Hey everyone,
I am in the process of converting 2 H21A hoppers from 2 to 3 rail. I removed the wheels only to discover that the 2 rail wheels are a little bit longer (close to 5 cm) compared to my 3 rail wheels (about 4.5 cm). I was wondering what my options were for getting correctly fitting wheels. I have looked online and cannot find wheels by themselves. And I do not want to buy new trucks as the originals look smart with the hoppers. Thanks for the help!
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I would just run with the 2 rail wheels, no reason they won't work.
Wheelsets are interchangeable from 2 to 3 or vice versa. Atlas only makes one set of trucks. Some of the 2 rail models would have the 3 rail coupler mount in place. But at one point. The thickness of the truck side frames changed. From the the thicker early version to a thinner profile. Whether or not that changed the axle length. I don’t know for sure. Or the 3 rail axle needs a little more side play to navigate tighter turns.
By looking smart. I assume you mean the paint on the truck frames match the car.
If you are running on flat top rail. The 2 rail wheelsets will work. If you are running tubular. You will probably need to change them.
Like Dave says, Atlas 3-rail wheelsets will fit those trucks perfectly. Your photos seem to show a Weaver 3-rail wheelset. This won't work, since the Weaver axle is shorter than Atlas.
I have some extra Atlas wheelsets, so if you e-mail me (see my profile), I can send you enough for your two H21a hoppers. Just pay for postage.
@Bob posted:Like Dave says, Atlas 3-rail wheelsets will fit those trucks perfectly. Your photos seem to show a Weaver 3-rail wheelset. This won't work, since the Weaver axle is shorter than Atlas.
I have some extra Atlas wheelsets, so if you e-mail me (see my profile), I can send you enough for your two H21a hoppers. Just pay for postage.
Hey Bob,
Thanks for letting me know. I just sent an email out to you.
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