Kadees on Lionel Bathtub (Coalporter) Gondola?

I did a bunch of Lionel cars a couple years ago. I wore out on them trying to drill and mount the KDs straight and correctly. If I did a quantity of the exact same cars, I think I'd make some kind of jig for a guide.

 I looked and realized I hadn't done these exact cars. I thought someone here had posted a pic of them converted. I think that also, was a few years back??

 I'm interested because I'm looking into making a train of modern coal cars in SR, to copy the ones that run by here. I see from Jeff's post that the MTH ones need some work. Are the Lionel ones more scale like??

 I'd also like to see the Atlas model in person to see the differences between them. I believe theirs, is different prototype model?

maybe one of these guys still have the pics?

https://ogrforum.com/t...aydee-on-lionel-cars

Laid off sick's?? I really can't remember exactly who it was.

Jeff78rr just did a post on the MTH coalporter hoppers adding Kadees and relocating the trucks.  Post is "Taking the MTH coalporter to another level"  Pics added.  It's in the recent posts list.  Maybe this will help.

 

Rick

I've put Kadees on these, but didn't document the process. I only run them on rare occasion when in a "BNSF" mood. It's not too hard. The first step is to get rid of those abominable trucks. I may have substituted Atlas trucks, but I'd have to go check. (I also may have used some surplus MTH trucks; these didn't get "A" list treatment). They disassemble the same as the MTH car. On the end with the brake gear gear, there's just enough room to mark and carefully drill with a pin vise for Kadees. I think I used 2 X 8 mm screws. On the other end you have to install a mounting pad; there's no place between the body and the end frame to body-mount a coupler. You have to make your own pad. Just cut a strip of styrene about the same width of the Kadee box, paint to match the body and glue it in place between the body and the frame end. Drill and mount then the couplers and then reassemble the car. The same process works for the older "pre-Kadee" MTH version of this car.

 

RM

Okay...thanks to each of you...Rich M's experience confirms what it looked like would have to be done...especially with creating my own mounting pads. 

 

Atlas roller bearing trucks seem as if they would work the best to me.  The Lionel couplers will not...even with the coupler shaft removed.

 

Thanks, again!

If you have several cars of the same type, its always easier to make a jig to drill the mounting holes in all the cars. It helps keep the coupler box straight, and flush with the end sill. Then build all the pads you need. Some what of an assembly line helps speed up the process.

Sometimes I use the lid of the draft gear box as my jig.

Ahhh, it was one of my hero's!! 

I should have known that!

I save pics of Rich's engine posts but not his cars.

I did a MTH version of a different model (3 or 4 bay??) that needed the coupler pad added on one end. I do... remember that much.