MTH Airslide Hopper convert-2 rail

MTH trucks mount from above through the floor. I've heard (but not confirmed) that the Atlas separate-sale trucks come with plug to go into the MTH mounting hole. I have two myself that I need to convert. I was just planning to replace the trucks with the MTH 2-rail trucks.

As usual, Mr. Jackson is correct. Atlas's separate sale trucks come with a plug that allows you to mount them to MTH's cars. Both Atlas and MTH trucks will lower the car, but Atlas makes a 100 ton truck with 36 inch wheels, which presumably is more appropriate for this hopper. The MTH truck is, I guess, a 70 ton truck and in all events has 33 inch wheels.

I have one of these MTH cars from the very first run, and I've toyed with two-railing it or converting it to three-rail scale. It does not a coupler mounting pad, nor a lot of room underneath for a body-mounted coupler, though I think that's not an insoluble problem. There's basically empty space in the place where one otherwise would have a coupler mounting pad. Many MTH cars have been upgraded over the years to allow for for scale coupler mounting, and perhaps that's the case with the Airslides but I don't know. If you haven't acquired the car yet, and would like to see what the bottom looks like, let me know and I'll take a picture.

I think Kadees would be a better choice for couplers. Based on my observations of the car I have, they also may be an easier mount (using the side pockets on the draft gear box). But again, unless newer issues have been upgraded, you will have to improvise a little more than usual to body mount couplers.

RM

Returning the compliment, Rich is right about the MTH roller bearing trucks -- 33" wheels and 70-ton configuration. The other plus with the Atlas trucks is that the bearing caps rotate.

I'll check my Airslides when I get home, but I think they're more modern and as I recall, the MTH cars produced over the last few years (almost five I think) have mounting holes for Kadees.