Atlas TSC Adapters now open for sale.

[wcfn100]

I was hoping to get some pictures up but just haven't found the time.  In case anyone was looking for any add-ons for Shapeways Cyber Monday deal, I opened the ore car adapters up for sale.

These adaptors will take either a modified or unmodified coupler depending on your needs.

https://www.shapeways.com/product/WDFGKQYUB/atlas-ore-car-true-scale-coupler-adapter



I also put up the draw bars up for sale but haven't tested them in FDX.

https://www.shapeways.com/product/QHZVTWDAC/drawbar-for-atlas-tsc-ore-car-adapter



I originally had the draw bars printed in the new HP material, but the tolerance for a piece this small is awful and the parts required a lot of work.  I don't know if FXD is robust enough to use as a draw bar, but if you'd like to test it and let me know, I'd appreciate it.

Jason

[C855B]

Thank you!

[nkalanaga]

Ordinary styrene works fine for ore car drawbars, if that helps any.

Years ago somebody wrote an article on drawbar-connecting ore cars, using the Rapido couplers.  Cut the "knuckle" off, leaving the rear portion on the shank, then put that into the next car.  Still truck mounted, but coupled a lot closer than any other options.

[wcfn100]

Ordinary styrene works fine for ore car drawbars, if that helps any.

But that requires a lot of fabrication, especially with my coupler pocket.  I ordered the draw bars in FXD to see how brittle they are.  Mike has agreed to test them out if I send him a bunch. 


Jason

[C855B]

Yeah, Jason and I were talking about this in the background. I'm not so much concerned about the linear forces, but I expressed handling could be a problem with fixed-coupled units and angular stresses on the pin, shank, or the small loop around the pin.

My ore train project currently stands at 100* cars with more on the bench, so plenty of opportunity to break stuff! 

* - Not as crazy at it sounds. I've been accumulating these ore cars for 48 years. A couple of the boxes have the original 1969 LHS price stickers of $1.75.

[Lemosteam]

Check to see if the design will pass BSF material requirements.  The material handles deflection and stress quite well.

[C855B]

[wcfn100]

Nice.

Do me a favor.  Don't go hog wild with the Bestine on all of them at once.  I've only cleaned them with tire cleaner and I know the expected operation with that.  If you would be willing to give a few a good Bestine soak and make sure it's all good, I could sleep a bit easier.

My FXD draw bars shipped today.  Once I get them, I'll snip a few off and turn the rest of them around to you.

Jason

[C855B]

Already the game plan. The first batch (one sprue's worth) is out of the soak and drying at this very moment. I wasn't about to commit the whole pile without testing the process. Taking a break here and should be back with it this evening.

[C855B]

Finished one, after a couple of mind-farts having nothing to do with the parts. Goes together well. The press-in draft box lid is da bomb. One of the mind-farts was putting the coupler in upside down on both ends, so there was opportunity to disassemble. No problem a'tall, and went back together as prescribed.

Put it third car back on a 48-car train of very mixed full-size cars (not ores). Up and down the 2% with no issues at all, both pushing and pulling. That is, other than a fair amount of wheel-slip from the power.

Haven't come to a conclusion yet on coupling force using unmodified long-shanks. So far it's more than stock boxes with long-shank to long-shank. Maybe about the same as short-shank to short-shank with that slight "click" with coupling. I basically don't have a problem there since switching single cars isn't really an issue with ore trains. I'll get to the other three cars tomorrow, and will have a better idea then about the average coupling force.

[wcfn100]

For popping the lid off, try filing down the end of a paper clip to a size that fits in the hole and then bend it to access the hole on top.

Haven't come to a conclusion yet on coupling force using unmodified long-shanks. So far it's more than stock boxes with long-shank to long-shank.

Well honestly, the fit for the stock coupler was trial and error.  I was more concerned about it being too loose which could make it unusable and with possible variances in manufacturing, it's on the tight side.  You can always shave down the wedge angles where the coupler fingers push against the box and see if there's a sweet spot.

One thing I do with the stock coupler is when I put each of the coupler halves in, I push them all the way 'open' to sort of stretch them out and maybe seat them better. Seems to have a least a little affect.

This post seems so dirty? 

Jason

[Lemosteam]

@C855B What is the smallest radii that the cars will pass?

[C855B]

John, the smallest radius I have available is my test loop, at 14". No problems, either when connected to each other or to 40' and 60' cars. Runs good, looks good.

For popping the lid off, try filing down the end of a paper clip to a size that fits in the hole and then bend it to access the hole on top.

Well honestly, the fit for the stock coupler was trial and error.  I was more concerned about it being too loose which could make it unusable and with possible variances in manufacturing, it's on the tight side.  You can always shave down the wedge angles where the coupler fingers push against the box and see if there's a sweet spot. ...

It was simple enough to use an X-Acto to pop the lid off. I wouldn't trust going back through the hole out of fear of putting too much force in the wrong spot and breaking the glue joint with the body.

It appears I arrived at the "shave down" solution on my own. The first one I did today had a little bit of a hitch in its swing, and it smoothed right out with a slight rounding of the corner of the wedge. It doesn't take much... if it was 0.010" I would be surprised. Coupling forces improved with this; still not "kiss", but pretty good.

Ran the four cars together at the head of my (now) 51-car test train. Nary a problem. Looking forward (but not looking forward, ifyouknowwhatImean) to upgrading the remainder of the fleet.

[C855B]

Front to back:

• Jason's body-mount TSC adapter
• MTL, truck-mount short
• Atlas, stock truck-mount Accumate
• Atlas, stock truck-mount Rapido

TSC adapters 1/4" less space (~3' scale feet) between cars vs stock, and they look great. Maximum train on my layout would be 70 cars plus power and caboose to fit in 15' sidings and yard tracks. I'll take it.

[wcfn100]

Seeing that makes it all worth it. 


Jason