I recently kit bashed several rolling stock that had the pop-in type trucks which I wanted to replace with screw in type trucks and metal wheels. Had some J-B Weld two part epoxy on hand which I used to plug the oversized holes. Once set and cured I drilled and tapped them for a 2-56 screw which worked just fine. Repainted, decaled and weathered $5 used Bachman crane and work cars to create a reasonable facsimile of a $75 Athearn set. I’m sure others have examples of making the hobby more affordable in a tough economy or for those on a fixed income in retirement like myself.
Cool, when I first started reading this for some reason I was thinking of those Tyco loco truck mounts. If anyone has a good fix/replacement for those let me know.
In the past, I used glued wood dowel, melted plastic sprue and baking soda/cyanoacrylate to fill up these holes. I like your idea better. The baking soda solution was used out of necessity. It’s strong but a little bit brittle, wouldn’t be my favorite solution.
Matt
In the past when I could not afford top of the line equipment, not like I’m sitting on a big old pile of money now I used to us C/A and pieces of plastic spru but what I found to work very well and still use it as a repair on some of those old Athearan Blue box cars are Helicoils they are relatively inexpensive come in 2-56 or darned near any size you want and once installed they are there for life and will never strip out. for me metal on metal is always the best way to go.
Those cars with the pop in trucks can be detailed into a very nice model with the addition of some detail parts and some weathering. I have many Tyco cars that I have swapped in Athearn trucks w/ metal wheels and Kaddee #5 body mounted couplers.
I first drill the truck mounting hole to 5/32". I then glue in a 1/4" piece of 5/32" styreen tubing flush with the hole. After the glue dries I drill out the tubing with a 1/8" drill bit. I then glue in a piece of 1/8" tubing about 5/16 long leaving the tubing sticking out 1/16". I then tap the 1/8 tubing with a 2-56 tap, mount the Athern trucks and the Kaddee’s on the body.
I have a few Bachmann cars that I worked over. I used a truck reamer to open the trucks up so I could install PK 2 wheel sets. Cut of the truck mounted coupler box and used Kadee Pockets on the floor of the car.
You can all so slip Kadee washers under the trucks to adjust the coupler height. You have to cut one side of the washer so it will slip on to the post.
Cuda Ken
JB Weld is good stuff. But I just drill out the hole large enough to accept a bit of plastic sprue and glue the sprue in place with plastic welder. When dry, drill a “tap” size hole (hole just big enough for the bottoms of threads on a 2-56 machine screw). I don’t bother to tap the hole, the machine screw will cut it’s own threads in plastic.
Some cars (IHC streamliners for example) the hole is small enough to take a 6-32 pan head machine screw, no hole filling required.
If the truck screw gets loose (or is loose to start with) a dab of rubber cement on the threads will hold it in place, but still allow you to remove it with a screwdriver.
THIS is exactly why I save the sprues from plastic model kits. If the sprue is too large for the hole, I heat it with a lighter, and grabbing it with pliers, stretch it until I get the size I need. Let it cool, then press into the hole with some CA on the part. Cut it off flush, then dress with either sanding stick or small file. Drill and tap, and it’s ready to go.
I do the same as Cuda Ken on my HO stuff (primary scale N) .Except for the fact that the plastic wheel sets are grub grabbers using the truck reamer then re installing the plastic wheel sets can make a huge difference in rolling ability.Body mounting KaDees or a simular knuckle coupler finishes the project.
I wish they would make a truck reamer for N scale.
Thanks for the additional good ideas. I will try the spru method next time. I also add the body mounted couplers and replace wheel with metal ones.