Wow, thanks for the in-depth and thoughtful reply; it's good to know I'm not
the only one who's tried this.
When I did the gondola, I thought the scale trucks looked too far in from the
end of the car, so I opted to leave the "hideous truck mounts" intact, and
merely tapped and drove the truck mounting screw into the outer-most hole in
that truck mounting "ring". I think it looks a lot better now, and saved me
from having to do any major surgery. Trucks are Ace.
I ended up replacing the under frames on both the caboose and tender; once
again,the over sized Flyer trucks necessitated having them mounted too close to
center, so I decided it would just as easy to dump the old frames and start
over. I had some thin-cut pine on hand, so I used it for both, with basswood
center sills, cross members and bolsters.
I used Ace trucks on the tender (for now), but will probably get some American
Models trucks in the future. I had recently picked up some unmarked Andrews(?)
sprung trucks that I used for the caboose. They were in pieces, so I used some
Kadee O scale coupler springs, and they seem to work ok, but were a real hassle
to assemble!
It's interesting how much longer the Flyer tender looks with the smaller, scale
trucks beneath it. I guess I didn't realize how huge the Flyer trucks were,
until I replaced them...
I'm glad you mentioned the tank car not being a good up-grade candidate; that
was going to be my next project, after I finished these three cars!
Mark in Oregon
--- In [email protected], JGG KahnSr <jacekahn@...> wrote:
>
>
> Just looking in for my daily (or less) hour of e-mail time.I've experimented
> with a dozen or more AF conversions in the less than three years I've dabbled
> in S scale,generally satisfied with the results, although the novelty is
> wearing thin by this point (I didn't get into S scaleto spend lots of time
> building, as my primary interest remains O scale--where I have LOTS and lots
> of projects).
> The twin hoppers are among the easier and more gratifying conversions, as
> they are pretty close to the AARoffset side prototype. I think I browsed
> through an S Guagian issue six months or so ago with an article by Rusty
> Rustermeieron various conversions; a good dozen years ago Bill Wade had an
> extended article in the S scale magazine heowned at the time on detailing and
> converting a twin hopper to a woodchip car that looked very nice (he mayhave
> used an AM twin, but the detailing would still apply). I use Ace bolsters
> and trucks, a few extra wiregrabirons (one of the weaknesses of the AF
> casting is the heavy corner grabs and stanchions for the toy trainmarket, but
> apart from a bit of thinning, to replace them is more trouble than I find it
> worth, although perhapsone could use AM ladders, available from Ron
> Bashista), and a bit of styrene sheet to extend the brakestep, whichin
> unconvincingly shallow (I do that for the same reason on some of the AM
> twins, too). I've replaced the brakelever low-relief with AM brakewheels on
> some of them and am considering installing the AB gear under the slopesheet
> when I have time to develop a drilling jig for the center sill. Diagonal
> bracing at the ends would be nice,but, again, more trouble than I want to
> invest in the conversion, since I have plenty of much-nicer SHS
> hoppers.Converting AF three-bays would be much the same, although, of course,
> the brakewheel installation is mandatory.So far as I can tell, the
> three-bays, being a later addition to the line, are less easy to find (and
> often more expensive)than the two-bay; someone a number of years ago
> reportedly bought lots of three-bay bodies directly from AF andresold them
> for some time with Ace bolsters--I bought two at S Fest where Jeff Madden was
> selling the Chuck Portercollection. Obviously the later hoppers with holes
> for their trucks will need coal loads to conceal them.Paint and reletter with
> CDS sets. The new owner of the Downs line offers a conversion package with
> just abouteverything one would need.
> Next easiest, in my experience, are the 40' gondolas, even though prototypes
> are more elusive. Grind off hideoustruck mounts and either fabricate
> replacement bolsters from styrene or use the Ace flat bolsters, add trucks
> andbrake gear, possibly replace the brake lever. Rebuilding the underframe
> is optional. I generally plug the oversizeAF coupler cutout under the
> endsills with styrene.
> Next are the flatcars: grind off the truck mounts and cover the deck (and all
> the holes) with Evergreen scribedsheathing, notching for the stake pockets.
> Probably the underframe needs replacing; someone provided a hotlinkto the OGR
> S scale forum a few weeks ago, and one of the members there posted images of
> a scratchbuilt flatcarwith a styrene underframe that would work equally well
> for an AF conversion. Brakewheel of your choice on wire staff.
> I've done a couple of the older yellow AF boxcars, which are a decent
> representation of the 1932 ARA prototype. Ace trucksand cast replacement
> floor with brakegear, brakewheel, corner stirrups (I used AM's), repaint and
> letter. I am currently (stillsitting on the workbench, as I've not done any
> modeling in weeks) trying to see how that works with a working door
> boxcar,but that has turned out to be more work than I can justify for a
> conversion, what with replacing the stamped steel door guides).I doubt I
> shall do any others. The plug door refrigerator cars, which used essentially
> the same dies with some replacements,don't look bad; I started one and the
> hardest part was trying to figure out a convincing prototype--so far best
> possibility isBREX. Probably won't do any more of those, either.
> Tankcars are the least worthwhile conversions, as the proportions of the tank
> are wrong and the frames are clunky; otherlist members reported recently that
> they shortened the tank and rebuilt the frames, even replaced the dome, but,
> again, that seems like a lot of work for a sow's ear.
> Jace Kahn
>
> General Manager
> Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co.
>
>
>
>
>
> > To: [email protected]
> > From: mugnai@...
> > Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2012 18:10:22 +0000
> > Subject: {S-Scale List} A Few Photos...
> >
> > I just downloaded a couple of snaps of a project I've been playing around
> > with.
> >
> > It's my intention to convert a bunch of AF rolling stock I have to as
> > "scale" as possible. My reasons are thus:
> >
> > I already have a fair bit of Flyer on hand, and although the die work is
> > not a good as the newer, scale stuff, I think it'll do for the time being,
> > as I gather more of the scale offerings that are now available.
> >
> > As a relative newcomer to 'S', it seems that this "new age" equipment is
> > fairly expensive, and, as I have lots of other interests, I'd like to keep
> > my costs as low as possible. Plus, for the most part, the more common Flyer
> > stuff can be had for next to nothing, so what the heck?
> >
> > My first step is to get them "road worthy"; new trucks, (frames as
> > necessary) and Kadee couplers. Then I'll start in with the detailing;
> > handrails, brake systems, etc.
> >
> > I hope this is "scale" enough to be worthy of this group, as I know the
> > focus of this forum is not American Flyer.......
> >
> > Mark in Oregon
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
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