Changing trucks on these Atlas cars won't be easy. Atlas's trucks are attached to "bolster posts" with shouldered screws that probably have metric threads. The shoulders measure about .094" diameter

I not your Really free rolling trucks will be sure to find any less than perfectly level track. I experienced the coupling difficulty back when I used a transistor throttle. Gene Green

Spen Kellogg Spen, I, too, use alcohol to clean track but I wasn't aware that cleaning the track improved the rolling qualities of freight car trucks. That's a nice bonus. My son uses those little

Oops! The Ulrich gon is what I had in mind. Gene Green

I have a simple incline track that I use to test cars and locomotives that can be set to different grades. It can be set between .1 and 8%. I recommend that your cars roll down inclines of 1% while

Gene,             I have both, and the box car comes very close to an SP prototype. I'm still undecided on the stock car, and I'm a PRR modeler.   Fred Freitas

Like a Stimp Meter: http://www.leaderboard.com/GLOSSARY_STIMPMETER Rob Simpson inclined track for my cars. As Denny Anspach has said, the roll tester is a very good indicator for determining how

Gene Green wrote: I can't speak for Tim, but I use both the roll tester and an inclined track for my cars. As Denny Anspach has said, the roll tester is a very good indicator for determining how

Gene Green wrote: Ulrich had a metal drop bottom GS gon. Did MDC/Roundhouse have a drop bottom gon as well?? Tom Madden

Sorta close from about 6 feet. If you want exact buy a Westerfield <VBG>! Jon Miller AT&SF For me time has stopped in 1941 Digitrax, Chief/Zephyr systems, JMRI user NMRA Life member #2623 Member

Gene, There was also a model of a Panel side boxcar that was close or an exact model of of a Santa Fe Bx-3/6. Rick Dietrichson Wilmington, NC

If I remember correctly, the stock car is based loosely on the Pennsy K7 stock car. Frank Brua

Gene Green wrote: I think these two truss castings are the same. I always used to think it was the ARA box car, but haven't really checked details or dimensions. Tony Thompson Editor,

Back in the day MDC made a number of freight car kits using metal castings. Except for the drop-bottom gondola I don't recall anyone ever identifying prototypes for any of the MDC metal cars. I

Years ago Ed Ravenscroft (sp?) had an article in Model Railroader (I think 61) on his hump yard. He had a simple tilt track he had made that would test trucks based on the grade. His was specific

Tony, You are probably right. There are no absolute standards for rollability, anyway. It is all relative. I just need to rig up some test method that will work for me and which will indicate which

Gene Green wrote: Sure, and different cars with a specific truck might yield different results; but what we are evaluating is truck vs. truck (or more usually, wheelset vs. wheelset in a

Tim, What sort of grade is your inclined track? I have about 18 feet of track on an incline of approximately 1 1/2%. If I let a car go on that grade it is going fast enough to knock the coupler off

There were still seats available the morning of the clinic. We had a freind come down for the day who wasn't aware of the clinic. I asked Mike Brock if any were available and he said yes and to get

Andy; I am sure you are right, but I did not go into some of the issues I do not have good enough info on. I do not know if the cross-bearers were beefed up on the 8-foot door cars, or not (I