converting a 2-rail freight car to 2-rail with Atlas trucks

I would use a Weaver truck or if you can find them one of the MTH replacement trucks made for Weaver cars. The MTH trucks come with a couplers too. I just saw a picture of one these trucks the other day on this forum. I can't remember where I saw it though. If you can't find them I would ask Mr.Muffin if he has any. Good luck.

I would not modify the car to fit a regular Lionel, MTH or Atlas 3 rail truck. In my opinion all that work isn't worth it.

You can keep your truck frames and swap out the Weaver 2-rail wheel sets for Weaver 3-rail wheel sets if you can find them.  Many 2-rail and 3RS modelers (including me) will trade 3-rail wheel sets for your 2-rail wheel sets provided they are metal wheels.  Generally no one is interested in acquiring plastic wheel sets.

Bob

Good idea Bob. I actually have a set of Weaver metal wheels that I would trade if you also have metal wheel sets. Please contact me if interested. And I would also include the couplers.

Or if you have metal trucks and don't want to do the work of switching the wheels we can trade trucks.

I bought this Weaver caboose from the 'bay because it was cheap but it has so many missing pieces I don't know if I ever will be able to fix it. The one bright spot was it did come with Weaver metal trucks and couplers. Even though they are 3 rail they are worth more than what I paid for the entire caboose. However, it does appear that someone glued the coupler to the truck. Anyway, here is what it looks like.

Thanks for your responses but I'm wondering if there's a recommendation if I choose to use Atlas 3-rail trucks. As y'all point out, the Weaver trucks and wheels are a bit hard to find while the Atlas ones are readily available.

Dan

The Atlas trucks can probably fit on the car. But the design will make the car sit way to high. If you can find a trading partner that’s your best bet. Lionel has the tooling for some of the Weaver cars. They are in the LionScale line. I haven’t tried these on a Weaver car. But they should work. I don’t think they modified the tooling. The side frames and couplers should be diecast. They are priced at $28.00 a pair. If you can verify they will fit. I know it’s a while to wait. They usually have a half price sale in the fall.

@Dave_C posted:

The Atlas trucks can probably fit on the car. But the design will make the car sit way to high. If you can find a trading partner that’s your best bet. Lionel has the tooling for some of the Weaver cars. They are in the LionScale line. I haven’t tried these on a Weaver car. But they should work. I don’t think they modified the tooling. The side frames and couplers should be diecast. They are priced at $28.00 a pair. If you can verify they will fit. I know it’s a while to wait. They usually have a half price sale in the fall.

OK, I understand on too high. But what if I don't care and really want that post-war toy train look. I realize the models will be probably too big - being pretty much scale and all - but I'm just having fun and I have a very thick skin if someone starts to criticize the car height.

Dan

I can't find anything with that part number 390-9000-050. Who made it?

Dan

never mind - I answered my own question - it's a Lionel P/N. Still can't find it though.

Would an Atlas 66034 70 ton roller bearing truck work at all?

Dan

Go to www.lionelsupport.com.    That’s their parts site. Type in Lionscale in the search bar. A lot of the cars from Weaver tooling will pop up. This is what you’ll see for each car.

I’m assuming they will fit. You still have to buy the Atlas trucks. Probably the same money for either. You can also find an Atlas car that you like for reasonable money or even a LionScale one. Once you have the car in house. You can pop a truck off and experiment. If a no go you still end up with a car you like and your not out money on a failed truck experiment. If it’s a go then proceed with buying just the trucks.

It’s not the best photo. But if you look at the LionScale truck. The mount looks to be close to the same height as the side frame. This is an Atlas truck. Both are Bettendorf. Not a huge difference but you can see it’s going to ride a bit higher.

@Dave_C posted:

It’s not the best photo. But if you look at the LionScale truck. The mount looks to be close to the same height as the side frame. This is an Atlas truck. Both are Bettendorf. Not a huge difference but you can see it’s going to ride a bit higher.

...and therefore what? Will any of these choices result in a requirement for a larger minimum radius curve spec?

I really don't like to keep bothering you with these questions but, in this regard, I'm a total newbie and really appreciate your help.

Dan

No. All these trucks should handle a tight radius. I’m a 3 railer but run scale Kadee couplers. I love the Weaver trucks. I was never a fan of how they mounted the coupler. The LioneScale addresses the problem of the drooping Weaver coupler. It’s affixed to the truck. The Weaver setup they were 2 separate pieces held together when mounted to the car by the mounting screw. To tight. The truck doesn’t pivot. To loose. The coupler droops downward. You have to fine tune the screw when you install it. Tighten it. Then back it off till the truck pivots freely. If you look at an Atlas or an older Lionel truck. The coupler also can pivot on it’s own. I think they tracked better with this arrangement. But Weaver sold a lot of cars over the years with mostly praise on how they ran.

OK. Once again, thanks. I'll purchase an Atlas set and see how it goes and report back.

Dan

UPDATE:

First of all, it might have helped if I had titled this thread correctly - Converting a 2-rail car to a 3-rail car with Atlas trucks. Anyway, y'all pretty much figured out what i wanted even if I didn't.

So today I received from TRAINZ an Atlas P/N 66034 70 ton roller bearing truck - just one truck, Somehow I got it into my brain that I would receive two trucks to convert one car - not so. I paid $25 for this truck plus $8 shipping so not cheap. Now I see I need to pay $50 per car plus more shipping for one car. That seems just a tad expensive but then again I'm new at this. Is there any way to do all this at less cost?

Dan

@geepboy posted:

UPDATE:

First of all, it might have helped if I had titled this thread correctly - Converting a 2-rail car to a 3-rail car with Atlas trucks. Anyway, y'all pretty much figured out what i wanted even if I didn't.

So today I received from TRAINZ an Atlas P/N 66034 70 ton roller bearing truck - just one truck, Somehow I got it into my brain that I would receive two trucks to convert one car - not so. I paid $25 for this truck plus $8 shipping so not cheap. Now I see I need to pay $50 per car plus more shipping for one car. That seems just a tad expensive but then again I'm new at this. Is there any way to do all this at less cost?

Dan

That's all wrong, ATLAS trucks are sold in pairs. You can buy ATLAS trucks directly from them or any number of dealers and you will get a pair for a price in the lower $30's.

I would expect 2 as well. Especially at that price. Couldn’t be new or it would haven been in sealed package of 2. The way Atlas sells them. I’d contact them as it was probably an error. They sell for about $38.00 shipped on the big auction site. Plenty available. Lionel I believe is the only one that sells them individually.

If you want trucks for your Weaver cars. MTH produced them and packaged them when Weaver went out of business. The part no. 20-89023    You can search the major MTH dealers. Many are forum sponsors. They sell for just under $30.00 plus shipping.

@geepboy posted:

UPDATE:

First of all, it might have helped if I had titled this thread correctly - Converting a 2-rail car to a 3-rail car with Atlas trucks. Anyway, y'all pretty much figured out what i wanted even if I didn't.

Yeah, that's just a bit confusing

So today I received from TRAINZ an Atlas P/N 66034 70 ton roller bearing truck - just one truck, Somehow I got it into my brain that I would receive two trucks to convert one car - not so. I paid $25 for this truck plus $8 shipping so not cheap. Now I see I need to pay $50 per car plus more shipping for one car. That seems just a tad expensive but then again I'm new at this. Is there any way to do all this at less cost?

You got taken - there's a lesson in there for you and that's to be very, very careful buying anything from Trainz. While at times a great source of bargains, also a great source of poorly packed broken and damaged stuff.

@mwb posted: ...snip...

While at times a great source of bargains, also a great source of poorly packed broken and damaged stuff.

A few years ago i won four Custom Brass PRR MP54s (oddly, lettered/numbered sequentially* for BEDFORD TERMINAL) from them and decided to get them in person; a great decision as it cost far less in gas than the shipping would have been and I had a nice trip to boot.

*A friend had gotten a switcher around the same time and it carried a road number two digits higher than the EMUs. We never could find out anything about the BT.

I submitted a question to TRAINZ customer service. Watch this space.

Dan

No offense Dan you were given solid advice but you seemed he$$ bent on using Atlas trucks. If I couldn’t find someone to trade trucks with I would have used the MTH Weaver replacement trucks. They are specifically made to do exactly what you are trying to do.

@geepboy posted:

I have a few older O-scale freight cars in 2-rail. I wish to convert them to 3-rail O-gauge. I see several possibilities from Atlas but don't know enough to choose between them.

Question: What would be an appropriate Atlas 3-rail truck be to convert say an older Weaver or Petersen freight car to 3-rail O gauge for the 1950 to 1980 era?

Dan

Dan:

If they're Petersen-issued or Standard Weaver, I might have the parts in my bin. Contact me off-list. Pictures would help.

My bad.

The trucks I have with the Weaver cars appear to have plastic wheels so I thought no one would want them.

I found a dealer selling the Atlas 66034 and ordered a pair (I hope), We'll see.

I also found a dealer who had the recommended MTH replacement trucks and ordered a pair of those. We'll see.

I can be trained in spite of my age and advanced brain senior moments. We'll see.

Dan

Good job Dan! Use the MTH replacement trucks for your conversion and save the Atlas trucks for some other project.

In my opinion if Trainz stated boldly it was a single truck and you missed it than that is okay but if not than it is highly deceptive on their part. I don't think I have ever seen trucks for sale that were not pairs. I hope you can resolve the situation with them.

@geepboy posted:

I submitted a question to TRAINZ customer service. Watch this space.

Dan

This is the reply I received from TRAINZ. I guess I should've paid more attention to the description before I purchased it. Lesson learned.

-------------------------------

Hello Daniel,

Per our parts department it was for one truck only, they are priced at $25 each.

Please let us know if you have further questions.

In Your Service,

Frankie
Customer Service

@geepboy posted:

This is the reply I received from TRAINZ. I guess I should've paid more attention to the description before I purchased it. Lesson learned.

-------------------------------

Hello Daniel,

Per our parts department it was for one truck only, they are priced at $25 each.

Their "parts department" is clueless. I've advised them of errors in their listing, only to have them tell me their "parts department" said they were correct, when I know ****ed well they weren't.

Check the original listing and see if it said pair, since that's the way Atlas sells them. If not, you may be hit with a 15% restocking fee (or you may not), but whatever the case, you should return them, as long as it's within 30 days of when you got them. $25 for a single used Atlas truck is highway robbery...

@Magicland posted:

Their "parts department" is clueless. I've advised them of errors in their listing, only to have them tell me their "parts department" said they were correct, when I know ****ed well they weren't.

Check the original listing and see if it said pair, since that's the way Atlas sells them. If not, you may be hit with a 15% restocking fee (or you may not), but whatever the case, you should return them, as long as it's within 30 days of when you got them. $25 for a single used Atlas truck is highway robbery...

NO. Actually, it's my mistake. I paid $25 for one Atlas 66034 truck and that's the way it was advertised. TRAINZ is now selling a pair of them for ~$40 which, while still high, is more reasonably priced.

Bottom line: I goofed but learned a valuable lesson in doing so. I'll keep the one truck as a reminder to be more careful.

Thanks for all the feedback.

Dan

Dan, I know how you feel. I made a few mistakes when I first started in this hobby and I lost out on a lot more money than you did.

Dan, You will learn a lot of lessons in this hobby as the best sources to find out what you need. The best place to find deals is at a local show. I know you still have to figure gas and admission.  I went to one recently and a vendor had a few Atlas Masterline cars on his table. I believe the asking price was $40.00. Thing is they had a car chassis and body sitting on top of the trucks. I would also always check the Weaver cars at shows. Every now and then you could find a bargain car with die cast trucks. That was cheaper than the cost of buying just the trucks.

I have dealt with Trainz and got some good deals. I purchased 2 Milk Cars for $60.00. With no boxes. Fine by me. I was only interested in the early version beautifully done die cast trucks which are no longer available. Still $25.00 for an un packaged one truck only and the $40.00 for a pair {even though the Andrews is a little harder to find} is a bit much.

I looked on Atlas’ parts site on saw this. Don’t know how long it’s been on there. Could be years. Not Available. Just for pre order. It’s the truck they used on the Weaver tooling they bought.  Would have been just what you needed.