Truck and Coupler mod for older ATLAS cars

Use Weaver trucks and couplers to maintain a more proper ride height. 

Some trimming may be required to the under frame but they will work. 

I have half a dozen old Atlas cars riding on Weaver trucks. 

 Weaver trucks would be your best option. If you are using Kadees, Weaver trucks without the claw. You can also use Athearn Bettendorf (2) ATH90821. Just replace the 2r wheel sets 3R wheel sets.  

Doug

I do next to nothing to these cars; the original Atlas trucks look better than some of the

newer items and they run smoothly. I have no objection to the all-plastic construction.

Actually, I have used these trucks/couplers to update other cars with inadequately-wheeled

"2-rail" trucks. 

I always snip off the uncoupling pin as it is useless in our environment (though it looks

only somewhat worse than certain "thumbtacks"); the couplers mate just fine with typical

O-gauge couplers, and are no more bulky-looking. As for being dummies, well, how many Weaver plastic couplers work?

And how many "good" couplers are rubber-band-secured dummies?

Anyway, I'd keep the trucks/couplers, snip off the big pin and add weight to the cars

internally (most are too light) - and enjoy the trucks detail.

If you want to swap them out anyway and don't want the Atlas trucks/couplers, e-mail me; I'll give you a bit for them.

Flash and/or Doug, can you share specifically how you mount the Weaver trucks to these old Atlas cars?  It's my understanding that removing the large plastic "pin" from the Atlas trucks would leave a large-diameter mounting hole.  Would some sort of bushing or plug need to be installed in the large hole?  I'm picturing one that would be drilled/tapped to accept the typical smaller-diameter Weaver truck mounting screw.

Thanks for any help you guys can provide!

I would like to buy a few of the old atlas cars if any of you have them to sell.

Recall someone (Petersen Supply?) had a plug specifically for this purpose.

Either that or glue in a homemade plastic piece or dowel to screw into.

Agree that Weaver trucks are the easiest to convert these cars.

Lima:

The Plugs would be great if I could of found one. I have a couple of that were 2R that had metal plugs. Would of made things easier. AHM cars are the same. With the flats, I used Atlas trucks. Same conversion process. 

Ray:

Give me an Hour to post pics on conversions. 

Andy Petersen of Petersen Supply sold plastic plugs that were glued into the car body bolster years ago, these plugs converted this bolster for installation to Weaver trucks with a screw attachment.

Contact Andy if he has these still available, if not, you can use Plastruct solid styrene round rod, measure the hole diameter in the car body bolster, if my memory is correct, it should be 1/4 inch diameter. The Plastruct Part Number is MR-250 for 1/4 inch diameter, if you go this route, clamp this rod in a bench vise and hand drill a centered hole,smaller than the screw diameter, use this screw to cut the tread in this hole or use a small self tapping screws. Cut rod with the tapped hole to suitable length for gluing into the car body bolster,use Plastruct plastic weld solvent cement. 

This is what I used and it works well with Weaver and Athearn Bettendorf ATH90821 trucks.

Ray, 

Andy Petersen, owner of Petersen Supply, is still selling the conversion plug for the old Roco Atlas car, he identifies them as retrofit plugs, 60 cents per pair.

John thanks for the tip with Peterson supply. The plug would be a lot easier than what I used. That same plug should also work with MTH/K line/Lionel Cabs when replacing  trucks with Atlas Cab trucks.