MTH NW2

I never new that MTH cataloged an NW2?

I have, but it doesn't really count.

I turned my 3-rail Seaboard NW2 into BPRC, doing away with the center rollers but still using hi-rail flanged wheels  running on 2-rail code 148 track.  Here's an old photo of it when it was still 3-rail:

You would have to pull the wheels off, the blocks aren't the type where you can simply drop in wheel sets.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

I never new that MTH cataloged an NW2?

Probably a Rail King model.

Hot Water posted:

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

I never new that MTH cataloged an NW2?

Probably a Rail King model.

It is. I have an O&W ps2 and the newer PS3 on order. Both Rail King.

FYI... They are oversized and not scale models.

jonnyspeed posted:

FYI... They are oversized and not scale models.

MTH advertises these as “1:48 proportions”. Can you advise what is not “scale”, aside from high fidelity detailing?

thanks

Jim

The MTH SW8/SW9/NW2 or whatever they call it is approx 1 inch too long, 4 scale feet!  all those engines shared a common platform with the SW1 - MTH did that locomotive correct (at least close).

I have one and never have bought any more account of this fact.  Ashamed as they have done a world of terrific paint schemes.  Oh well, has saved me lots of money for other items.

Gray

I want to thank everyone for the help and replies. I don't have a hobby shop to go look at 3 rail to see if it is scale and could be made into something nice 2 rail scale. Thanks Gray for pointing out 1 inch too long car body, now I know the NW 2 will not work out.

I wonder if some people who have 2 railed 3rail engines could let us know what will work. Thanks Dave

The photo looks too long.   I never had one but that convinces me it would not be worth 2-railing.    For 2-rail, the All Nation NW2 is an inexpensive option.    I have been told it is too wide, but I never checked.   It does look good from the side.   You often find used AN or General Models versions at shows for around 100.

harley rider posted:

I wonder if some people who have 2 railed 3rail engines could let us know what will work. Thanks Dave

I doubt you will find anyone that 2 railed one of these. 2 rail conversions take time, skills, parts, tools, and money. It is best to have a good model to begin with. I have personally never seen a RailKing model 2 railed.

Some of the RailKing models are scale-proportioned, such as the Alco C630 and Baldwin AS616.  Most of the shells have cast-in details (vs. separately applied.)  The NW2 in particular has odd proportions, they took liberties to accommodate the vertical motor drive and perhaps reused trucks and truck blocks from a road engine.

jonnyspeed posted:

harley rider posted:

I wonder if some people who have 2 railed 3rail engines could let us know what will work. Thanks Dave

I doubt you will find anyone that 2 railed one of these. 2 rail conversions take time, skills, parts, tools, and money. It is best to have a good model to begin with. I have personally never seen a RailKing model 2 railed.

I would have 1 upped you on this one but.....

I just got tired of wrestling with stuff! I have several MTH modern diesel switchers on deck for conversion to 2 rail and I doubt it will happen anytime soon. I even grabbed a few Atlas ones to swap out the trucks. I never even looked closely at them yet.

 I like the overall look of the MTH Railking MP15AC switchers well enough. I just wished they could have been made at the least, with the 3/2 trucks. So they get run about once a year around a 3 rail loop for kicks. I have them on a shelf now with a SW and a VO1000.

 I burned out on converting pass car lights and trucks, sorted diesels, a Weaver steamer that still shorts out, etc.

just stay with the MTH S2 for conversion ease. 

Joe at Baldwin Machine can two rail anything.

Tom Tee posted:

Joe at Baldwin Machine can two rail anything.

I thought it was posted that he's done converting for others?

Engineer-Joe posted:

Tom Tee posted:

Joe at Baldwin Machine can two rail anything.

I thought it was posted that he's done converting for others?

Correct. Joe has retired, and didn't even attend the March Meet. He is DONE!

I have converted the MTH RS27 (3) and SW1200 to 2 rail.    I started with unpowered units in all cases.    I think both models were Railking, but not sure. they are scale size (railking scale).    

The RS27s, I used P&D power mechanism with Alco RS truck frames which I think were Weaver surplus.   It was pretty simple, I just had to make body bolsters to mount the trucks to, and a motor mount in the body.    I did 2 for myself and a 3rd for a friend.

The SW120 (I think that is what it is) has actually been done twice.    The first I used an old All Nation switcher mechanism which had AAR trucks.    That worked fine.    Then I was given a box of 2 rail MTH parts that included two power trucks without side frames.    I changed it over to that and used the side frames that came with it originally.    The unit was painted Armco Steel Corp and I worked for them for a number of  years, so it has a sentimental interest.

But basically I put in new mechanisms using the existing frames rather than change the MTH block drives.

For what it's worth, these RK NW2 are fine running engines, at least mine was.  It ran great on PS2 and runs just as smooth on BPRC.  The ONLY problems I had with mine were early on.  (1) found 1 single strand of wire on one of the trucks causing a short, easy fix and (2) when my layout was in the garage it wouldn't run in temps below 50 degrees.  If I turned the heater on before I ran trains or if it was above 50 degrees it ran great.  Since I've relocated to inside the house I never had another issue.

It was tight getting a 9.6v NiMh battery inside along with the receiver board, on/off switch, and charging jack, but I managed (glad it was a bit bigger than scale!).

So I measured  the truck centers on mine.  The truck centers are 24'-6" on the model, 22'-0" on the prototype (according to the book I have, Seaboard Motive Power, by Warren Calloway and Paul Withers), think that comes to 5/8" too long between trucks.  Not sure where the rest of the discrepancies are.

Another photo:

This time the rollers are gone and it's sitting on Micro-Engineering code 148 2-rail track.  All my stuff still has 3-rail wheels but my layout is all code 148 2-rail.  So far everything runs fine, except I think the flanges hit some of the spikes on my hand built switches, no problems with #6 switches from Signature Switch.