Stirrups

Check out Atlas's website. Look at both the 36' and 40' stirrups. They are not expensive.

Try Tichey.... they have a bunch of different brass wire stirrups

eBay is a common, even typical, source for parts I need. Entering "brass" in the title search field will bring up may "Parts" listings, as brass is the most common material for non-plastic details. But also look under "steps" and "stirrups" and the like. The "brass" is just a good generic place to start.

This sort of thing can often come in a "grab bag" setting, typically cheap-ish, and will contain other detail parts that will get you thinking of other projects which will require still other parts...and so it begins and never ends.

I seem to recall a locomotive scratch-bashing project that was ultimately brought on just because I got this particular headlight or some such. Dangerous.  

Scale City Designs has freight car stirrups. I Have bought several packages.  These stirrups are cast in metal like the old Walthers detail parts. I plan to use them when I can not get stirrups from the manufactures. Atlas can get them to you when they have them. I have never tried to order them form MTH or Lionel. Their stirrups do not seem to break as easy as the Atlas stirrups.  You would think that Lionel, Atlas and MTH would always have these plastic stirrups on hand for purchase since they break so easy.

Richard

I wouldn't even bother trying to get plastic replacements as they will just continue to break. At least the brass or metal ones can be bent back.

I need a pic to see what you are referring to when you say curved.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

I need a pic to see what you are referring to when you say curved.

I just grabbed this off the interweb.  What I call "funky" are the stirrups on the right end of these Weaver box cars.  They have that bend in them.  

At this point, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go ahead and make my own using staples for the straight "U" and brass for the "funky" bends.  I agree that replacing plastic with plastic is kind of silly as they will only break again.

That stirrup will be available from us shortly along with many new and exciting products.  We will post on here when they will be available, otherwise send us an email and we will notify you directly as soon as they are available.

Scale City Designs posted:

That stirrup will be available from us shortly along with many new and exciting products.  We will post on here when they will be available, otherwise send us an email and we will notify you directly as soon as they are available.

Thanks,  I was just on your website and Ebay store.  I'll send you my email.  Are you going to produce a metal ladder?  

We currently have an 8 rung plastic ladder that John Keil designed, but because John left the mold with the company that made them for him and now they went out of business we no longer have the mold. Since we are down to the last box of them we will be offering them in jewelers pewter probably before fall.  here is a link to them:

http://www.scalecitydesigns.co...e-O-Scale_p_261.html

I'll be loading up on stuff from you website!

I'm really glad to hear that SCD will be offering the "odd-shaped" stirrup steps mentioned above.  Count me in as a customer!

I've been using their "U"-shaped  ones for a while...and keep a good supply on hand at all times. I've been hoping they would expand their offerings to other shapes/styles, but never thought of asking...duh!!

um. . . wow! ^^  Awesome work!

Thanks, Basil!

Joe, what do you use to secure the stirrup to the body?

Basil, the SCD stirrups have mounting posts on the back, which is another reason I like them so much.  I drill through holes in the car body at a diameter that provides a snug fit, insert the stirrups, and then apply a drop of Gorilla CA glue (blue cap) from the backside of the hole.  

This method provides a pretty secure and rugged mounting of a fine scale-sized detail.  The worst thing that has happened so far is that I've accidentally bent the metal stirrups during handling, but as Laidoffsick (Doug) mentioned above, all you have to do is bend them back into position!

Hope this helps!

A little later than we hoped... but finally releasing the new stirrup for Freight cars. We will have another 2 step style available shortly as well.

Just $6 for 8 stirrups 4 left 4 right.

http://www.scalecitydesigns.co...stic-cars_p_332.html

Thanks Marty,

I'll be ordering a couple of sets.

Richard

Great news! Just ordered 3 sets.

I was ordering the stirrups a moment ago, so I took the time to look at the rest of the various parts on Marty's website. I came across part #48929 Replacement  truck Bolster for Weaver Allied Cushsioned trucks used in the troop sleeper series of cars. I wanted to get this information to the group. I am sure many of you have some of the broken trucks.

I ordered a set for my two broken  Allied Cushsioned trucks. If these bolsters work they would have saved me at least $44 on the parts I ordered I made to Atlas a while back.

I hope we now have another solution for the Weaver troop car Zinc rot failures.

Thanks Marty!

Richard

Richard Gonzales posted:

I was ordering the stirrups a moment ago, so I took the time to look at the rest of the various parts on Marty's website. I came across part #48929 Replacement  truck Bolster for Weaver Allied Cushsioned trucks used in the troop sleeper series of cars. I wanted to get this information to the group. I am sure many of you have some of the broken trucks.

I ordered a set for my two broken  Allied Cushsioned trucks. If these bolsters work they would have saved me at least $44 on the parts I ordered I made to Atlas a while back.

I hope we now have another solution for the Weaver troop car Zinc rot failures.

Those bolsters are to narrow the Weaver Troop truck width since a 2Rail wheel is narrower than a 3Rail wheel and they used the same part on either car. Are you using them in 3R? Not sure the 3Rail wheels/axles will fit, let us know.

BobbyD,

I am using them on 3 rail trucks. For $5 bucks I will give a set a try. If they are too narrow maybe I can use some shims to make up the difference. It's worth a try. 

Thanks for the heads up. 

Richad 

I made replacement stirrups using Plastruct 1/16 inch square styrene strip and Plastruct plastic weld or Bondene solvent cement. Using a machinist's steel ruler or a vernier caliper, take accurate measurements of the remaining stirrup on the car body that needs replacement. Using these measurements cut the 1/16 inch square styrene strip to the required piece lengths, trim the ends for the angled sections and use the Plastruct cement to glue the pieces together, I cut these lengths with an Exacto knife.

Once the stirrup assembly is complete make sure the stirrup legs that attach to the car side sill are coplaner or flat, the foot bearing area of the stirrup must be parallel to the car side sill. Use the Exacto knife to remove the remaining portions of the old stirrup that is missing, remove all paint or old adhesive, position the stirrup on the car side sill by using a reference dimension from the car end from the molded stirrup that is on the diagonal opposite car corner. Unless I am wrong most the the manufacturers use styrene as the molding material to make the car bodies. Paint the replacement stirrup the required car color, this fabricated styrene shape is a good representation of the molded stirrup, they are not identical, the molded cross-section of the stirrup bars are rectangular not square, the thickness of this bar is less than 1/16 inch thick. I used the 1/16 in square styrene because it was easier to assemble and to apply to the car also this assembly has good rigidity.       

Scale City Designs posted:

A little later than we hoped... but finally releasing the new stirrup for Freight cars. We will have another 2 step style available shortly as well.

Just $6 for 8 stirrups 4 left 4 right.

http://www.scalecitydesigns.co...stic-cars_p_332.html

Thanks for doing these, Marty!  As mentioned earlier in this thread, I've been waiting for someone to make stirrups in this shape.  I will be a regular customer!

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THE GREAT RESPONSE ON THE STIRRUPS. Many more items to come shortly!!!!

Now that Marty at  Scale City Designs has these replacement stirrups available I will purchase them for replacement, I have purchased from Marty in the past well pleased with customer service.   

Mary,

There has been a comment here that indicates the replacement bolsters for the Weaver Allied Cushioned trucks are only for the Weaver two rail version of the truck. Three rail wheel sets will not fit in the trucks when your replacement bolster is used.

Can you clear this up for us?

Thanks,

Richard

I hope to see the end lift ring set for e and f units soon!