Atlas trucks,...off the rails!

[Virginian]

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Well, I hope I'm not being a pest, but I have another question....I'd probably figure it out myself eventually....but the darn little auto parts car cost 14.95, all by itself.(dollars, not pounds sterling

.
I have mostly microtrains rolling stock, and my Atlas Trainmaster has the magnematic couplers...but the three Atlas stock cars I bought have those oversize spring loaded couplers that look like they came out of a cereal box . The conversion trucks from MTL don't include under car extension..and the mounting hole on the autoparts car is too far under the carriage..the stupid little thing won't stay coupled, if it will hook up at all!!I'll spend some time on that one later...maybe with some good advice under my cap??. The shorter open low hopper works,sort of(I may delete Atlas from my supplier list in the near future.(see today's post by Art re: Atlas standard remote switches)
I'll try the third some other day...
To answer the obvious ?...'cause they're N&W,and that Road's hard to come by out on the west coast....and Salem,Va.is an awfully long drive....

.. any help...please???

a very unhappy N scaler

Virginian

 

[George]

Hi Virginian!

Maybe you should switch to "HO?

Can't help you here, but it sounds like you have more different types of couplers than the Wehrmacht had sizes of bullets!

Good Luck! WHERE'S SHAMUS?!?!?

George.

 

[Virginian]

Hey George and shamus..thanks for the replies.
G.: HO HO HO! wish I could, but available space just won't allow!!!!

Maybe I'll come into a great country property with a GREAT BIG barn/shop some day, then you betcha, I'll switch

...My intended eventual layout will model a good sized chunk of Southern W.Va and most of Southwest Va., to scale (connecting mainline condensed), with three major terminals with yards and shops, with good sized chunks of the cities and towns associated , and the entire small town of Mullens W.Va.and it's coal yards. Of course, there will be a lot of mountains, grades, tunnels, bridges,viaducts, etc.,etc..... whew, what an ambitious undertaking...am I NUTS, or what???

S.: Yep. those are the ones...switched over to to Micro T. magne couplers on two cars. They work fine, with a little added weight hidden inside..those atlas cars are LIGHTWEIGHTS!..the prob. is one long Autoparts car..the mounting holes are too far from the end of the car and the microT couplers barely extend out and won't couple.
I think I've figured out a possible fix..I'll have to study and think about it a bit more before I take the exacto to it...I should be able to move the strip of plastic that the mounting hole is part of a tad toward the end of the car, using one that works(MicroT boxcar)as a guide.
Thanks again,

<( God I love the sunshine!, but now WE need some RAIN

)

VGN



[This message has been edited by Virginian (edited 02-08-2001).]

 

[George]

Virginian,

Quite an ambitious undertaking. Hope you get to complete it in the basement of your dreams.

You mentioned weights. I've known two advocates of using modelling clay to add weight to "N" scale equipment. It cuts to fit any space and seems to work just fine. One fellow was quick to add a suggestion. Once you have fashioned a piece, wrap it in Saran Wrap to prevent the moisture from drying out of the clay. I've never tried it myself, but they were happy with it.

As for weathering here's a personal tip.
All I have to do is take off my glasses and everything looks Penn Central awful!

Later Guy!

George.

 

[shamus]

Yeah George, I'm the same without glasses.

V.
If you are going to use the opening where the Rapido couplers were housed, you can buy some microtrains (Kadee type) that will fit in. The only trouble is making the damn things up, you need to have fingers of a two year old to do it.

 

[Virginian]

Hey shamus and George,
make that three of us, at least, who could benefit from the development of artificial eyes...I'm fine for typin' this, but ,whoa, those itty bitty couplers...by the way,shamus,I bought a box of 'em last week...it's the location of the damn holeon the 'long Atlas autoparts car that's the current assignment...'sharp, shiny new craft knife in hand, he slowly approaches the operating table where the tiny boxcar lies helpless..'

Thanks, George, modeling clay sounds like a great idea..too bad I didn't think of it while I was at my local art supply when I picked up a new exacto...I was looking right at all kinds of clay and other modeling materials, some of which doesn't dry out, by the way...

..I'll post the brand names once I've gotten back over there. Any fully stocked art supplier would probably carry it.
Well, off to another page..'bye

VGN (no 'Joe cool' tonight; it's cold and gettin' colder...rain's comin' in from the Bering Sea..gonna' be a wet weekend)

 

[shamus]

Here Boss(G)

Hello Virginian,
I presume when you say that they have oversize spring loaded couplers, you are talking about my friend Arnold Rapido's chunk of plastic? Okay, I am not sure, but I believe microtrains might have a set of trucks to fit, they have wheels and microtrains couplers fitted all in one. All that is needed to do is remove the pin from the Atlas and insert the microtrains in it's place, and hey presto you can use permie magnets as well, to uncouple.



[This message has been edited by shamus (edited 02-08-2001).]

 

[Virginian]

Hey, I dood it!

I found the little replacement 'pin hole' in the batch of 'pieces' that came with the MT trucks..hot knifed the old, Barged the new...the 'weld' held, car stays on the track, and the couplers work!!.

now I can pr'olly git
eny N gaige N&W/VGN cars and ifen the' don' heve the 'rat' couplers..I declare, I b'lieve I cn fix 'em!

VGN

[This message has been edited by Virginian (edited 02-10-2001).]

 

[shamus]

Hi V
Now your rollin dude. Lets see some photo's in the photography forum, new post just gone in called favorite layout photo's, lets see some.