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e installing body-mounted couplers I chose to remove the<br />
truck-mounted coupler shank from the truck bolster and<br />
to also remove the mount for the third-rail roller. I did this<br />
with a cut-off disk and a Dremel tool (Photo 5).<br />
5<br />
how I did it. Now, attach the spade connector to the tab.<br />
On the other end, reattach the wire with the screw connector<br />
to a side frame. Make sure the insulated wheels<br />
are on different sides of the car for each truck before you<br />
place the car on the tracks.<br />
Installing Couplers<br />
Photo 7 shows the underside of the end platform with<br />
what appears to be a coupler mounting pad. There is not<br />
enough ”meat” in the end platform to support a direct<br />
coupler box installation and the coupler would sit too<br />
high anyway. Grind away the cast-on mounting pad with a<br />
Dremel tool (Photo 8).<br />
7<br />
Reassemble the Trucks<br />
Save a tab for the spade connector from one roller so<br />
you can use it to reattach the lighting circuit. Reassemble<br />
the trucks and replace the 3-Rail wheelsets with 36” 2-<br />
Rail wheelsets with pointed axle ends. I used NWSL P/N<br />
8288-4. Be sure to have the insulated wheels on the same<br />
side of the truck frame or else you will have a short circuit<br />
when placed on 2-Rail track.<br />
Since the floor of the car is ABS, we can use the trucks<br />
for lighting pickup by reinstalling them with the insulated<br />
wheels on opposite sides of the car. Reinstall the trucks to<br />
the floor, and then reinstall the floor to the carbody.<br />
There are four wires for the lighting circuit, two with<br />
screw tabs and two with spade connectors. Originally, all<br />
four were connected. You only need one of each now. Clip<br />
off one screw tab close to the floor and stuff the wire end<br />
into the floor opening. On the other end, clip off the spade<br />
connector and stuff the wire end into the floor opening.<br />
Remember that spade tab you saved? Attach it to the<br />
truck frame at the end where the wire still has the spade<br />
connector. There are lots of holes to choose from now that<br />
all the 3-Rail hardware has been removed. Photo 6 shows<br />
6<br />
10 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - Jul;y/Aug ’08<br />
Make new mounting pads from styrene or ABS (Photo<br />
9). I made mine from one inch wide by 0.125” thick ABS<br />
stock laminated with 0.080” styrene. This shims the coupler<br />
box to the correct height when using 36” wheels. I<br />
made the mounting pad fit the width of the space between<br />
the steps. Drill two pairs of holes in the mounting pads.<br />
The front pair were drilled with a #56 bit and tapped for 0-<br />
80 screws to mount the coupler box. Drill the rear pair of<br />
holes with a#50 bit to clear 0-80 screws.<br />
Place the mounting pads on the floor and drill through the<br />
rear hole pairs with a #56 drill. Tap for 0-80 screws. Mount<br />
the pad to the floor with 0-80 screws (Photo 10). Check the<br />
coupler height with a Kadee® gage (Photo 11). If you need to<br />
add or subtract any material, now is the time to do it.<br />
8
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