MTL gondola project

[unittrain]

I just finished lengthening 2 MTL B&O gondolas by cutting the cars in 2 places per end and added .043 strip and reassembled the cars, they so far have turned out pretty good just have to paint match the black to paint the strips etc. I have a question though as to making new bolsters to have correct ride height with BLMA wheels, would 1/16" x 1/8 strip suffice and how should I go about making them? I plan on adding body mounted couplers new stirrups and coil hoods to make a coil gondola fleet. If these work ok I plan on modifying the rest of my MTL gondola both 14 and 15 panel versions as the model is decent enough to fill the void of 50s -70s  era riveted gondolas.

[bbussey]

Since you're body-mounting the couplers, your best option is to switch to BLMA trucks since they have a lower bolster arm with a centered bolster hole.  If you wish to keep the MTL trucks, you have two options.  One is to cut the diecast floor just inside the bolsters and discard, then build new bolsters from styrene strip.  The second is to mill down or file down the bolsters to the proper height.  The couplers would have to be mounted to the underside of the body to be at the proper height.  If you decide to file down the bolsters rather than remove them, you will have to cutout notches in the ends of the underframe that match the perimeter of the coupler box so that the couplers can be mounted to the body.

[nkalanaga]

If you're reusing the MT trucks, regardless of wheels, 3/32 thick bolsters put the floor at the right height for 1015 or 1025 couplers.  Not having 3/32 plastic strip, I usually use 0.060 + 0.030, which is close enough.

I usually cut the frame at the first crossbearer inside the bolster, and make a new plastic center sill between the frame and the bolster.  That way I know there will be enough clearance for the flanges, and it's no more work than cutting it just inside the bolster.

If you cut the frame, you will also have to find a way to mount the stirrups.  I cut the center out of the casting, to make room for  the coupler, then glue them on.  Contact cement (Seal-All from the hardware store) will keep them from sliding, and a small block of styrene glued to the endsill over the strip will keep them from pulling off.  Nothing really sticks to the plastic they're cast from, but between the glue and the plastic they're mechanically retained.

File a notch in the endsill for the coupler pocket.  If this is a drop-end gon, file very carefully, as the endsill is fragile.  Don't forget to put the ends in before screwing the couplers on!

[cjm413]

If you have a car with an older underframe, they have square openings that provide more than enough space to mount a pair of 1015 couplers to the underside of the plastic floor.

[unittrain]

Thanks for the suggestions I plan on getting these done and will post pictures.

[nkalanaga]

CJM413:  True, although one will still have to cut the stirrup casting.  If using BLMA or other low-bolster trucks that will work fine.  One MAY also have to grind a little off the casting to clear the wheel flanges on the inside axles, but I haven't tried lowering them this way, so can only suggest seeing if they clear before getting out the grinder.

I found, after filing down the bolsters on my MT boxcars, that the older 40 ft underframes cleared low-flange wheels fine, but the 50 ft cars didn't, so it definitely depends on the car.

[cjm413]

CJM413:  True, although one will still have to cut the stirrup casting.  If using BLMA or other low-bolster trucks that will work fine.  One MAY also have to grind a little off the casting to clear the wheel flanges on the inside axles, but I haven't tried lowering them this way, so can only suggest seeing if they clear before getting out the grinder.

I found, after filing down the bolsters on my MT boxcars, that the older 40 ft underframes cleared low-flange wheels fine, but the 50 ft cars didn't, so it definitely depends on the car.

I recall there was some interference with the BLMA 70T trucks, but having that opening did save me a lot of unnecessary work in lowering the overall height of the car.  The biggest obstacle is keeping my kids off my @$$ long enough to safely grind down the underframe (or hear myself think!)

[nkalanaga]

Not knowing your kids, I'll take your word for it.  It doesn't take more than a few seconds with my Dremel, but I don't try to be pretty either.  The floor between the underframe braces doesn't show from the side, so just grind a bunch off.  The cats tend to hid at the other end of the house when the grinding starts.

That's on the boxcars.  As I said before, I cut the underframe on the gons, so have never had to grind one.  It's probably about the same amount of work either way, and you have the choice of grinding metal or sniffing glue fumes.