Repairing the "warped underframe" problems with the Weaver Troop/Express cars.

Hot water,

Glad to see this topic in the front, once more.  I have had two, so far, frames warp on me, to the point of breaking.  Have not rebuilt as of yet, making note of what procedures others have tried and found worked.  It is interesting what you have found, and I will pursue this with the remaining Weaver troop cars I have, but do not exhibit warping.  Hopefully this will prevent any problems with them in time.

Thank you for your posting and information.

Jesse Beatty    TCA

Interesting.  An LHS associate and I had prepared and verified molds for making resin castings of the floor (sans center sill, piping, brake hardware....which is removable.).  We were preparing to offer them complete with instructions to interested folks.

Then we found out that Atlas, having obtained and since announced re-release of these Weaver cars, would be making a retro-fit metal floor die casting for Weaver car owners.  Therefore, we set aside any continuing effort on our part (still have the mold, though). 

Since then we've kept in touch through our Atlas sales rep on their progress to follow through on this commitment.  We understand that there was to be a recent management meeting at Atlas in which this subject/status (amidst many others) would be reviewed.  We're 'staying tuned' for a report.....as I imagine many of you are.

So, should Atlas' retro-fit effort not come to being, we'll perhaps be back with an alternative.

As I recall, though, there were some extreme examples of this 'zinc pest' issue reported in which the warpage of the die cast floor was severe...and forceful!!...enough to actually crack the body molding!!.   I wouldn't doubt that that could happen.  It's akin to the expansion damage water trapped in a confined space can do as it freezes/expands.  I recently saw a program on TV documenting the gradual destruction/collapse of old poured concrete structures in Detroit (e.g., abandoned automotive plants) as water finds its way to structural cracks, freezes during the long, cold northern winters, and splits the 'reinforced' concrete structure eventually to collapse. 

Here's a personal example of the force behind 'zinc pest'....

Notice how the warpage in this cast 1835W tender shell (part of Dad's 366W) split the sheet brass Lionel Railway Lines label in half!  That's a LOT of tensile force to accomplish this split!!   (Dad had obtained a replacement tender from Lionel that's....thankfully!!...held up perfectly since the mid-1930's when it was made!  We've kept this derelict in the family as sort of a curiosity.....that's since been used to exemplify a rather horrific phenomenon in the hobby's metallurgy even to this day!)

KD

DKDKRD,

Thank you for the update. Hopeful either you or Atlas will be able to provide the replacement frames soon. I had two of my frames warp to the point that the center sill also snapped in two along with the frame.

Richard Gonzales