True Line newsprint cars

[Wlal13again]

OK, I`ve read whats on here and elsewhere on how high they ride..my question is has anyone come up with a tried and true good way to lower them?

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I would just grind down the bolster and use BLMA 70T trucks, Don't forget to fix that door!

[Wlal13again]

Thats what I thought Daniel..what about the couplers? body mount?

[eja]

These guys should have 100T trucks...

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I'm pretty sure those are 70T trucks.

[screeh]

I recall someone else came up with a rather elegant solution: swap the underframe for one taken from any of the FMC boxcar variants made by MDC/Roundhouse (and now Athearn)

I've been meaning to try this for myself, so I'll muck around on the weekend and post some comparison shots.

[ljudice]

I think  the Atlas FGE boxcar frame also fits these and also FVM boxcars...  I have to try the MDC solution!!

Another lowering trick is to use the Atlas Evans gon underframe on Athearn/MDC gondolas....

- Lou

[GaryHinshaw]

Bryan's approach:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=26414.msg267739#msg267739

[bbussey]

Yup, works perfectly with little fuss.  BLMA 100-ton truck frames mated with 33" wheelsets.  Remove the embossed ring around the bolster hole on the trucks.  Body-mount MTL #1015 couplers directly to the floor.  Done in 10 minutes or less.

[ljudice]

Yup, works perfectly with little fuss.  BLMA 100-ton truck frames mated with 33" wheelsets.  Remove the embossed ring around the bolster hole on the trucks.  Body-mount MTL #1015 couplers directly to the floor.  Done in 10 minutes or less.

I need to try this on my one car, but honestly, my bigger issue is with FVM boxcars....

I played around with the underframe exchange and really couldn't find any solution that would not require a lot of cutting and fitting.  The one that swap that does work though is the one I mentioned with the MDC/Ath gons.

- Lou

[bbussey]

BLMA trucks don't lower the FVM cars enough?  They lower MTL cars appropriately, and the FVM cars are comparable in ride height to the MTL cars.  Then body-mounting the #2004 offset couplers should work.  I'd try that before slicing and dicing.

[Wlal13again]

OK, I followed Brians lead, ground down the bolsters on the under frame, took a pair of BLMA 100 ton trucks, filed off the ring on the top of the trucks, then added FVM 33 inch wheel sets..  Body mount 1015`s and what a major difference. Totally happy with the end result. Looks perfect next to Athearn 50 footer and my X58`s, now for another set of trucks so I can modify the second car I bought..thanks guys...

[BCR 570]

Bryan:

Did you make any modifications to the TLT underframe?

Tim

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Getting back to the trucks. Do the prototypes really run 100T trucks on 33" wheels?

[bbussey]

Bryan:
Did you make any modifications to the TLT underframe?

Tim,

No.  I removed the embossed ring from the BLMA trucks, and that was sufficient as far as I could tell.  Since the TLT bolsters/screw were designed for MTL trucks, the BLMA bolster holes fit perfectly.