Bart van Doorn

You can find already quite a number of examples on the internet how to convert the trucks to 2-rail. I have used 33" from NWSL. As insulation I used Evergreen 1/8" tube. For the ones willing to try note that the inner diameter is a touch to small so you have to "hand drill" it to the right size.

I made the current pickups from 0.5 mm brass wire. Just enough stiffness to keep a firm contact with the wheels without to much pressure. Here below the new wheels already mounted

The pickups are fixed with m2 bolds. Making holes like on the picture here above and threading 2m threads in it.

The pickup folded to fit the bold

One side of the pickups are insulated from the truck. I use the locomotive's frame for the current carriage so I only need on one side insulated current pickups.

The non insulated current pickups.

The insulate pickup on the other side of the truck.

A challange are the couplers. There is just not enough space between the frame and the trucks to install Kadee's and as 2-railer you do not want to use the 3 rail couplers.

I used Kadee's 745. Cut them about 1 mm behind the shoulder (see below picture) and put a m 1.6 bold in it (drill a hole and make the m 1.6 thread in it).

 Take a aluminum L frame (max size 10 mm / 0.4"). Cut it to only 1.25 mm / 0.5". The coupler comes on 3 mm / 0.12" from the corner of the L frame in the center.

Make a m2 hole in the top side of the truck and you are there.

The rest is pretty straight forward. You have to install a DCC decoder if you want to use DCC. She runs good (have not yet installed a sound decoder) and will be used quite a lot on my switching layout.

"https://youtu.be/u6X89WI4d4Y"
Sorry not succesful in embedding the Youtube movie

 

 

Bart van Doorn

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bvdoorn

Reply 0
SJVRR

Hi Bart! Nice conversion. And

Hi Bart!

Nice conversion.

And welcome to the "O scalers group".

I've powered a 3 RL dummy Alco S-2 into a 2 RL smooth model. I started with a Lionel engine. It's very interesting and funny to do.

Great work Bart!

 

Jack from France (SJVRR or JAMO)

My blog: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/blog/35227

Reply 0
bobcom52

coupler

Good thinking with the coupler conversion Bart.

regards

 Bob

Reply 0
Prof_Klyzlr

Embedding Youtubes

Dear Bart,

Sounds like a great conversion.

FWIW, to embed a YouTube clip, don't use Youtube's "embed" URL function 

(which gives a youtu DOT be URL),

rather, just paste the full Browser URL for the Youtube clip into your message 

EG

http COLON // www DOT youtube DOT com / watch ? v = u6X89WI4d4Y
​(replace the DESCRIPTIONS with their symbols, and remove all spaces)

​Happy Modellling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

Reply 0
Bart van Doorn

The finald result

Built in an ESU Loksound 4.0 decoder. Sound is great. The combination with the original speaker is very good. I had to turn down the volume to about 10% otherwise to loud. My camera's mic is not brilliant so you have to pump up the volume when playing the video. 

Yesterday did some weathering; added years of service to the machine.

01053(2).JPG DSC01055.JPG DSC01056.JPG 

Fully ready for service.

Have some happy modeling hours

Bart

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