7mm Richards P48 US Thread

[Overseer]

I now have the latest version of the GP60 coupler box, I think it is now in the correct place, it just needs a little tweak to the internal levels to support the kadee coupling.

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And now with the snowplough back in place

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Looks much better. Now it really needs a brass (or nickel silver) snowplough made to look like the prototype.

 

[richard carr]

While I'm waiting for a few more GP60 parts to arrive I have been building a new switch for the layout.

Fasttracks do a large range of jigs to help you build your own track in various scales from N gauge to OW5 and P48 and plenty in between.

This is jig to build 1 in 6 switches.



You don't need gauges as the slots in the aluminium are precisely machined for code 125 rail and puts them in exactly the right place.
You start by laying some PCB, they make a jig to allow you to cut these to the correct length too. SO I have put the ties in place. Then you need to cut the rail to the correct length and solder them to the ties. You can also file off the foot of the rail where the switch blade sits, they have a jig for this too.



Witht he rail filed you can lay it in place and solder it down





These jigs are designed for making your own crossings from rail, they sell jigs for that, but I prefer to use cast ones such as those from Right O Way, these take a bit of filing to shape to fit int he cut out on the jig, a diamond wheel in a mini drill comes in handy here.




Then about an hour later it is all done, I do need to fit a tie bar for the switch blades but I'm not sure how I'm going to do this yet.
You also need to add an extra tie, the lowest one of the 3 at the bottom of the crossing in the photo above, probably because I'm using the cast crossing and not rail. Noe I just need to lay it and spike everything, that takes ages !

 

[richard carr]

You often see unpowered versions of US locos for sale, they are considerably cheaper sometimes only half the price of powered ones. Powering them up is quite easy, the annoying thing though is that they do not have any working lights. Adding LEDs might sound easy but the eaily available sizes of 2mm and 3mm do not fit the light lens units in the locos. So I have designed some very simple LED holders that can be easily glued in place in the loco that hold 3mm LEDs. Robin has 3D printed them for me.



This is the front holder that fits in the top of the cab it has 2 spaces for the head lights and 2 for the number boards
Here it is glued in place.






This is the rear one





This is how it fits in



The LEDs are super glued into the holders

 

[JasonD]

Then about an hour later it is all done, I do need to fit a tie bar for the switch blades but I'm not sure how I'm going to do this yet.
You also need to add an extra tie, the lowest one of the 3 at the bottom of the crossing in the photo above, probably because I'm using the cast crossing and not rail. Noe I just need to lay it and spike everything, that takes ages !

There are tie-bar castings at Right-O-Way, owner is Jay Criswell, dedicated O-scaler, knows us Brits. Yeah, yeah, he knows P48 too:

Right-O-Way Online Catalog - Switch Points

When I started all those years ago, I used extra O-scale PCB/copperclad sleepers, but next time I must remember to drill two tiny holes and insert rivets to solder the points to and allow their very slight rotation. Solid soldered joints don't last forever. Maybe smaller PCB would be better, widthways - better looking, thickness - less friction.
Jason

 

[Jordan]

Maybe smaller PCB would be better, widthways - better looking, thickness - less friction.

That's what I did, cut a narrow slice of pcb to act as tie bar, seen here on my first switch, with a home made (i.e. cobbled-up) self-guarding frog.

This is the front holder that fits in the top of the cab it has 2 spaces for the head lights and 2 for the number boards
Here it is glued in place.

I like that, very neat and probably prevents unwanted light bleed too?
My problem is that the Soo Line often fitted the warning beacon not just on the cab roof, but on top of the number board marquee itself!! That has been fun, fitting in an LED right over the headlights & the existing Atlas lens molding! I did it though...

Let's just ignore the upside-down coupler cut bars for now, shall we?

 

[Dog Star]

That's what I did, cut a narrow slice of pcb to act as tie bar, seen here on my first switch, with a home made (i.e. cobbled-up) self-guarding frog.

That has been fun, fitting in an LED right over the headlights & the existing Atlas lens molding! I did it though...

Just so you get used to the occasion, I shall send you a CD of "applause" to be played, regularly, as you approach the front row. No more back of the class please.

Let's just ignore the upside-down coupler cut bars for now, shall we?

Ah, slipped already then.

regards, Graham

 

[richard carr]

The forst prints of the ditch lights are back and look like this







These look much better, I'm just trying to work out how to fit an LED inside each one and put a lense one, any ideas are welcome.


Richard

 

[richard carr]

This was the main thing to come back from Chicago








This is the latest Atlas GP7 that was released last, it is a considerable improvement on the earlier versions with much finer handrails and stanchions than some of the earlier model. The paint finish is excellent. This is DCC sound with a Loksound V5L decoder, with working head and tail lights. At the moment it is still OW5.

Richard

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

This is the latest Atlas GP7 that was released last, it is a considerable improvement on the earlier versions with much finer handrails and stanchions than some of the earlier model.

They'll be the early phase 1 handrail stanchions before EMD introduced the pressed steel stanchions.

 

[richard carr]

I finally got the ditch lights installed on the GP60 here's a short video of them in action

Richard

 

[Big Train James]

I'm just trying to work out how to fit an LED inside each one and put a lense one, any ideas are welcome.

Been meaning to ask, how did you manage to install and wire the LED's.

Jim

 

[richard carr]

I'm finally back from holiday and I have been able to get a bit more modelling done.

I have put the SP Gp60 back together and added the couplings







As you can see I have decided that the best coupling to use is the modern Kadee, it looks good enough and it works really well.

I also converted a couple of freight cars to P48, the first was this 33,000 gallon tank car.






The tank car has the old style Kadees so I changed the coupler to the latest one.



The wheels at the protocraft 36 inch roller bearing wheels, the truck is narrowed using a 3D printed bolster to replace the atlas parts.

Richard

 

[richard carr]

I finally got back from Chicago yesterday, so now I have 5 weeks before I head off again.

I did manage bring a few things back this time, these 2 GP9s are just gorgeous if you ask me, they are not really my period but they are lovely models. These are by Sunset Models from the 2021 run, both are DCC sound equipped with QSi decoders (with version 7 firmware for some reason).





They are a bit dusty and need a good clean with a blower.

Next is this Atlas 17,600 gallon tank car, this was 3 rail and I have changed it to some 70 ton roller bearing bogies by protocraft, I have a feeling though that ran on 100 ton bogies.
It is a nice model



I hadn't added the couplers when I took these photos, I have added some kadees for now but it really wants a proper coupler box adding but I will need to draw and print some first. I'm looking to get some more of these but they seem to be fairly rare.

I also managed to find another SP GP60, an unpowered 2 rail example,



Now I have 3D printed parts to help with the lights, these are actually easier to convert to P48 being totally empty inside.

Richard

 

[Brian T]

Next is this Atlas 17,600 gallon tank car, this was 3 rail and I have changed it to some 70 ton roller bearing bogies by protocraft, I have a feeling though that ran on 100 ton bogies.
It is a nice model

View attachment 185953

I hadn't added the couplers when I took these photos, I have added some kadees for now but it really wants a proper coupler box adding but I will need to draw and print some first. I'm looking to get some more of these but they seem to be fairly rare.

Richard

Hi Richard,you are correct they do require 100 ton trucks...
As for the bolster,might this help?;
AtlasO Trinity 17.6k Gal Tank Car Conversion Bolst by jlincoln7850 on Shapeways

Brian.

 

[richard carr]

Thanks Brian

Thats really helpful, hopefully Protocraft will have some 100 ton trucks soon.

Richard

 

[JasonD]

OK ... some r/b truck sideframes have a slight curved dip along the top and I've assumed this is to make 36" wheel trucks to ride at the same bolster height as straight-ish top sideframes with 33" wheels. Maybe manufacturers could keep the tank car body identical if they could use either type of truck?

Phew, that 'got it off my chest' feeling gets better with age. But ... this is American railroads and ... anyway Richard, Brian's right you're LT WT plus LD LMT is 263000 so 36" it is, here's what an HOer (yes, surprised me too) had to say on the Trainboard forum:

 

[richard carr]

Some more progress has been made on the layout. I started detailing the switches, it's a slow laborious job, but it will be worth it in the end, hopefully !



This one is almost done, but I finally started reading my "detailing track" book and then realised that I didn't have any rail braces or gauge plates, so some have been ordered from Right O Way. Later I did find a few rail braces hidden in big box of track bits, I really should have read the book first !







JB and I had big tidy up last Friday so that we could build the end base board,




Here it is with the 5 foot radius curve laid out on it.

 

[richard carr]

The other thing that I have been working on recently are soe more coupler boxes. It seems that every different type of freight car has a different fitting, so each one needs to be designed individually. The only good thing is that I'm getting fairly fast at these with all this practice.

Here's the Atlas 17,600 gallon tank car



It has the 2 raised screw holes so that needs to be accomodated like this.



You can then screw it down using the rear hole, you don't need to use both of them





You might also notice that this now has 100 ton trucks fitted.




I have also done a 40ft Hicube boxcar from the Atlas Trainman rainge








These have Protocraft 70 ton trucks fitted.

 

[richard carr]

A couple of locos appeared for sale on Facebook recently.
The first was a DCC sound equipped GP60 in Norfolk Southern Operation life saver livery, this was too good an opportunity to miss, it will make a nice pair with 7131. It also took about 15 minutes to convert it to P48 with a set of NWSL wheel.





It still needs a bit of work doing on it, a new coupler box, new ditch lights and the bogies still need to be narrowed.

The other loco was an SD70 ACe, in UP heritage livery of Chicago North Western, this only just touches my period but I think its too nice a loco not to have.







This loco is by MTH, on the whole it is pretty good, converting it to P48 isn't as easy as it requires the wheels to be removed from the axles and reprofiled to P48, then put back on the original split axles and reinstalled in the loco, but that did take about 2 hours. It is PS3 so it can be operated on DCC and has sound, but there isn't a lot you can do with programming the DCC. It runs OK, a short video will follow

Richard

 

[JasonD]

I still have a cardboard boxful of P48 33" and 36" wheelsets, most in original pack - swaps, or sales at 2nd-hand price (I dunno' either ...TBA).

Jason