Gold Medal Models steps installation

[mecgp7]

I purchased a few sets of Gold Medal Models etched brass heavyweight passenger car step kits. They are really nice and fairly simple to build. My problem is that as built they don't fit the cars they were made for. They will look great, but don't allow room for the truck and a truck mounted coupler.
Interested in what others have done to make them work.

[nickelplate759]

I have a hunch you are putting them on Bachmann heavyweight 60' cars 

I haven't tried those, only Rivarossi heavyweights.  Even there a truck-mounted coupler doesn't work, and I converted to body mounts.  I can't think of a way to keep the truck-mounted couplers.

As far as the trucks go, here are a few ideas to consider (I don't have the car handy right now to investigate):

1. if the truck is partly behind the steps, can you trim off enough of it to make allow it to work without it looking horrible?
2.  If the truck fits but doesn't turn enough - how much do you need it to turn?
3.  could you move the truck center towards the center of the car and get it to work - again without it looking horrible?   Remember that the an off-center truck bolster hole is OK, and can reduce the effective truck swing on the short end (like on the Micro-trains heavyweights).

[mecgp7]

Actually, they are going on old Con Cor, Lima and Model Power cars. The body mount coupler is not an issue as I was headed that way anyway. Truck mounted allow me to run them until I can convert them.
I, too, thought of moving the truck, but what a PITA on the several cars that I have. Thought of shaving the truck, but I think it'll show. My next thought is to somehow modify the steps although I haven't got any idea how.
For now the passengers need to jump out. Maybe I can get a bunch of those stairs that the airlines use!

[randgust]

I'm not sure its a good idea, but I did mount the steps on a sheet of thin styrene that was glued to the coupler box, so that on a sharp curve the steps rotated out with the coupler.

I'll admit on a curve it looked pretty stupid, but less stupid than not having steps.

[nickelplate759]

I'm puzzled then.  I've put these steps on Rivarossi cars and with body mounted couplers and the stock trucks they worked just fine.

[sixpakpop]

These pages worked for me when I did it. Good luck

http://www.prr-parts.com/Page3.html

[Lemosteam]

I know you already have your GMM frets, but thought I'd share my experience with them.

I tried a set of GMM step on my Polar Express and did not like them, because of they way they mount and because of how easy they are to break off.  I also found it very difficult to locate them relative to the door center in a consistent manner...

So I designed these I have similar versions for Lima, MP and Rivarossi/CC cars (shown):



They have integral, snap in coupler pockets that will work with 1015/6 and I think the new scale couplers.



RR/CC
https://www.shapeways.com/product/3BZ3TXX6C/n-scale-4pk-steps-for-atlas-concor-rivarossi-heavy

Lima/MP:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/E3PYXBD87/4-pack-n-scale-prr-steps-for-lima-mp-cars

[craigolio1]

What an ingenious design.  I sure could use something like that for my BCH caboose. The coupler is to be mounted under a very thin walk way. No way I can use a screw.

Craig

[jmlaboda]

So I designed these I have similar versions for Lima, MP and Rivarossi/CC cars (shown):

You need to do a three step version, which was what was common on most heavyweights.  The 4-step version was only used on some Pullman cars.

[PGE_Modeller]

You need to do a three step version, which was what was common on most heavyweights.  The 4-step version was only used on some Pullman cars.

Agreed that a 3-step version would be nice.  However, according to Tom Madden's "Pullman Project" site, http://pullmanproject.com/ , the Pullman Car Construction Records show that a considerable number of cars that were originally built with the 3-step version were retrofitted with the 4-step version in the 1930s.  Certainly, the two Plan 2410F cars (originally Pullman "Faunce" and "Cyprus") that were acquired by the Pacific Great Eastern in 1947 received the 4-step version prior to sale by Pullman.

Regards,

[JMaurer1]

BRILLIANT! So much better and easier than the GMM. Now I just need to find how many I need so I can order some.

[arbomambo]

I can certainly respect all the opinions here, but I just haven't encountered the issues stated here with the GMM steps...
~Bruce

[jmlaboda]

However, according to Tom Madden's "Pullman Project" site, http://pullmanproject.com/ , the Pullman Car Construction Records show that a considerable number of cars that were originally built with the 3-step version were retrofitted with the 4-step version in the 1930s.

Not nearly as many as you think...

Take a look at my Pullman car roster pages (based on info Tom has in the Car Construction Record) and you will see a lot of 3Ts where steps are listed.  Some were rebuilt, some were equipped initially but there were still a number of cars that had three steps, including a large number of cars sold to railroads...

PULLMAN PLAN 2585D/2585E 10 SECTION - 1 DRAWING ROOM - 2 COMPARTMENT CAR NAMES
PULLMAN PLAN 2410H/3410/3410A 12 SECTION - 1 DRAWING ROOM CAR NAMES
PULLMAN PLAN 2416C/2416D/3416 PARLOR CAR NAMES
PULLMAN PLAN 3585 10 SECTION - 1 DRAWING ROOM - 2 COMPARMENT CAR NAMES
PULLMAN PLAN 3950/3959 OBSERVATION CAR NAMES  The only plan where 4T steps were a majority.

This is one reason the GMM steps are so valuable... they are three tier.

[mecgp7]

I can certainly respect all the opinions here, but I just haven't encountered the issues stated here with the GMM steps...
~Bruce

Part of the difference is that I have reduced the gap between the top of the truck and the bottom of the car. In essence lowering the car and improving the looks (to me). I am also trying to get the bottom of the steps close to the bottom of the steps on the MTL cars. Regardless, on the Con Cor car, the steps don't fit without modifying the car and the trucks.

[nickelplate759]

Part of the difference is that I have reduced the gap between the top of the truck and the bottom of the car. In essence lowering the car and improving the looks (to me). I am also trying to get the bottom of the steps close to the bottom of the steps on the MTL cars. Regardless, on the Con Cor car, the steps don't fit without modifying the car and the trucks.

Lowering the car may not be the best way to achieve that. It's already about the right height.   It's not super obvious, but the trucks that come with the Con-Cor / Rivarossi car are actually too small.   Lowering the car may help the looks, but using the right size trucks might actually look better.  Micro-trains makes trucks the right size - not the ones that have truck-mounted couplers (those are the same size as the Con-Cor/Rivarossi trucks), but the new ones that come with the Micro-trains heavyweight cars.   You will need to drill a new pivot point on the truck bolster - and body-mount couplers.