Page 7 - May June 1998

‘O’
Lawson Little
Setting up Atlas
Freight Cars for
Service
Most of the suggestions given last time when discussing Weaver cars, also apply to those from Atlas, particularly the application of weights. This time we will deal with the differ- ences.
First of all, if you’ve bought a new car, chances are it will be undecorated. I find it easier to paint the body before doing anything else. In the absence of an airbrush, another visit to Halfords is necessary (usual disclaimer!). If you need ‘boxcar red’ which is actually a brown shade, then buy a can of ‘Red Plastic Primer’ which does the job in one (you might need two or three thin coats to cover the black plastic). For other colours, use the Grey Plastic Primer followed by whatever shade looks appropriate from the vast range of car colours. For example, Peugeot Platinum Silver Metallic is fine for Amtrak Silver Mist, and Rover Jade Green matches BN Green.
Next, although the Atlas kits date back to the 1970’s, the diework is excellent and will stand comparison with current production in most respects. What dates them is the truck/coupler assembly; the latter are big toylike things only fit for the scrap-box, and the trucks aren’t much better. Rigid mouldings with coarse-flange wheels, they also have a large mounting pin through a hole in the car floor which is far too large for standard 8 B.A. bolts.
The truck axle-holes are designed so as to make replacement wheels virtually impossible to fit, so the best thing is to discard the whole truck. The ‘large hole’ problem has been addressed by a U.S. manufacturer, RGS Trains, who market special hard-plastic grommets which are a tight interference fit in the hole; the grommets cost only $2.95 for ten.
Push them into the floor from the top. Don’t be misled by the very tight fit; the torque created by screwing in the truck mounting bolt will loosen the grommet unless it is cemented in place and left for 24 hours to set.
The truck bolsters sit the car too high on the track, making accurate coupler alignment impossible, so when the grommets have set, it will be necessary to slice a section off the bot- tom of the bolster, reducing its thickness by about half. The couplers and trucks can then be fitted in the normal way.
O-Scale News ran a piece in Issue 130 (available for $4 as a back number) on improving an Atlas 50ft gondola, a worthwhile exercise as this type of car doesn’t yet figure in the Weaver range. It will be interesting to see whether if Atlas re- introduce the range they update the kits to eliminate these minor problems.
Useful address:
RGS Trains, 184 North Main Street, Old Forge, PA 18518.
Scale Corner
UNCOUPLED CARS
(All items by the Editor unless otherwise credited)
FOR SALE:
On3 freight cars, O scale freight cars and fit- tings etc. Also HO brass locos incl. Tenshodo Harriman small 4-6-2. United Class B 2-truck Shay, and others. Also On3 model of Tennessee Pass Depot, fitted interior details. For list of models or details contact...
Geo. Reffin on 0116-2716105 after 8pm.
FOR SALE:
16mm scale - a few scratch-built items cheap - please call.
1/48 scale - last of the Westbrook printed car sides, around 17 for £20. Some kit-built old- time stock e.g. L.& H.R. flanger, Labelle box, reefers. A scratched pile-driver and a Milwaukee Road branch line water tower to good homes.
1/87 scale - McKean TT centre beam car kit, unmade. Several roof-walk era cars (R’House, Athearn etc.) with Kadee wheel sets and couplers. £2 each.
Some of this stuff cannot be posted safely and I hate doing parcels anyway - so callers preferred.
P.S. Still masses of unused Athearn half-axle loco wheelsets and and lots of unused 33/28 inch freight wheelsets - gratis. Plus some Trains and MTI mags and Bulletins going back to the 70’s - you know, when we used to look forward to receiving it!
Pat Janes. Tel/Fax 01291-621532
FOR SALE:
HO Kato CPR SD45, GP35 and GP35 dummy, unused. Also book, “Nicholas
Morant’s Canadian Pacific”, 450 pages, main- ly colour pix. and information.
Paul Baker, Call or fax 01245 223434
WANTED:
HO brass A.T.& S.F. 4-8-4 in good working order, and N.P. lightweight coaches, brown/green [Rivarossi?] Also need advice about corresponding loco type/s and livery. Contact Paul Van Hecke on 01372 277849
WANTED:
HO Rivarossi SP/DRGW Krauss-Maffei diesel hydraulic. Please state condition and price wanted.
Contact Mervyn Trigg on 01562-631621
PLEASE MENTION ROUNDHOUSE WHEN REPLYING TO ADVERTS - PRIVATE OR COMMERCIAL, THANK YOU.
BEANERY
FOR SALE:
Arkansas & Louisiana Midland 4-6-0, United/Fujiyama, painted [see Oct. 97 Continental Modeller p27a], can motor, Kadees, quiet and smooth, correct oil tender. Excellent shortline power £230; D&RGW C48 2-8-0, Train Inc. [See Encyclopedia of Model Railways p153] good, solid, reliable old brass, a little noisy, £165; Might consider swap for HOn3 locos.; Athearn PA-1/PB-1/PA-1 dummy, ATSF, some extra details, pilots filled in, Mashima motors, Kadees. £75
and WANTED:
HO brass 2-6-0 SP Class M-4, Balboa or Sunset etc.
Contact Roderick Welch, “Lynwood”, Church Rd., Longhope, Glos. GL17 0LG
FOR SALE:
HO brass PFM Rayonier #45 2-6-2. Professionally painted, with optional fittings. £220 + P&P.
DCC equipment. Digitrax Chief Professional Starter Set for HO. Handheld dual encoder throttles and LCD display. Command sta- tion, etc. etc. Still sealed as received from factory. £200 + P&P.
Contact Andrew Emery on 01792 884806
FOR SALE:
Sundry books and videos on USA railroad- ing. Some rolling stock and NYC diesels.
and WANTED:
HO Rock Island R67 4-8-4, Wabash 4-8-4, CB&Q 4-8-4.
Contact Tom Ingrams on 0181 850 8868
FOR SALE:
Precision Scale Co. HO Diesel Detailing Parts Catalogue Issue No.2 [current issue]. £2 post free...
and EXCHANGE:
Red Caboose Type 103W tank car kit Dupont, swap for Intermountain ACF Type 27 riveted tank car kit.
Phone Michael Larcombe on 01773 821013
FOR SALE:
O scale RDC kits by Mac Shops, one standard RDC-1 [all coach] plus one custom-cut for coach/baggage with 7 windows as per rebuilt by ATSF example [also similar to RDC-2]. Unmade plastic trucks included, unpowered but suitable for motor bogie or NWSL axle- hung motors. £125 pair, not sold separately. Contact Lawson Little on 01623 870663
JUNE 1998 7