Atlas vs Micro Trains 3 Bays

[Lemosteam]

@High Hood and to whomever is interested, the kit is now available, details on the product discussion page: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=49356.0

Here is the test fit of the kit on High Hood's car, note the strip stock stirrups:



Here is the interior weight hider:

[High Hood]

Excellent job! Those new stirrups look miles better and that brake hardware is hawt. 

I assume that if the weight cover had the angled bit, it would have messed with the compatibility with the OEM load, but it sure makes a difference having an interior now!

[Lemosteam]

@High Hood - i see what I missed- I will fix the design post haste to have the angle.  Folks can glue new posts under the load.  It really is a stupid design anyway, IMHO.

[High Hood]

Sounds good!

[nkalanaga]

Or just shorten the existing posts!

[Lemosteam]

Or just shorten the existing posts!

Of course, but the load is unstable during install and I find on his model that it is very difficult to keep the load from tipping to one side or the other.

It really is just a bad design, IMHO.  I may try a simple mod today to the load to help this issue.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Of course, but the load is unstable during install and I find on his model that it is very difficult to keep the load from tipping to one side or the other.

It really is just a bad design, IMHO.  I may try a simple mod today to the load to help this issue.

The stock weight is steel right? Why not use magnets on the load?

[Lemosteam]

The stock weight is steel right? Why not use magnets on the load?

The hider piece in the kit now will have angles preventing magnets from getting close enough to the rod.

Good idea but this is much cheaper and any scrap styrene large enough will do. The load drops straight in with zero tipping.

After trimming the pins to rest on the new hider piece at a height you like, Shave the center pin to have a flat.




Cut a piece of styrene like the one below, no wider than the load and no taller than the trimmed center pin. Notch the corners to clear the ribs on each side, and trim the other corners to have a lead in chamfer.


Glue the styrene to the flat on the pin and you are done.

[Lemosteam]

@High Hood , The kit is ready now.

[High Hood]

@High Hood , The kit is ready now.

Looks great! Looking forward to seeing what the new interior will
look like in person. I hope many other modelers will find this kit to be useful. Thanks for your help in turning this idea into reality!

[bbussey]

I'm seeing the last couple of pages of this thread late.  Doesn't TrainWorx make a coupler adapter for the Atlas model?

[bbussey]

Trainworx item #622.  Available in black, red and gray.  Fits the Atlas 90-ton hopper and PS-2 3-bay covered hopper models.

There also are items #620 and #621.  Collectively, all three fit a number of vintage N scale hopper, covered hopper and tank car models.

http://www.train-worx.com/page53.html

[nkalanaga]

Actually, I cut the pins off my Atlas loads a long time ago, and just set the loads in.  Once in, they stay in place, unless the cars are mishandled.  They don't always go in flat, but that's easily fixed.

If you add and remove loads regularly, and don't like to handle the cars, a piece of steel glued to the underside of the load could be handy.  Use a magnet, on a stick, to remove the loads.

[Ike the BN Freak]

Trainworx item #622.  Available in black, red and gray.  Fits the Atlas 90-ton hopper and PS-2 3-bay covered hopper models.

There also are items #620 and #621.  Collectively, all three fit a number of vintage N scale hopper, covered hopper and tank car models.

http://www.train-worx.com/page53.html

They do, however the Trainworx kit doesn't have any brake details.

[bbussey]

They do, however the Trainworx kit doesn't have any brake details.

True, yet the MTL twin hopper brake hardware has been available as an accessory part for decades.