Lifelike FA2s, Atlas FAs -- anybody done the body swap?

[OldEastRR]

Because the FA2 body is longer than the FA1, is there any problems making it fit? I'm looking to use an FB2 shell on the Atlas. The couplers are body mounted on both engines.

[Jbub]

Because the FA2 body is longer than the FA1, is there any problems making it fit? I'm looking to use an FB2 shell on the Atlas. The couplers are body mounted on both engines.

Do you have the new FA1 from Atlas and an FB2 shell? If so, try it and see. My question would be, are the wheel bases the same on both locomotives if the body's are different lengths?

[kornellred]

The wheelbases of the FA1 and FA2 are most definitely different.  The FA2 was created to include a possible addition of a steam generator, which  necessitated the lengthening of the carbody by 2 feet.  Alco made frame and wheelbases longer to suit.

[wm3798]

Back in the day, a common swap was to install a Model Power/Mehano FA2 shell on the old Atlas/Roco FA1 drive, which was far superior to the Yugoslavian garbage.

This set was done by David Lloyd of England, who donated them to the WMRHS N scale Layout fleet.  We ran the devil out them. 

On close inspection you can see the gaps behind the pilot and ahead of the rear ladder, since the shorter drive is centered under the shell.  If the newer locomotives you're talking about are accurately scaled, you should be able to get away with a similar illusion.  The tricky bit will be how the shell fits on the drive.  The old dogs didn't have much in the way of little nubs or protrusions on the inside, just the clips down by the fuel tank.  As I recall, there was some weight added over the drive to improve pulling performance, and the longer shell provided ample room to do so.

It helps if your paint scheme is basic black, so keep that in mind...

Lee

[woodchip]

Why not use the Prairie Shadows FPA4. They're good runners Prairie Shadows had Rapido make them plus the FPA4 was based on the FA2.

[OldEastRR]

Yes, I measured the FA1 and FA2 shells to each other and the -2 is longer. So it will have some spacing irregularity with the trucks but as Lee says, it's not a noticeable flaw. The rear trucks of both models are placed exactly the same on the frame, but the front truck on the -2 sits a couple of feet farther forward than on the -1. But if you set the shell with the center door in the middle of the side, it looks good. Luckily these days there aren't truck-mounted couplers on locos so switching bodies is pretty uncomplicated.