Hi Has anyone tried swapping the trucks from an Atlas C40-8 onto an Atlas C-628/630? If so, did the swap work, and what was the final truck centre to centre measurement of the GE trucks on the Alco chassis? Looking to see if the swap will help with a future project. Cheers Steve
As for the truck question, I never had the two models so sorry, I'm no help. BUT my interest was piqued for your future project. Care to share? Trevor D.
Hi Trevor Due to the number of half finished projects, already cluttering my work space, it could be way in the future. I plan to build at least one more Alco C-636, and maybe another M-630/636 variant, the biggest problem with both these proposals are the trucks. On my first C-636 I used a Kato SD-40, and added details to the trucks to make them like the 6 wheel Hi-Ads. As the truck length and axle spacing are correct, it worked fine, but the next C-636 will use the Atlas C-630 for a starting point, and the SD-40 is too wide in the chassis for this method. As the GE trucks are similar to the EMD Flexicoils, I would use them, if the swap works, and the truck centre spacing is okay. The M-liners are a different story, but the solution could be the same. The GE truck looks like a stretched DoFaSCo truck, a compromise I may be able to live with. There are 2 other possibilities: MbE make a DoFaSCo side frame for the Atlas truck, which would have the same stretched look as the GE trucks. I have a set to use on yet another project (WNYP C-630M). The best looking choice is the Briggs truck kit which converts the Atlas Alco truck into a DoFaSCo one. As others have had great success with this kit, I suspect it's failure on my M-636 is my doing! Years ago, I used a Bachmann C40-8 chassis under an HR-616. Although it was too long in the overall wheelbase, it wasn't that bad to look at. The Atlas C40-8 truck is what I will try next. I think it can be easily modified to look like the Canadian truck, even though it is over 2' too long. Well, that's the plan. Another possibility I guess, is the Bachmann SD-45. If I was confident the performance was good, and the Atlas shell would fit over it, I could use this for the C-636. Any help is appreciated. Cheers Steve
For the M-630/636 I believe Briggs models makes new trucks that uses the inners of an Atlas truck to make the Dofasco trucks. edit, never mind just say you already tried this. However if you want EMD 6 axle flexicoil trucks, have you looked at the SD7/9/24 or SD35 trucks?
Thanks Ike, I will take a closer look at the earlier Atlas and Kato/Atlas units I have just in case this will work for the C-636. Cheers Steve
And then Mr. Murphy steps in about when you have finished and Atlas releases a C-636. But on a serious note have you looked at the old CC C-636 for donor truck side frames. Should be a batch of them around in inoperable condition as they were a P.O.C. straight out of the box new not to mention more than slightly out of scale for what was supposed to be a large loco.
Hi John That is how I made the side frames for my first C-636, on a Kato SD-40 chassis with Life-Like and Con-Cor body parts. I had to add brake cylinders to the Kato trucks. The overall effect was okay, but I built a shell for a friend to go on the Atlas C-630 chassis, and it was a better looking shell. Cheers Steve
