Ric Golding said:
Bruce,I didn’t have it when they were new. It came with time.
Yeh, and mine are getting more humped every day!
I ordered a couple more Bachmann spectrum 1:20 flats from RRS. Same size as the Accu’s but they have stayed flat.
Yeh, and mine are getting more humped every day!
I ordered a couple more Bachmann spectrum 1:20 flats from RRS. Same size as the Accu’s but they have stayed flat.
Bruce Chandler said:[color=darkgreen][b]I guess that depends on how well your glue joints hold when things heat up; but then I live in CA. It has been my expieriance that any joint can fail, no matter what you do. Maybe I should say, the area adjacent to the joint often fails before the joint does, if it carries too much stress. You guys are scaring me into not getting any AMS flats at all now. I have one Bachmann flat, and it seems very nicely made; maybe I will stick with those, as I am a semi-freelance kind of guy.
Ric, I'm planning on using them for bases for some boxcars I want to build. So, in that respect, I'm not too concerned with any bowing. They will have some sides glued to them.
Back to the original concept of this thread for a moment; I just got my first order from Ridge Road and as promised, it was all there. It looked like a couple cars had been returned, or at least opened and had some slight damage. Considering the price point though, I was able to fix the issues pretty quickly and so feel pretty good about everything. I did notice both damaged cars had an inch high letter “B” written in black marker pen right on the label, or is that just coincidence? All in all though, they did pretty good, and at a smoking hot price point; I mean these three AMS boxcars and one stock car, were about the same price as the same number of high end HO RTR models could have been. It was a win/win situation; I just wish I could have afforded to buy a few more items. [/b][/color]
John,
I got a phone call from them after I placed my order. It was about the car numbers I had ordered. I believe the A, B, etc were put on there so they didn’t have to read the car number from the box each time one was ordered.
The Bachmann Spectrum flats, for a few dollars more, are still flat and would make a better base for other cars.
The Accu idlers are still flat, time will tell.
Anyone have a way to make AMS coupler heights match LGB or bachmann heights?
Well, if you need to raise the coupler height, a couple of washers will do the trick. If you need to lower it, elective surgery is in order.
Accu’s couplers are body mounts, and prolly not adjustable for heights as easy as others.
Are you talking about LGB knuckle couplers?
If so are they talgo (truck) mounted?
If they are they will be significantly low.
All of my rolling stock are body mounted KD’s and they work well with the stock Accu. But I remove them and use KD’s as well on my Accu’s.
Bill S said:[color=darkgreen][b]When I scratch-built a few boxcars a few years back, I set them to to what was supposed to be NMRA spec coupler height at the time. I coupled the AMS boxcar and tank cars into said home made special when they came out, and they lined up pretty darned close. I notice my Bachmann flat is quite low; I might make all of those Kadee equipped.
Anyone have a way to make AMS coupler heights match LGB or bachmann heights?
Were I you, I’d look to Kadee and their plethora of offset shanks before I began to cut stuff.[/b][/color]
http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page42.htm
John and John you are both right the LGB and Bachmann are truck mounted. I will need to make a transition car to allow the use of AMS with other manufactures engines.
(http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo281/Bills_04/DSC_0091.jpg)
Bill S said:
John and John you are both right the LGB and Bachmann are truck mounted. I will need to make a transition car to allow the use of AMS with other manufactures engines. [url](http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo281/Bills_04/DSC_0091.jpg)
[/url]
http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page262.htm [color=darkgreen]Try out a pack of these first, the offset should get you a lot closer… a transition car is only a stop gap; unless you never intend to operate (switching), then its a fine and can make life simpler; you may need more than one though.[/color]
(http://www.kadee.com/html/831a.jpg)
Thanks John The 831 should work The detail on the AMS cars is un believable
(http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo281/Bills_04/DSC_0075.jpg)
(http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo281/Bills_04/DSC_0076.jpg)
Bill S said:[color=darkgreen][b]Kadee's are wonderful, and I use them a lot, but I also enjoy the working cut levers on the AMS cars and I am keeping the Accucraft couplers on the road engines too; but that's just me.
Thanks John. The 831 should work. The detail on the AMS cars is unbelievable
Yes, the AMS cars are very nice, especially at the Ridge Road sale price of $50. I have paid almost that much for some high end plastic HO cars! The Bachmann Spectrum cars are also nice, but their coupler height (on the ones I have) is really low…probably so they will work with 1:22.5 fodder. Its probably for the best though, as Bachmanns knuckle coupler looks rather…ummmm…er…yeah, uh…funky.[/b][/color]
I don’t have any of the Bachmann Spectrum cars yet, but I think their coupler is designed so a Kadee coupler will go right into the draft gear box and wind up at the correct (Kadee, Accucraft) nominal 24 scale inch height. I also remember reading that they have two couplers provided: Ones that will match their very low 1:22 scale height and one that matches the higher couplers.
Happy RRing,
Jerry
Jerry’s correct. The standard Bachmann Box (er, I mean coupler) on their 1:20 rolling stock is set to a height equal to Accucraft and Kadee, and includes spare “drop down” boxes, er, couplers to connect with their older equipment and locomotives. The standard Kadee G-scale coupler pocket is a drop-in replacement, and will sit at the correct height once installed. I believe an Accucraft coupler will sit at the correct height once mounted to the pad, but you’ll have to drill new holes.
Later,
K
I was amazed at the detail on the flats as I was disassembling it. There are 4 square nuts on threaded rods on each end. I’m not sure why…they could have been molded in place.
Kevin Strong said:[color=darkgreen][b]Okay, I just went out and dug out a pack of Kadee 830's from the sunken vault and installed them on my Spectrum flatcar. It was a perfect fit to the frame, in fact Bachmann just knocked off Kadee's box, at least externally. The 830 coupler is another matter, when installed it sits a bit low, when looking at the coupler centers on an AMS car. I guess its just the AMS coupler is a lot bigger from top to bottom; I take it Kadee does not make a bigger size yet?
The standard Kadee G-scale coupler pocket is a drop-in replacement, and will sit at the correct height once installed. I believe an Accucraft coupler will sit at the correct height once mounted to the pad, but you'll have to drill new holes. Later, K
I forget, are the 830’s the “BIG” coupler, or are they the smaller knuckles? I guess its okay, it will not come undone and instead if a center line up, they align at the bottoms; I can live with that.[/b][/color]
830’s are big.
820’s are their #1 scale little brothers.
I received my 2 cattle cars, box and tank car from RRS today. 'Course I waited until they were almost out of stock before I ordered…
The flatcar that I started stripping stuff off of is now warped. Very strange.
Bruce,
I’m keeping a close eye on the idlers. No warp yet, but I waiting for the hot summer to really test them.
My one and only Accru is bowed.
But, so far, the Botchman Spectrum is flat. They are practically identical to the Accru.
Might make better fodder than the Accru.
jb
I noticed my Accucraft flat car has a metal “U” channel running down the center of it. I don’t know if that’s a new addition designed to combat the warping, or whether that was original. It’s not a weight of any kind. Mine has a very slight warp (1/16" over the length), but since it is now serving as the frame of a caboose, the walls keep it flat.
Later,
K
Hi all,
Is it possible since the truss rods actually function on the AMS cars that they over tighten when the plastic car deck expands ? With the truss rods tightened the deck has no place to go except up in the middle. Seems like after a while they would just stay in that position.
I have AMS; stocks, boxes, tanks, reefers, and cabeese but no flats so have no way to look at this theory. Has anyone else considered this or looked at the possibility?
Just some thoughts.
Rick Marty