IHC Covered Hoppers

[Doneldon]

jb-

I'm not familiar with the specific tanker you are talking about but I'll throw my two cents in anyway, assuming it's even worth that much.

Isn't it possible to build a small crosspiece at the ends of the car to mount a coupler? I believe such a fixture would be inconspicuous if painted black or the color of the car's frame. If the mounting height is screwed up, you could use an offset knuckle. If there are central parts which are lower than the frames sides, you should be able to remove the excess material. If the sides are lower, either build up (well, down) from the central beam or attach the new face to the inside vertical surface of the side beams. Make the decision on which technique results in the best surface to mount your coupler.

                                                                                                                                                       -- D

[jbrock27]

Good Morning Doc

You don't remember AHM models?  I am surprised...
Thank you for the suggestions.  That may work, going across the end of the car with the filler piece, instead of from back end in toward the tank.  I will have to look and see what kind of mounting surface I have for a piece of plastic on the top or bottom at the end of the frame.  Thank you again. 
Probably the best lesson for me, is no more AHM tankers

[jward]

it isn't that we old heads don't remember ahm models. we voided them like the plague. there is a reason there are tons of them for sale dirt cheap at train shows.  $3 car plus at least $5 in parts plus $100 in aggravation makes silver series cars look like the bargain they are.

[Doneldon]

it isn't that we old heads don't remember ahm models. we voided them like the plague.

Jeff-

I don't know if you were sending a subliminal message or if your finger just
didn't press the "a" key hard enough, but the result was an apt comment on
those rickety old ahm railroad equipment.
                                                                          -- D

[GG1onFordsDTandI]

I'll throw my two cents in anyway
                                                                                                                                                       -- D

Back to the pennies again eh?.....

[jbrock27]

JW, you and I are about the same age and I certainly don't consider myself an "old head"

I do not agree that all AHM cars are "$100 worth of aggravation".  The tankers, yes I would agree (although I recall you once recently, stating for the novelty, you would not be against owning one of their 6 dome ones bc of it's uniqueness ) are not worth the purchase.  Some of the boxcars however, can be modified with a small amount of effort.  And that coupled with their cheap price if you have some patience, can mean they are a bargain.  Also, if you already own them from younger days, (just like Jonathan showed us in his modification of a PRR boxcar posting), the only additional expenses are the Kadee draft boxes, whatever brand knuckle coupler you want to use and trucks and wheels if you decide to replace the ABS "pizza cutters".  I don't have the rule that you have against them on the layout, if they run fine on my Code 100 track, they stay that way.  If they don't they get modified.
I agree the Bachmann Silver Series is a very nice car.  I have posted that sentiment several times now.

[jward]

age is only a small part of it. remember I have been in the hobby pretty much my whole life.

there are almost always ways to bring a car up to standards. but it some of the more unique ahm and tyco cars up to standard.

the old pizza cutter wheels are second only to the horn hook couplers as a source of derailemtns in my experience. they were cheaply made, often out of guage, and prone to derailment on less than perfect trackwork. replacing them with rp25 wheels has always been a priority for me. whether or not those wheels are metal is less important than their profile. remember, early ahm cars had metal wheels too, but they had oversize flanges and didn't work any better than the plastic ones.

it should also be pointed out that if you only run them in a forward direction, they may work well for you as is. but once you start using them on an operating railroad, where they must be sorted in a yard and spotted in sidings you will find the shortcomings of any car.

[jbrock27]

Yes Jeff, I have been aware you come from generations of model railroaders.  Please don't misinterpret me, I was not trying to use our closeness in age to equate to a closeness in experience.  Was just pointing out, I don't view myself as "old".
Yes, I remember and have some metal wheeled ones.
Yes, I understand backing them up successfully can be more difficult than running them forward.
My son and I don't have scale miles of yard to be concerned with bc we simply don't have that kind of space to work with.  But we're happy with what we have to work with and make what we have work for us.

That "Deep Rock" tanker in your picture, is that an Athearn?

[Doneldon]

the old pizza cutter wheels are second only to the horn hook couplers as a source of derailemtns in my experience. they were cheaply made, often out of guage, and prone to derailment on less than perfect trackwork. replacing them with rp25 wheels has always been a priority for me.

Jeff-

They were not only out of gauge, some were out of round and
some were warped. Those wheels were complete junk.
                                                                                  -- D

[Catt]

One of these cars is a Athearn,the other is a TYCO.Can you tell which car is which? By the way I body mounted the couplers on the TYCO car.

[jbrock27]

Great work Catt!   My guess would be the bottom one is the TYCO.

Yes indeed Doc and Jeff the ABS wheels can get out of round and out of gauge.  For out of round or "chipped" wheels, take them off the car (if they have the plastic over the metal pin axle, I save them as the plastic sleeve can be used to fill a bolster hole that can later be tapped for a 2-56 machine screw.  I can't take credit for that idea, I got that from someone here-sorry I don't recall whom).  For the gauge check, this is what the NMRA gauge is in part, used for, to check wheel gauge.  I know I am not providing a revelation there .  Depending on the wheel type, the above mentioned metal pin axle with plastic (ABS) wheels for example,  if it just a matter of being out of gauge, it is possible to adjust it back to gauge.  Not true of course with all ABS plastic wheels, like the ones that are molded with axle and wheels  as one piece.  IHC cars (see original post) have these kinds of wheels, but not AHM if those are the ones we are talking about right now.  I cannot say all AHM wheels were junk.

Doc, I need to ask you, does your grandson still enjoy running the TYCO cars that he won at that barn sale?

[Doneldon]

jb-

You have quite a memory. Yes, he runs some of the cars after I got them up to speed for him. Frankly, I think he got cheated a bit but he was so proud of himself that I focused on how well the cars would run once we got them updated. We did junk two cars and the all plastic genuine trash Chattanooga loco. It was laughably bad. Thanks for asking.
                                                                                                                                                       -- D

[jbrock27]

You're welcome Doc .  I am sorry the after story was that he might have been cheated-I just remember how happy he was with the purchase and proud he was of his negotiating skills.  What kind of work did you have to put into updating the cars?
Regardless of whatever positive things I might have to say about rolling stock from now defunct companies, I cannot say anything positive about their motive power.

[CNE Runner]

As I had mentioned before, I had decided to exit from this thread's discussion; however I recently found important information regarding the use of lead shot and PVA adhesives (i.e. woodworking 'glue'). My reference is Dr. Alan Gee's letter in the January 2013 issue of Railway Modeller magazine [Vol. 64].

I will not include all of Dr. Gee's letter; but suffice it to say that in 2004 and 2005 he used a lead shot/PVA mixture in the side water tanks on his Backwoods Miniatures tank locomotives (English units - he doesn't specify which Class). Early last year he noticed the side tanks beginning to "swell outwards". This condition got progressively worse until the seams had physically split open.

Now here is the important point: "I know that lead over many years slowly chemically reacts with the free acetic acid in PVA white glue to form lead acetate. It is this larger lead acetate molecule expanding which causes distortion and swelling to occur, especially if it is trapped in a confined space, as in the locomotives' tanks."

Suffice it to say that Dr. Gee had a major problem on his hands - resulting in the disassembly (and subsequent rebuilding/repainting) of his locomotives. He says he now uses a solid piece of lead, cut to the tanks dimensions, to add weight OR uses lead shot held in place with CA.

Check the reference as I have left out much of his letter for brevity. There [probably] is enough room within a tank car's body to allow for the expansion of any resulting lead acetate. Personally I am not willing to take the chance and will use pennies + CA in the future.

Regards,
Ray

[jbrock27]

Glad you came back to the thread Ray.  And thank you for the added information!