I have a number of these. Beautiful cars. I have one O36 turn on my layout and they bind up on them. Have several cars larger than these that operate fine. Could it be the trucks on these particular cars?
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No - it's just the design of the hopper. They were designed for 0-45 minimum diameter curves.
- Greg
Greg Houser posted:No - it's just the design of the hopper. They were designed for 0-45 minimum diameter curves.
- Greg
Is there any fix for this? Seems the trucks and length of the cars is no different than on say my baby Maddison passenger cars or my feeders?
For what it's worth, Atlas produces essentially 2-Rail SCALE pieces of rolling stock. For the 3-Rail market, they use their 3-Rail trucks with attached "big couplers", however those trucks generally do NOT swivel far enough for extremely tight curves. Probably why the recommend 045 curves as a minimum.
Hot Water posted:For what it's worth, Atlas produces essentially 2-Rail SCALE pieces of rolling stock. For the 3-Rail market, they use their 3-Rail trucks with attached "big couplers", however those trucks generally do NOT swivel far enough for extremely tight curves. Probably why the recommend 045 curves as a minimum.
Thanks. This makes sense as I did notice a difference in the swing of the couplers. Can you substitute couplers on these cars? Or is it what it is.
radar493 posted:Hot Water posted:For what it's worth, Atlas produces essentially 2-Rail SCALE pieces of rolling stock. For the 3-Rail market, they use their 3-Rail trucks with attached "big couplers", however those trucks generally do NOT swivel far enough for extremely tight curves. Probably why the recommend 045 curves as a minimum.
Thanks. This makes sense as I did notice a difference in the swing of the couplers. Can you substitute couplers on these cars?
Nope.
Or is it what it is.
That pretty well covers it.
On early weaver cars for 3 rail they would cut where the oversized flanges would hit the frame.
Rod Miller
If it was me I would try a set of Kadee couplers and see how that goes. Before I would get rid of the cars!
mike g. posted:If it was me I would try a set of Kadee couplers and see how that goes. Before I would get rid of the cars!
The couplers are not the problem. Atlas made a scale car, riding low on the trucks like the prototype and they included the center sill and underbody details. The trucks themselves cannot swing enough to take sharp curves. I can coax my H21's around an 044 curve but the wheel flanges rub on the car bottom the whole way. If you want a 4-bay hopper to go around sharp curves, you'll need one that rides higher on the trucks and/or has some missing frame details (like K-Line, MTH or Lionel 4-bay hoppers).
Hi Bob, thanks for pointing that out. I did not know.
Thanks for the replies. The layout has 54" and 42" except on my L extension that has the 36". I can get them through my 42" turns. May have to look at ways to add 6-7" width to that end of my extension.
