Converting Atlas F7A from 3 Rail to 2 and/or swap shells with a 2-Rail drive?

Make it easy on yourself.....sell what you got and buy what you want.

Simon

the short answer is yes. you can swap shells.

P&D Hobby has all the things you need.  Look at the P&D drive systems as you can buy trucks, motors, etc.

I am not familiar with newer Atlas F units.   The older ones I looked at had solid diecast truck structues.    The only way to change wheels is to use a sturdy wheel puller and pull the wheels off the axles and use a press to install new wheels, with one side insulated.    Some trucks on some brands newer models have removable base plates on the underside.   These can be removed with a screw driver, then the whole axle/gear can be removed and a new one dropped in.    This is much easier than having to use the wheel puller.   

In addition to changing the wheelsets, you have to design (or obtain Atlas) two rail pickups.   Generally this means wipers on the insulated wheel side and uninsulated side passing pickup through the truck body.    The wires from wipers would be similar to the wiring from a center rail pickup.

So the bottom line is that if you don't want replace the unit,  the easiest conversion is to replace the shell.    The hardest is to replace the wheelsets on the current units.

P&D had lots of parts to install their drive.    Going this route would mean replacing the entire mechanism.    The good thing is that you use the existing frame and shell, but it takes a little work to install new body bolsters and motor mounts.     These are great drives, but are totally different than the motor on truck type in an Atlas unit.

I’ve worked with a couple Atlas SW9 conversions from  3-rail to 2-rail. As I recall, the pickups attach in the same location as the 3rd rail pickup would normally. That and the wheel sets makes it a pretty smooth operation. 

It’s a little myopic to suggest “sell what you have and buy what you want.” Been looking for Atlas 2-rail Amtrak F7 units for over 2 years. Checked all the major on-line shops/dealers, watch eBay daily, post “wanted” ads here regularly... and I have managed to find a single B unit. Similarly, been looking for a 2-rail Atlas Coors SW switcher for 5 years.

Lou Houlemard at CLW converted some Atlas F-3s to horizontal drive (Pittman motor) for me, using CLW drive components and OCS trucks from P&D Hobby that I supplied. The result is a fine D&RGW A-B-B-A set that runs great (2 powered units). I use it as a freight unit, because I like the early black-with-4-yellow stripes scheme. The F-3s are stand-ins for early Rio GF-7s that were delivered in this scheme, a classic product of EMD's styling team. 

@lionel1946 posted:

It’s a little myopic to suggest “sell what you have and buy what you want.” Been looking for Atlas 2-rail Amtrak F7 units for over 2 years. Checked all the major on-line shops/dealers, watch eBay daily, post “wanted” ads here regularly... and I have managed to find a single B unit. Similarly, been looking for a 2-rail Atlas Coors SW switcher for 5 years.

No, it is just what I perceive to be the most economical and easiest way to get from A to B. Look around a bit first, and if you can't find what you want you can always go another route.

Most anything can be done, but how big a PITA is it? If you're one of those silk purse from a sow's ear kinda guys, then go for it! LOL

Simon

I did a search on the BIG auction and found 3, so there are some around. I didn't check any dealers, and I din't check the board here, but with a little patience I'm sure they can be found. You might have to go to custom painting, but that's a possibility no matter how you procure them.

Thanks for the information everyone.  It's appreciated.