I’m a newbie. I lucked into a couple of quality engines, but have no rolling stock.
The beautiful detail I see on models you guys do really blows me away. But, for now, for me, I’d like great performance with easy construction.
So, I can buy any inexpensive kits I see … and change them over to Kadee couplers (using information from Kadee) … and install metal wheelsets (or possibly replace the entire truck) (trial and error) … and then I’m good-to-go?
I’m going to buy that big Walther’s catalog tonight.
there are a few things you’ll need to get started before changing wheel sets and couplers…first the Kadee couplers…(I use the #5’s)…a Kadee height gauge coupler, a spring pick ( to replace any springs you may loose from the side of the knucle), and the Kadee pliers (to bend the air hoses that usually hang too low from the factory), and a Kadee 2-56 screw drill and tap set…the thing you want to accomplish is that all your couplers are exactly the same height…you can accomplihis by adding styrene plastic shims underneath the Kadee coupler draft gear box to lower the height of the coupler or add shims between the truck and the rolling stock body to raise the coupler…I always body mount the Kadee coupler and insert a 2-56 screw into the draft gear box and the car body to hold it in place…I also burnihe coupler with a small jeweler’s file to remove any burrs that may cause the coupler to hang up once they’re mounted and add a drop of wahl’s clipper oil to the copper spring for lubrication before installing the coupler in place to the body…now on to the wheel sets…I use a piece of 3/8" styrene tubing, a 1/8" piece of styrene tubing, and a 2-56 screw to hold the truck to the body…first, i’ll drill a hole into the body bolster hole large enough for the 3/8" styrene tubing to fit and cut it off even to the body with a razor saw…then, i’ll insert the 1/8" styrene tubing inside the 3/8" tubing and cut it off even with the body with a razor saw…then, i’ll glue everything in place with CA glue, let it dry, and then run the Kadee
2-56 screw tap into the 1/8" styrene tubing to form threads for the 2-56 screw…once that’s done, i’ll insert the screw through the truck and mount it with the 2-56 screw into the tapped hole of the 1/8" tubing…then i’ll check both couplers after both sides are done with the Kadee height gauge and add plastic styrene shims (kadee also makes a shim washer but it’s just as easy to make your own from sheet styrene plastic) until both couplers are dead center with th
Go with the Proto 2000 (P2K) 33" metal wheels. They are good quality and, if you’re layout isn’t completely flat, these wheels will let you know it.
Personally, as far as kits are concerned, I’m rather partial to the Accurail kits. Very nice quality and fairly easy to put together. Accurail concnetrates mainly on hoppers and boxcars. The couplers that come with the kits are nice enough, although not as nice as the Kadee’s.
I agree about the height gauge - best money I’ve spent in HO. The trip pin pliers are also handy, though in my experience they’re set at about the right height from the factory - my technique for checking coupler height is mainly concerned with getting the pin to clear the gauge. Both fairly inexpensive when you consider how much nuisance they’ll save you.
Indeed, changing couplers and wheelsets is most of the battle–but you’ll want to have a few Kadee truck spacers on hand in case the couplers are too high or too low.
I’m fond of the Intermountain semi-scale wheelsets, but in general any metal wheelsets will give you better results than plastic.
While I try not to have the really really cheap stuff on my layout, most of my rolling stock is Athearn blue-box stuff or other similar stuff in the $4-10 range, and aside from one or two used pieces it all runs swimmingly with a simple application of metal wheelsets and Kadee couplers, properly gauged and fitted.
I totally agree with cwclark and reiterate to get the coupler height dead on then check and addjust trippin height. I have a lot of older roling stock that I converted from talgo mount (truck mount) horn hook couplers to body mounted Kadee couplers. I found LL P2K wheelsets at MBKlein-www,modeltrainstuff.com for $3.99/12 axles. Welcome aboard and alwahs have fun!
While all of the above mentioned items are important do not forget to
properly weight the car. standard NMRA rule of thumb the car should
weigh 10oz. plus 1/2oz. for every inch in car length. A-Line makes some
great weights with sticky tape to hold it in place, I use 1/2" nuts in the cars
that they will be hidden.
We’re into the area of ‘What’s good enough’. so I recommend a SOTA (State of the art) car to gauge how close your individual effort’s get .- sort of ‘realty’ check… I use a FACTORY ASSEMPLED Inermountain car to see how far I’ve fallen short.
Do I have ALL Intermountain cars? No, but it gives me craftsman and rolling examples to use as a standard. It raisesmy level of appreciation.THAT’s power.
If you got quality engines to start with why not a few quality cars ?
I 'm sure there are some models (not so expensive) that this forum
may recommend that come with metal & acceptable knuckels.
You can find several article on wheels, Kadee’s and changing trucks in the NMRA ‘Introduction to Model Railroading’ pages at: http://www.nmra.org/beginner