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Post by Gino Damen on Nov 27, 2023 14:09:25 GMT -8
Hi,
I managed to get my hands on six Intermountain 57 ft reefers type R-70-20.
Two of them only have a lose weight inside. I don't see straight away how to open these cars so I can reattach the wheight. So before I start to hack into them can somebody here tell me what the best way is to open up these cars?
Thanks,
Gino Damen
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Post by sd80mac on Nov 27, 2023 14:21:37 GMT -8
We used to have a former member who specialized in opening up all models! He used a chop saw. I wouldn't really recommend it.
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Post by Judge Doom on Nov 27, 2023 15:11:03 GMT -8
You should be able to spread the bottom of the shell and remove the underframe. There might be some CA glue reside (from the weight?) keeping it stuck. I've had to re-glue the weight on one of mine purchased secondhand.
As a sidenote, the bottom stirrup steps are somewhat thin and delicate, so be careful not to break any off.
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Post by riogrande on Nov 27, 2023 15:25:30 GMT -8
Judge Doom is back!
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Post by packer on Nov 27, 2023 16:36:00 GMT -8
You should be able to spread the bottom of the shell and remove the underframe. There might be some CA glue reside (from the weight?) keeping it stuck. I've had to re-glue the weight on one of mine purchased secondhand. As a sidenote, the bottom stirrup steps are somewhat thin and delicate, so be careful not to break any off. Pretty much this. I think when I opened up my MILW one (I wanted to paint the underframe for weathering) I used an xacto blade and popped loose all the CA. Yarmouth Model 224 are etches stirrups that'll work, but require shortening the tabs a bit. I replaced the ones on my MILW car because they kept popping off. Gino Damen were any of those BNFE yellow? I've had no luck finding any, but wound up with some SOO. |
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Post by Judge Doom on Nov 27, 2023 19:57:08 GMT -8
I've been busy with life-type things, but drop by every so often to see what's new.  |
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Post by cpr4200 on Nov 27, 2023 21:23:15 GMT -8
Haven't tried it yet myself, but I hear putting a model in the freezer for a while will break glue joints. Probably many glue joints, so you might end up with a kit. Going to try it with an IM pressure unloading hopper "kit" that comes with the body assembled.
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Post by cemr5396 on Nov 28, 2023 11:02:51 GMT -8
Haven't tried it yet myself, but I hear putting a model in the freezer for a while will break glue joints. Probably many glue joints, so you might end up with a kit. Going to try it with an IM pressure unloading hopper "kit" that comes with the body assembled. that only works if the model was assembled with CA or similar. It works because the expansion/contraction rates of cured CA and styrene are not the same, and CA is brittle. So it breaks. the 'plastic cement' type glues (Tamiya, Testors, etc) work by fusing two pieces together almost like welding metal, after which it evaporates. So there is no differential contraction between pieces because there is only one material involved. |
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Post by riogrande on Nov 28, 2023 11:59:23 GMT -8
I've been busy with life-type things, but drop by every so often to see what's new. My wife has been busy keeping me busy with endless home improvement/upgrade projects - also life-type things. I have to take time off from work to work on the layout. |
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Post by Gino Damen on Nov 28, 2023 13:28:53 GMT -8
You should be able to spread the bottom of the shell and remove the underframe. There might be some CA glue reside (from the weight?) keeping it stuck. I've had to re-glue the weight on one of mine purchased secondhand. As a sidenote, the bottom stirrup steps are somewhat thin and delicate, so be careful not to break any off.
Thanks. Wasn't sure if you should start with the roof or go for the bottom.
Living in Europe getting parts is sometime difficult. But luckily H0FIne.de has also spare steps for under the doors (http://www.h0fine.com/Shop2/product_info.php?products_id=562).
Gino
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Post by Colin 't Hart on Nov 29, 2023 9:42:28 GMT -8
If the floor is held in with CA, then storing the car in the freezer overnight will help to make the bonds brittle.
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Post by grahamline on Nov 29, 2023 14:16:45 GMT -8
In a couple of cases on other cars with loose weights, I have drilled 1/8" holes in the floor and injected small amounts of silicone adhesive, then gently held the car upright and agitated it until the weight seems to settle into the glue. DO NOT USE an adhesive such as Walthers GOO that outgasses like crazy.
This technique requires you to be familiar with the make-up of the internal weight and how it should be positioned. It's kind of a last resort solution.
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Post by Gino Damen on Dec 3, 2023 14:14:30 GMT -8
Just a short update. The bottom was easily taken out. Just a slight spreading of the sides, a little pulling on the trucks and the bottom comes out. At the first car I forgot to detach the uncoupler lever. But being of metal and just spot glued it came lose by it self. The weight is attached using some transparant construction adhesive. That stuff cures rubbery and holds nicely over time.
I also noticed that Intermountion uses a non standard coupler. It looks like a Kadee but has a spring at the pivot hole in stead of the metal springplate or the whiskers. That also means that I can't change them for an Kadee 5 or 148. Those are a tad to short and the long couplers are to long.
Why would I do that? Simply to enhance the operational reliability on modulair layouts. The semi-scale couplers are a bit more prone to uncoupling if the module ends aren't flat but have a little hump (or jump).
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Post by schroed2 on Dec 3, 2023 20:45:22 GMT -8
I also noticed that Intermountion uses a non standard coupler. It looks like a Kadee but has a spring at the pivot hole in stead of the metal springplate or the whiskers. That also means that I can't change them for an Kadee 5 or 148. Those are a tad to short and the long couplers are to long. sounds like the Kadee #78 (IM used that also on other cars developed in the same time period). AFAIK, this coupler was only available with the larger coupler head (as in #5) in the early Kadee RTR boxcars (or from Kadee directly when Sam Clarke was still working there). I sold all the couplers of this type that I had last year to somebody else in Fremo for similar reasons (after replacing them on my cars with the "semi-scale" size). |
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Post by packer on Dec 4, 2023 4:28:18 GMT -8
Just a short update. The bottom was easily taken out. Just a slight spreading of the sides, a little pulling on the trucks and the bottom comes out. At the first car I forgot to detach the uncoupler lever. But being of metal and just spot glued it came lose by it self. The weight is attached using some transparant construction adhesive. That stuff cures rubbery and holds nicely over time. I also noticed that Intermountion uses a non standard coupler. It looks like a Kadee but has a spring at the pivot hole in stead of the metal springplate or the whiskers. That also means that I can't change them for an Kadee 5 or 148. Those are a tad to short and the long couplers are to long. Why would I do that? Simply to enhance the operational reliability on modulair layouts. The semi-scale couplers are a bit more prone to uncoupling if the module ends aren't flat but have a little hump (or jump). Moloco makes a PCF cushioned draft gear that is probably correct for these cars. But now you got me wanting to check mine. I have a caboose with those type couplers from Intermountain |
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Post by Gino Damen on Dec 5, 2023 14:27:37 GMT -8
AFAIK, this coupler was only available with the larger coupler head (as in #5) in the early Kadee RTR boxcars (or from Kadee directly when Sam Clarke was still working there). I sold all the couplers of this type that I had last year to somebody else in Fremo for similar reasons (after replacing them on my cars with the "semi-scale" size).
The head is definitly smaller then the head on a 5 or 148. So it is something else. I looked at the Kadee site and couldn't find a coupler who looks like it.
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Post by bdhicks on Dec 5, 2023 21:41:25 GMT -8
I also noticed that Intermountion uses a non standard coupler. It looks like a Kadee but has a spring at the pivot hole in stead of the metal springplate or the whiskers. That also means that I can't change them for an Kadee 5 or 148. Those are a tad to short and the long couplers are to long. sounds like the Kadee #78 (IM used that also on other cars developed in the same time period). AFAIK, this coupler was only available with the larger coupler head (as in #5) in the early Kadee RTR boxcars (or from Kadee directly when Sam Clarke was still working there). I sold all the couplers of this type that I had last year to somebody else in Fremo for similar reasons (after replacing them on my cars with the "semi-scale" size). The now-discontinued Kadee #78 was a semi-scale head mounted in a semi-scale coupler box (externally similar to the #178 that replaced it). If you open up the coupler box it has a coil spring that fits in a gap in the center post of the box, and the post has a triangular protrusion on the opposite side that causes the coupler to center as it pushes up against it. I remember I had some Atlas car that you could disassemble a #78 and swap it into. |
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Post by schroed2 on Dec 6, 2023 3:53:09 GMT -8
The now-discontinued Kadee #78 was a semi-scale head mounted in a semi-scale coupler box (externally similar to the #178 that replaced it). If you open up the coupler box it has a coil spring that fits in a gap in the center post of the box, and the post has a triangular protrusion on the opposite side that causes the coupler to center as it pushes up against it. I remember I had some Atlas car that you could disassemble a #78 and swap it into. found a picture and used it to test my cloud access (no idea yet how to link it as a picture here...) c.gmx.net/@319024448566991501/S1oVMbwYRlqfgnX5f2aqnwI think second from top would be what Gino is looking for |
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Post by schroed2 on Dec 6, 2023 4:04:09 GMT -8
AFAIK, this coupler was only available with the larger coupler head (as in #5) in the early Kadee RTR boxcars (or from Kadee directly when Sam Clarke was still working there). I sold all the couplers of this type that I had last year to somebody else in Fremo for similar reasons (after replacing them on my cars with the "semi-scale" size). The head is definitly smaller then the head on a 5 or 148. So it is something else. I looked at the Kadee site and couldn't find a coupler who looks like it.
I do not think that the coupler was ever available from Kadee officially. The next question would be how long it was produced (the use on the RTR cars was changed to the smaller size head several years ago). |
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Post by Gino Damen on Dec 7, 2023 12:41:41 GMT -8
Hi,
The stem is indeed the same. The head is similar to the semi-scale version.
With some force can a standard coupler be fitted around the protrusion in the pocket. But a normal coupler is to short and this long is to long.
For the time being I keep the original couplers although they are a bit more suspectable to decoupling if the modules are not build properly.
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