Model Train Journal

Hi fella’s! I’m currently converting a Lionel TMCC boom car to be used with an already converted crane car.
I purchased this Lionel 2 Rail conversion kit:


Problem is the kit doesn’t work with the older trucks on the boom car. It only works with The newer ABS trucks:

Would anyone have a part number for these new trucks or know where I could purchase a set?
Thanks for any help!
Jon

Insufficient Data.
I see a kit. I see an assembled truck.
I see no truck in pieces with measurements of axles.

The new wheelsets and axles do not fit the old truck? You keeping the talgo coupler?

If the new axles are too long at the tips, make a new bolster if you ain't keeping the talgo type coupler/

Rocket Science.

Scalecraft, thanks for your input, this link will go further into detail why the conversion bolster is specific to this truck:
https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/lio ... ers?page=1

Yeah, I know....specific parts made of unobtainium for obsolete components (the linked OGeR thread starts at three years old). Explain, please, why you cannot determine he height of the car on the rails, with original components, determine what it SHOULD be by scale reduction, and actually fabricate a bolster of ABS or plexi sheet or whatever is available.

If your truck is metal (hard to tell), you can't use brass unless you have pointy-bearing-insulating-inserts in the journals.

Once you find the length of the original axles, the length of the new axles, add or subtract to make corrections, use end of old bolster to use as template....cut, file, drill, and if needs be, shim at kingpin for height.

It looks like the conversion wheel sets only work with the new LionScale trucks. I am guessing at this point that you will try to swap out the old trucks for theses?

LionScale truck part number is 3909000060

Scalecraft, with the specific Lionel trucks I can avoid all the time consuming work fabricating the trucks your way as the conversion kit is pretty much plug and play including extra bolsters for different heights.


Chuck gets it. Thanks for the P/N Chuck!

I was wondering what all these bits looked like - seems that Lionel is really trying to make this all just about as complicated as possible.

What style of trucks are under the boom car in the 1st place? Might be faster and cheaper to just replace the entire set of trucks!

That's kind of what he is doing. The new LionScale truck is manufactured with three rail oversized flange. They designed the truck to accept two rail scale wheel sets (the kit he purchased).

The new design also allows for dropping the truck mounted coupler for three rail scale and the kits have "bolster shims" to allow easy installation on older equipment. Rather than make three versions of the truck you can buy the standard three rail version and then the kit for two rail wheel sets.

chuck wrote:That's kind of what he is doing. The new LionScale truck is manufactured with three rail oversized flange. They designed the truck to accept two rail scale wheel sets (the kit he purchased).

The new design also allows for dropping the truck mounted coupler for three rail scale and the kits have "bolster shims" to allow easy installation on older equipment. Rather than make three versions of the truck you can buy the standard three rail version and then the kit for two rail wheel sets.

I know, but that's 1/2 of what I was suggesting - I'd just replace the entire set of trucks instead of fiddling about taking stuff apart and swapping out wheelsets and other bits. The 3 rail trucks from the few cars I've converted to 2 rail sold for quite a bit more than the 2 rail trucks cost,

Why is this so complicated for y’all to figure out?
The boom car needs track power to operate the TMCC sound board. So that will require the trucks to have electrical pick-ups. I don’t feel like searching for a set of insulated wheels with the proper axle type to fit the original trucks and then having to rig up electrical wheel wipers to get track power. Especially now that NWSL has shut down. Sooo Lionel has made a kit that has everything I need to do this! Is it cheap? No. The conversion kit was $28 and the Scaletrucks with shipping that I ordered yesterday was $38. But considering What I paid for the Lionel TMCC Crane that has been converted to operate fully on 2 rail track, $60 bucks Is not a significant investment at this stage of the game. So on completion of the conversion of the boom car the boom car and crane car will operate in unison on 2 rail track with the use of a TMCC controller plugged into MTH’s DCS controller. Are you confused yet?

2railjon wrote:Why is this so complicated for y’all to figure out?

It's not.

I don’t feel like....

Neither do I - I just pull a set of trucks out of the file cabinet and go. Just did pickups on 2 sets of trolley drive trucks - takes a few minutes. Getting a few packs of Rod's phosphorbronze electrical pickups makes life easier and cheaper since I selling off intact 2 rail trucks can be profitable,

LOL, with all my conversions I’ve pretty much gone through my entire stash of wheel sets! I still have a few wipers from Rod left but the kit comes with those as well.

2railjon wrote:LOL, with all my conversions I’ve pretty much gone through my entire stash of wheel sets! I still have a few wipers from Rod left but the kit comes with those as well.

Wheel sets are getting harder to find and higher in price - no IM sets at Strasburg last Sat. although they were taking orders for them at the one table.

Glad I have that file cabinet drawer of trucks!

The Lionel 2Rail conversion kit made for an easy and clean install.

2railjon wrote:Especially now that NWSL has shut down.

You may want to check again, it was recently announced that they were bought by an employee and will be resuming operations soon (if they haven't already).