is painted but not the floor.  Not a big deal.

Could someone please post a picture of the new floor? (frame)

Did I understand that all the brake rigging needed to be used form the old frames, or just the steam line. Are the holes and mounts for the break rigging part of the new  floor? I rebuilt the brake rigging on a floor I fabricated, and it was not an easy task.

Do you need to use the original center sill from the old frame in order to mount the trucks, or is the center sill part of the new floor? The center sill on the Weaver floor was a separately applied part and often snapped in two when the original floor warped.

I assume the original Weaver trucks will fit the new frame. I saved the old trucks, center sills and all of the break / steam line rigging.

I am looking forward to your experience with the new floor.

Thanks,

Richard

Hot Water posted:

The newly released Atlas troop sleepers & express cars should NOT experience the floor warping problems that the original Weaver cars had.

Pardon my possibly brash ignorance, but what evidence do you have to support this statement? Has the new factory taken special pains to keep the diecast mix free of contaminants? Have they announced that these floors will not warp?

We posted several weeks ago about the replacement frames available.  You will find the thread here:

https://ogrforum.com/t...-cars-available-here

Convenient ONLINE ordering here:

http://www.jrjunction.com/cgi-...=action&key=6043

We still have some left!

RoyBoy posted:

Hot Water posted:

The newly released Atlas troop sleepers & express cars should NOT experience the floor warping problems that the original Weaver cars had.

Pardon my possibly brash ignorance, but what evidence do you have to support this statement? Has the new factory taken special pains to keep the diecast mix free of contaminants? Have they announced that these floors will not warp?

Have you looked very closely at the new Atlas "troop cars"? I have, and unlike the original Weaver cars (I have three of those), the unuerframes on the new Atlas cars are just slightly shorter (there is a slight gap at each end of the car to plastic carbody), thus allowing for any expansion of the die cast underframe assembly. With the original Weaver cars, there was no room for expansion of the die cast underframe, thus if, and when, the frame expanded over time, the end result was warpage of the underframe. None of my three Weaver cars experienced any "sink rot", the frame simply expanded on 2 or the 3 cars, and one was so bad that upon trying to remove the underframe from the body, it broke into three pieces. 

Thanks for posting the pictures of the floor and center sill. The pictures answered all my questions.

This goes to show you that if you don't keep up with the OGR Forum you will miss important news about the hobby.

Richard

Richard Gonzales posted:

Thanks for posting the pictures of the floor and center sill. The pictures answered all my questions.

This goes to show you that if you don't keep up with the OGR Forum you will miss important news about the hobby.

Richard

 

You are welcome!  We have several in stock.

Bossman284 posted:

$29 for the floor and the underframe.  No brake line or other details (you'll need to save them off the old car, and no trucks (but I did hear they will be available at some point)

About the trucks. Are you saying that Atlas will offer direct replacement trucks for the Weaver troop cars or is it just Atlas troop car trucks? I ask because the bolster is different on a Weaver car as compared to an Atlas car. I just picked up an Atlas troop car three days ago but I didn't take it out of the box yet. I assume but don't know yet that the Atlas troop car will have the typical Atlas type of trucks with the bolster built into the truck. 

Hudson J1e posted:

Bossman284 posted:

$29 for the floor and the underframe.  No brake line or other details (you'll need to save them off the old car, and no trucks (but I did hear they will be available at some point)

About the trucks. Are you saying that Atlas will offer direct replacement trucks for the Weaver troop cars or is it just Atlas troop car trucks? I ask because the bolster is different on a Weaver car as compared to an Atlas car. I just picked up an Atlas troop car three days ago but I didn't take it out of the box yet. I assume but don't know yet that the Atlas troop car will have the typical Atlas type of trucks with the bolster built into the truck. 

It's my understanding that it will be a weaver truck now produced by atlas for use on the old weaver cars.  I guess we won't know for sure until atlas gets them done

Wow! Just the thought that someone migh actually reproduce Weaver trucks is exciting. I hope this happens. I will ask Atlas about this next week. 

Hot Water posted:

RoyBoy posted:

Hot Water posted:

The newly released Atlas troop sleepers & express cars should NOT experience the floor warping problems that the original Weaver cars had.

Pardon my possibly brash ignorance, but what evidence do you have to support this statement? Has the new factory taken special pains to keep the diecast mix free of contaminants? Have they announced that these floors will not warp?

Have you looked very closely at the new Atlas "troop cars"? I have, and unlike the original Weaver cars (I have three of those), the unuerframes on the new Atlas cars are just slightly shorter (there is a slight gap at each end of the car to plastic carbody), thus allowing for any expansion of the die cast underframe assembly. With the original Weaver cars, there was no room for expansion of the die cast underframe, thus if, and when, the frame expanded over time, the end result was warpage of the underframe. None of my three Weaver cars experienced any "sink rot", the frame simply expanded on 2 or the 3 cars, and one was so bad that upon trying to remove the underframe from the body, it broke into three pieces. 

That makes sense. Thanks.

I wonder if those of us having the original cars should shorten the frames just in case the frames start to swell.

RoyBoy posted:

Hot Water posted:

RoyBoy posted:

Hot Water posted:

The newly released Atlas troop sleepers & express cars should NOT experience the floor warping problems that the original Weaver cars had.

Pardon my possibly brash ignorance, but what evidence do you have to support this statement? Has the new factory taken special pains to keep the diecast mix free of contaminants? Have they announced that these floors will not warp?

Have you looked very closely at the new Atlas "troop cars"? I have, and unlike the original Weaver cars (I have three of those), the unuerframes on the new Atlas cars are just slightly shorter (there is a slight gap at each end of the car to plastic carbody), thus allowing for any expansion of the die cast underframe assembly. With the original Weaver cars, there was no room for expansion of the die cast underframe, thus if, and when, the frame expanded over time, the end result was warpage of the underframe. None of my three Weaver cars experienced any "sink rot", the frame simply expanded on 2 or the 3 cars, and one was so bad that upon trying to remove the underframe from the body, it broke into three pieces. 

That makes sense. Thanks.

I wonder if those of us having the original cars should shorten the frames just in case the frames start to swell.

ABSOLUTELY,  YES. Out of the three cars I own, one warped so badly, that it broke up removing the underframe (a good friend of mine, who is a scratch builder in wood & styrene, made me a new underframe), the second one was only very slightly warped, so I removed it and shortened both ends. The third car had no signs of warpage, so I carefully removed the underframe and shortened both ends of that car also.  No issues since.

Hot Water posted:

RoyBoy posted:

Hot Water posted:

RoyBoy posted:

Hot Water posted:

The newly released Atlas troop sleepers & express cars should NOT experience the floor warping problems that the original Weaver cars had.

Pardon my possibly brash ignorance, but what evidence do you have to support this statement? Has the new factory taken special pains to keep the diecast mix free of contaminants? Have they announced that these floors will not warp?

Have you looked very closely at the new Atlas "troop cars"? I have, and unlike the original Weaver cars (I have three of those), the unuerframes on the new Atlas cars are just slightly shorter (there is a slight gap at each end of the car to plastic carbody), thus allowing for any expansion of the die cast underframe assembly. With the original Weaver cars, there was no room for expansion of the die cast underframe, thus if, and when, the frame expanded over time, the end result was warpage of the underframe. None of my three Weaver cars experienced any "sink rot", the frame simply expanded on 2 or the 3 cars, and one was so bad that upon trying to remove the underframe from the body, it broke into three pieces. 

That makes sense. Thanks.

I wonder if those of us having the original cars should shorten the frames just in case the frames start to swell.

ABSOLUTELY,  YES. Out of the three cars I own, one warped so badly, that it broke up removing the underframe (a good friend of mine, who is a scratch builder in wood & styrene, made me a new underframe), the second one was only very slightly warped, so I removed it and shortened both ends. The third car had no signs of warpage, so I carefully removed the underframe and shortened both ends of that car also.  No issues since.

None of my three original Weaver troop cars have warped in any way.  Matt

boin106 posted:

None of my three original Weaver troop cars have warped in any way.  Matt

All well and good. However, this whole subject/thread is all about those folks that DID/DO have warped underframes on their Weaver cars, thus the discussion about the "Atlas replacement floors for the Weaver troop train".

Hot Water posted:

RoyBoy posted:

Hot Water posted:

RoyBoy posted:

Hot Water posted:

The newly released Atlas troop sleepers & express cars should NOT experience the floor warping problems that the original Weaver cars had.

Pardon my possibly brash ignorance, but what evidence do you have to support this statement? Has the new factory taken special pains to keep the diecast mix free of contaminants? Have they announced that these floors will not warp?

Have you looked very closely at the new Atlas "troop cars"? I have, and unlike the original Weaver cars (I have three of those), the unuerframes on the new Atlas cars are just slightly shorter (there is a slight gap at each end of the car to plastic carbody), thus allowing for any expansion of the die cast underframe assembly. With the original Weaver cars, there was no room for expansion of the die cast underframe, thus if, and when, the frame expanded over time, the end result was warpage of the underframe. None of my three Weaver cars experienced any "sink rot", the frame simply expanded on 2 or the 3 cars, and one was so bad that upon trying to remove the underframe from the body, it broke into three pieces. 

That makes sense. Thanks.

I wonder if those of us having the original cars should shorten the frames just in case the frames start to swell.

ABSOLUTELY,  YES. Out of the three cars I own, one warped so badly, that it broke up removing the underframe (a good friend of mine, who is a scratch builder in wood & styrene, made me a new underframe), the second one was only very slightly warped, so I removed it and shortened both ends. The third car had no signs of warpage, so I carefully removed the underframe and shortened both ends of that car also.  No issues since.

I say BS!
This is not thermal expansion, as in expansion & contraction. If the zinc is rotting...it is rotting and it is going to break anyway! By shortening the frame, you are just delaying the inevitable.

Big Jim posted:

Hot Water posted:

RoyBoy posted:

Hot Water posted:

RoyBoy posted:

Hot Water posted:

The newly released Atlas troop sleepers & express cars should NOT experience the floor warping problems that the original Weaver cars had.

Pardon my possibly brash ignorance, but what evidence do you have to support this statement? Has the new factory taken special pains to keep the diecast mix free of contaminants? Have they announced that these floors will not warp?

Have you looked very closely at the new Atlas "troop cars"? I have, and unlike the original Weaver cars (I have three of those), the unuerframes on the new Atlas cars are just slightly shorter (there is a slight gap at each end of the car to plastic carbody), thus allowing for any expansion of the die cast underframe assembly. With the original Weaver cars, there was no room for expansion of the die cast underframe, thus if, and when, the frame expanded over time, the end result was warpage of the underframe. None of my three Weaver cars experienced any "sink rot", the frame simply expanded on 2 or the 3 cars, and one was so bad that upon trying to remove the underframe from the body, it broke into three pieces. 

That makes sense. Thanks.

I wonder if those of us having the original cars should shorten the frames just in case the frames start to swell.

ABSOLUTELY,  YES. Out of the three cars I own, one warped so badly, that it broke up removing the underframe (a good friend of mine, who is a scratch builder in wood & styrene, made me a new underframe), the second one was only very slightly warped, so I removed it and shortened both ends. The third car had no signs of warpage, so I carefully removed the underframe and shortened both ends of that car also.  No issues since.

I say BS!
This is not thermal expansion, as in expansion & contraction. If the zinc is rotting...it is rotting and it is going to break anyway! By shortening the frame, you are just delaying the inevitable.

Well,,,,,,that's your opinion.

I guess I will find out soon enough when  my floors arrive, but I was wondering if the screws for mounting the center sill to the floor were included in the replacement floor kits? I think I saved most of my mounting screws when I took my cars apart, but there is always that mysterious force that always absconds with your parts.

On the subject of some floors warping, and some do not, I have three troop express car converts that have not warped up until now. These three express cars were the first ones I purchased, and were in the fist Weaver runs of the cars. The three that did warp were purchased later and must have been in the run of cars that experienced the fatal Zinc Rot Syndrome.

Thanks,

Richard

Richard Gonzales posted:

I guess I will find out soon enough when  my floors arrive, but I was wondering if the screws for mounting the center sill to the floor were included in the replacement floor kits? I think I saved most of my mounting screws when I took my cars apart, but there is always that mysterious force that always absconds with your parts.

On the subject of some floors warping, and some do not, I have three troop express car converts that have not warped up until now. These three express cars were the first ones I purchased, and were in the fist Weaver runs of the cars. The three that did warp were purchased later and must have been in the run of cars that experienced the fatal Zinc Rot Syndrome.

Thanks,

Richard

 

 

No screws come with the replacement floors

Thanks for the reply Bossman284

I think I have most of them in the bag of parts for each car.

Have a good week,

Richard

I just did my first Weaver troop car bottom replacement tonight. These new Atlas O bottoms fit perfect.

Tom 4

I am in the middle of assembling the under frame of a new Atlas undecorated troop kitchen. 

I will start rebuilding my replacement frames with the old detail parts from my broken frames soon. I hope Atlas will be able to provide me with any detail parts that I may be missing.

Richard