Precision Scale Co. Brass passenger car 2 rail to 3 rail conversion?

If you are using a scale T rail type of track, you probably don't need to do anything. what type of turnouts do you use and how severe a radius are they. I would maintain the couplers to preserve the car's value. IMHO

Just my opinion but, those PSC brass passenger cars are VERY expensive, and require pretty large radius/diameter curves. Even if you could find the proper 3-axle passenger trucks, mounting them on such a precision scale car will raise to the car height a lot, which might make it appear totally out of place. I would leave it alone. 

As posted above, if you have "T section rail" track and large turnouts, it might just track OK. We had all Atlas solid nickel silver 3-Rail track & turnouts on our layout, with large curves, and we had lots of 2-Rail scale rolling stock, that tracked pretty well.

Oh, I forgot,,, the scale coupler may couple to the non scale couplers without modification. try it. No sharp radius curves though.

Thanks for the quick replies!  Right now I have Lionel compatible couplers.  I have toyed with the idea of swapping over to kadee like I did when I ran HO.  If this will work as is I could always have a transition car right before this one unless I swap everything over to Kadee.

I am currently using all Atlas track.  Right now I have a carpet layout with a minimum of 0-63 radius.  On the layout I am planning my minimum radius is 0-63 and my minimum turnout is O-54, also Atlas.  The outside loop is 0-72.

roll_the_dice posted:

Thanks for the quick replies!  Right now I have Lionel compatible couplers.  I have toyed with the idea of swapping over to kadee like I did when I ran HO.  If this will work as is I could always have a transition car right before this one unless I swap everything over to Kadee.

I am currently using all Atlas track.  Right now I have a carpet layout with a minimum of 0-63 radius. 

My opinion is, those curves are WAY TOO sharp for such a car with properly body mounted Kadee couplers.

On the layout I am planning my minimum radius is 0-63 and my minimum turnout is O-54, also Atlas.  The outside loop is 0-72.

Again, my opinion; you will need larger than 072, as a minimum, and MUCH larger than 054 turnouts for such "high-end" O-Scale equipment, equipped with body mounted Kadee couplers.

 

It’s complicated.    If you use scale couplers which you likely don’t or you probably wouldn’t have asked to begin with then it’s easy just change out the wheels and add some kind of pickup roller for lighting.    If your a 3 rail guy like myself it’s tough.   There is no direct fit truck out there you can swap with.   The MTH heavyweight trucks i’ve found to be the closest replacement.   However the length of the coupler tends to be about double the length needed for a suitable replacement.   I’ve never worked on a PSC car myself but the biggest variance between the 2 rail and 3 rail trucks i’ve found is the height of the truck assembly.   Seems like if you find a truck thats a nice fit it usually will require heavy modification to keep the car from sitting up in the air like you’ve installed a lift kit on a 4wd truck.  It can be a lot of work with great results but IMO there is no easy way out.   

I have a few 2-rail brass cars and one thing I noticed right away is the chassis details that aren't normally found in a three-rail car. This includes air lines and frame members that would inhibit a three-rail truck's movement. Mounting varies, so you'd have to find a compatible truck, and disassembling a brass passenger car can be daunting. MTH trucks have an offset, plus they're designed for top mounting which would require modification of the car.

You might be able to get replacement wheel sets from Northwest Short Line but you'd have to match the wheel diameter at the tread to clear the brake shoes (and keep the flanges as small as you can to clear the car under-frame -- maybe 1/16"). I can't advise you on what to do about couplers as I've been going to Kadees on my rolling stock and have larger curves on the club layout.

AGHRMatt posted:

I have a few 2-rail brass cars and one thing I noticed right away is the chassis details that aren't normally found in a three-rail car. This includes air lines and frame members that would inhibit a three-rail truck's movement. Mounting varies, so you'd have to find a compatible truck, and disassembling a brass passenger car can be daunting. MTH trucks have an offset, plus they're designed for top mounting which would require modification of the car.

You might be able to get replacement wheel sets from Northwest Short Line but you'd have to match the wheel diameter at the tread to clear the brake shoes (and keep the flanges as small as you can to clear the car under-frame -- maybe 1/16"). I can't advise you on what to do about couplers as I've been going to Kadees on my rolling stock and have larger curves on the club layout.

You are right, the detail is what sold me when I saw it.  I was blown away.  

I am not shocked at the responses I have received...just not what I wanted to hear, but if it was easy everyone would do it or I would been able to find "these trucks convert 2 rail to 3 rail" on a website.

Depending what I can get it for I may buy it and only display it...or maybe I will keep looking for great passengers cars.  This one had the road name I wanted more than anything then I saw the detail in the brass...

Here it is...Just one of the most beautiful RPO's I have seen.

roll_the_dice posted:

AGHRMatt posted:

I have a few 2-rail brass cars and one thing I noticed right away is the chassis details that aren't normally found in a three-rail car. This includes air lines and frame members that would inhibit a three-rail truck's movement. Mounting varies, so you'd have to find a compatible truck, and disassembling a brass passenger car can be daunting. MTH trucks have an offset, plus they're designed for top mounting which would require modification of the car.

You might be able to get replacement wheel sets from Northwest Short Line but you'd have to match the wheel diameter at the tread to clear the brake shoes (and keep the flanges as small as you can to clear the car under-frame -- maybe 1/16"). I can't advise you on what to do about couplers as I've been going to Kadees on my rolling stock and have larger curves on the club layout.

You are right, the detail is what sold me when I saw it.  I was blown away.  

I am not shocked at the responses I have received...just not what I wanted to hear, but if it was easy everyone would do it or I would been able to find "these trucks convert 2 rail to 3 rail" on a website.

Depending what I can get it for I may buy it and only display it...or maybe I will keep looking for great passengers cars.  This one had the road name I wanted more than anything then I saw the detail in the brass...

Here it is...Just one of the most beautiful RPO's I have seen.

You might want to look into the heavy weight passenger cars, and head-end cars, available from Golden Gate Depot, over the last 5 or 10 years.

roll_the_dice posted:

Depending what I can get it for I may buy it and only display it...or maybe I will keep looking for great passengers cars.  This one had the road name I wanted more than anything then I saw the detail in the brass...

Here it is...Just one of the most beautiful RPO's I have seen.

If you do display it on your layout, you won't be the first to do so.  Many of the set out overnight sleeping cars on upscale three rail layouts are brass two rail cars adding a lot of class to an already classy layout.  John in Lansing, ILL

rattler21 posted:

roll_the_dice posted:

Depending what I can get it for I may buy it and only display it...or maybe I will keep looking for great passengers cars.  This one had the road name I wanted more than anything then I saw the detail in the brass...

Here it is...Just one of the most beautiful RPO's I have seen.

If you do display it on your layout, you won't be the first to do so.  Many of the set out overnight sleeping cars on upscale three rail layouts are brass two rail cars adding a lot of class to an already classy layout.  John in Lansing, ILL

That makes me feel better...I was imagining it sitting on a siding and admiring it.

Hot Water posted:

AGHRMatt posted:

I have a few 2-rail brass cars and one thing I noticed right away is the chassis details that aren't normally found in a three-rail car. This includes air lines and frame members that would inhibit a three-rail truck's movement. Mounting varies, so you'd have to find a compatible truck, and disassembling a brass passenger car can be daunting. MTH trucks have an offset, plus they're designed for top mounting which would require modification of the car.

You might be able to get replacement wheel sets from Northwest Short Line but you'd have to match the wheel diameter at the tread to clear the brake shoes (and keep the flanges as small as you can to clear the car under-frame -- maybe 1/16"). I can't advise you on what to do about couplers as I've been going to Kadees on my rolling stock and have larger curves on the club layout.

 

You might want to look into the heavy weight passenger cars, and head-end cars, available from Golden Gate Depot, over the last 5 or 10 years.

 

I was looking at some GGD cars...I will look for some good quality scale passengers and still may buy this for display....just looks too good to pass on.

Buy it.   i’ve done the same thing.   sometimes they are to nice to pass up.   figure the trucks out later.  

Glad you decided not to butcher this beautiful model.

bob2 posted:

Glad you decided not to butcher this beautiful model.

I wouldn't call it butcher...I would call it kitbashing...However, you are right it is a beautiful model.