I know that I've read, somewhere out on the wonderful world wide web, some posts or a tutorial for upgrading these puppies with body mount couplers, new trucks, etc. I CAN'T FIND 'EM. I have the couplers (MT 1015's), some BLMA trucks (100ton), and a couple of the cars just sitting around ready to go, and I'm jonesing to do a simple project. So if anybody can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it.
BikerDad, Oddly enough I've been looking for the same tutorial 'cause I forgot to bookmark it and I've been gathering parts, too! Great minds think alike? Terry
Perhaps you were thinking of the article/tutorial for the MDC (now Athearn) well car found here.... N SCALE INTERMODAL MODELS Can't recall seeing one for the Walthers car but hopefully someone does or can provide some insight. Russ
This will get you very close: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=120829 Gary Hinshaw has done about the best work, in my opinion, with upgrading the Walthers wellcars, although this thread above deals with the 5-unit sets its similar projects. I also think Pastoolio or Scott Stutzman (can't recall which) did work on the singles and shortened one to a 40' well as well. I'd recoomend searching the forum for the greenlightintermodal modeling contests, there were several entries in the Walthers wellcars that were very nice. I have upgraded a number of these and the Gold Medal Models upgrade is a GREAT start, and body mounting couplers on these is a breeze, as are truck upgrades. Here is one I cut down to 40', added MT trucks and the Gold Medal Models upgrade (before I painted the handgrabs): my best, Jan
For the single-unit well cars I just used the GMM detail kit #160-46 per instructions, and MT 1035 trucks with couplers. Aside from the mods called for in the GMM instructions, I just filed the bolsters down until the top of the MT coupler box was grazing the underframe. I also added some BLMA 18" grab irons to the ends of the cars and some piping (wire) between the brake components. Here is a before & after shot: Some close-ups of similar mods on my 5-unit sets are in my Picasa albums, in case they might be helpful: http://picasaweb.google.com/GFHinshaw/ThrallTTX2008# http://picasaweb.google.com/GFHinshaw/ThrallBRAN2008# These make very nice well cars with this fairly straightforward upgrade. I'm planning to body-mount Z scale couplers and couplers cut levers at some point but haven't done so yet. It should be pretty straightforward with the hefty metal end platform. Best, Gary P.S. [blush]Thanks for the shout out Jan.[/blush]
