@bob2 posted:You are right - thinking about 84" drivers and got locked in.
Way, way cheaper to buy a 2-rail model and add the Legacy. Also easier.
I'll keep that in mind
For non-locomotive rolling stock that draws power, would I be able to use the Lionel 2 rail wheels that they offer?
@Justin Acuna posted:For non-locomotive rolling stock that draws power, would I be able to use the Lionel 2 rail wheels that they offer?
You should be able to without any problems. The Lionel wheels are .145 tread as I recall and look very good.
@AGHRMatt posted:You should be able to without any problems. The Lionel wheels are .145 tread as I recall and look very good.
Do you know if the trucks should be fitted with the 50 ton kit or 70 ton kit, I tried looking it up but couldn't find anything definitive.
Lionel offers them in a somewhat generic format -- 33" wheels for Bettendorf or Roller Bearing (spinning caps). They supposedly fit both the LionScale (ex Weaver) and the newer Lionel metal trucks. I put them on three 66-foot Mill Gondolas and they worked pretty well on the club layout despite being narrower than the code 172 treads I prefer (yes it's a hi-rail layout, but I like to upset the apple cart by running scale wheels).
@AGHRMatt posted:Lionel offers them in a somewhat generic format -- 33" wheels for Bettendorf or Roller Bearing (spinning caps). They supposedly fit both the LionScale (ex Weaver) and the newer Lionel metal trucks. I put them on three 66-foot Mill Gondolas and they worked pretty well on the club layout despite being narrower than the code 172 treads I prefer (yes it's a hi-rail layout, but I like to upset the apple cart by running scale wheels).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like they could also be installed on Lionel's FreightSounds reefers/boxcars since the trucks look like Bettendorf trucks.
How do the spinning caps work? Could I adapt them to my E44?
@bob2 posted:How do the spinning caps work? Could I adapt them to my E44?
I haven't got a clue if they could be adapted to the E44.
They're basically extended blunt-ended axles that pass through bearings on the side frames. The ends are machined a bit smaller than the axles themselves and the plastic bearing caps press fit onto the ends. The Lionel wheel sets come with extra caps, which is nice because you occasionally lose one. I believe the caps will fit on Atlas axles, but I'm not sure about the axle sets themselves.
2-rail equipment is like quicksand. Now that I've stepped in it I keep going deeper.
Thanks. Hopefully they sell them separately. Too bad they aren't brass, and solderable.
Hey Matt, is there any sure fire way to figure out which Lionel trucks the 2 rail wheel sets will fit (besides the Lion Scale trucks)? It sure would nice if it was easier to convert Lionel car over to 2 rail. They make some really nice cars.
@Hudson J1e posted:Hey Matt, is there any sure fire way to figure out which Lionel trucks the 2 rail wheel sets will fit (besides the Lion Scale trucks)? It sure would nice if it was easier to convert Lionel car over to 2 rail. They make some really nice cars.
Hi Phil. Here are listings for the wheel sets on eBay. I believe they will work in all of the trucks. I'll eventually test them out on my PS4427 covered hoppers.
Thank you very much Matt. How about older Lionel 3 rail trucks as well? Like from 15 years ago. Just curious as I have some older Lionel cars that are very nice that I would like to convert.
On the eBay auction it says the seller sold 128 sets of the Lionel conversion kits. I am surprised that many got sold. Next time I see that kit for sale I am going to buy one.
My apologies for the thread drift.
I recently converted 2 Lionel Clinchfield PS-2 2-bay hoppers from the 2004 Vol. 2 catalog to 2-rail using Atlas Bettendorf trucks and Kadee 743’s. So, as a result, I was left with 2 pairs of Lionel 3-rail trucks. These are the trucks with the hidden uncoupling tabs that 3-railers prefer.
I was curious to see if these could be retrofitted with NWSL wheelsets. After cutting up the trucks to free up the side frames and bolster I outfitted the trucks with 33” wheels from NWSL. These are probably the smoothest running trucks I have and will probably cut up more of these older Lionel trucks to outfit them with NWSL wheelsets.
Now I just need to find some Lionel freight cars to use these on, maybe like the Chessie 40’ box car with box load…
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@catnap posted:I recently converted 2 Lionel Clinchfield PS-2 2-bay hoppers from the 2004 Vol. 2 catalog to 2-rail using Atlas Bettendorf trucks and Kadee 743’s. So, as a result, I was left with 2 pairs of Lionel 3-rail trucks. These are the trucks with the hidden uncoupling tabs that 3-railers prefer.
I was curious to see if these could be retrofitted with NWSL wheelsets. After cutting up the trucks to free up the side frames and bolster I outfitted the trucks with 33” wheels from NWSL. These are probably the smoothest running trucks I have and will probably cut up more of these older Lionel trucks to outfit them with NWSL wheelsets.
Now I just need to find some Lionel freight cars to use these on, maybe like the Chessie 40’ box car with box load…
Have you used them on lighted rolling stock?
@Justin Acuna posted:Have you used them on lighted rolling stock?
No, I haven't. I have a Lionel bay window caboose coming later this Fall but I'm going to use the Lionel 2-rail conversion wheelsets and wipers.
I would imagine the NWSL wheels would work just fine with any lighted cars,
@Hudson J1e posted:@catnap
Those wheels really look great! I gotta get some of those wheel sets. It’s probably just an optical illusion but it appears to me that in the truck all the way to the right, the right hand wheel set looks bigger than all the rest.
Just to confirm the wheels sets fit snugly in the trucks and not loosely? One time tried some two rail wheel sets in Lionel trucks and they fit but very loosely. It wasn’t up to my standards so I used Atlas trucks instead like you did. Thank you for the information though. I appreciate it.
I had to doublecheck to make sure all of the wheels are the same diameter once you pointed that out. 
Yes, I can confirm that they are all 33" scale wheels.
They're a loose fit. If you twist the trucks enough they will come out but that shouldn't be an issue once they're attached to rolling stock. Once I find a Lionel scale car to use these on I'll be able to confirm everything but I don't foresee any issues.
Thanks for the response. I appreciate it.
