GGD HW 2-Rail to 3-Rail.

Public Delivery Track has 3 rail ones in stock.  Save yourself the hassle.  

I have 3 cars I would like to convert from 2R to 3R as well - I have the trucks and couplers. I would be interested to hear from anyone else on this topic if I’m missing something.

There are 2 differences. The wheels, and the lightboard wiring. 

The trucks are the same, you can just throw in wheels, but you need to get the pickup rollers. A set of 3R trucks would just drop right on. 

Internally, the 2 rail cars are wired with one wire from each truck and insulated wheels. You'd need to rewire internally to negative from the truck frame, and positive from the roller. Its easy to do. I've done it several times. Just solder together the 2 existing wires and make a new 'Y' of wires from the rollers to the light board.

Boilermaker1 posted:

There are 2 differences. The wheels, and the lightboard wiring. 

The trucks are the same, you can just throw in wheels, but you need to get the pickup rollers. A set of 3R trucks would just drop right on. 

Internally, the 2 rail cars are wired with one wire from each truck and insulated wheels. You'd need to rewire internally to negative from the truck frame, and positive from the roller. Its easy to do. I've done it several times. Just solder together the 2 existing wires and make a new 'Y' of wires from the rollers to the light board.

 

Thank you.  Gives me things to look for at York.

CAPPilot posted:

Boilermaker1 posted:

There are 2 differences. The wheels, and the lightboard wiring. 

The trucks are the same, you can just throw in wheels, but you need to get the pickup rollers. A set of 3R trucks would just drop right on. 

Internally, the 2 rail cars are wired with one wire from each truck and insulated wheels. You'd need to rewire internally to negative from the truck frame, and positive from the roller. Its easy to do. I've done it several times. Just solder together the 2 existing wires and make a new 'Y' of wires from the rollers to the light board.

 

Thank you.  Gives me things to look for at York.

Good luck with your search at York.

Last year was my first York and I had a set of 3rd Rail RDC's and a set of GGD Heavyweights on my search list.  I was really surprised on how few 3rd Rail/GGD items I saw for sale (less than a dozen total!)

Maybe this York will be different?

Jim

rattler21 posted:

We have a pair For Sale.  John in Lansing, ILL.

Thanks, but I am going to see what I can find at York. 

jd-train posted:

Good luck with your search at York.

Last year was my first York and I had a set of 3rd Rail RDC's and a set of GGD Heavyweights on my search list.  I was really surprised on how few 3rd Rail/GGD items I saw for sale (less than a dozen total!)

Maybe this York will be different?

Jim

In the past I go through all the buildings and have seen several 3rd Rail/Sunset engines.  Problem is most of them are types I already have from other manufacturers.  Of the six 3rd Rail engines I have, four were bought at York and two direct from Sunset.  Four of them are engines not produced by other manufacturers (H6, Q1, N1, gas electric).  Their brass cars are very hard to find.  Took many trips to York before I found the chlorine tank car and the 6-dome tank car.

I've seen a lot of GGD products, especially the early HWs with the poor couplers.  Most of them were purchased from the Public Delivery Track which unfortunately no longer attends York.