Minimum Curve Requirement Atlas O 40' Box car and 40' Reefer

The underframe details of the reefer get in the way.

If you just want some Reefers to run. You might want to look at the 36 foot ones. Pretty sure they are rated 031. Many colorful schemes available. MTH also offers a good variety that are nicely done and many of their schemes are loosely copied after the 40 ft. Atlas cars.

The Atlas 40' boxcars will run on Atlas O-27 curves as do MTH/Lionel 40' Boxcars and Reefers.   My former layout had O-27 curves servicing several industries. Motive power was a MTH 44 tonner.   I had O36 switches leading into the sidings.

-Greg

While I don't have any O-36-rated Atlas cars, I run several O-31-rated Atlas cars, including a 40' wood-sided reefer, on my O-27 layout and have not had any derailments or other running problems. Yes, the wheels do wear into the fishbelly underframe, but that is a price I am willing to pay.

I trimmed the underframes of my Atlas "master line" AAR boxcars and reefers in order to accommodate O31 curves.  They work reliably now.  On my Atlas two-bay plastic hoppers, I used thin washers between the trucks and the frames to raise the hopper bodies high enough to clear the wheel flanges.  Without those mods, O36 is probably the limit.  I don't have a lot of experience with Atlas cars, but my impression is that the problem with O31 exists chiefly with cars made from what had been Intermountain tooling.

Weaver 40' and 50' boxcars run on 0-31.  John

@700E posted:

On my Atlas two-bay plastic hoppers, I used thin washers between the trucks and the frames to raise the hopper bodies high enough to clear the wheel flanges.

Ah, yes. I had to use the same washer mod to get my Atlas Standard Cupola caboose to run on O-27.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and comments.

I'm looking for freight in CNJ road name. I ended up ordering the Atlas O Trainman CNJ Boxcar and a Weaver CNJ Boxcar for starters.   Also put in a  pre order for the Atlas O NE CC Caboose in CNJ.    

Thanks

Ward