# replacing "pop out" trucks on old tyco cars -- any suggestions?



## Severn (May 13, 2016)

I dug out a box of old Tyco stuff from 70s. Haven't looked it in years. It's full of Tyco cars. I noticed all the wheels and trucks are plastic. I had intended to replace the couplers -- which turns out to be the least of the problems.

anyway i thought about replacing all the trucks and putting the couplers at the same time.

I fiddled around with them and realized they all pop off. Probably more involved now than when I started on fixing them up.

Options 1 is to forget about it. But any other ideas?


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

Severn said:


> I dug out a box of old Tyco stuff from 70s. Haven't looked it in years. It's full of Tyco cars. I noticed all the wheels and trucks are plastic. I had intended to replace the couplers -- which turns out to be the least of the problems.
> 
> anyway i thought about replacing all the trucks and putting the couplers at the same time.
> 
> ...


Hey Severn, If you go to NMRA.org or simply Google "Retrucking old r-t-r cars" theres a great How To on the whole process....and it works great with old Tyco Cars. I had a string of 8 Virginian 40' Coal Hoppers that I put Athearn metal trucks and Kadee Boxes & #5 couplers. it took the first one along with a coupler gauge to correctly get a proper fit...but you can use plastic shims or washers to attain that...lots of fun if you think the cars are worth saving or refitting...good luck and show how your doing with this!:thumbsup:


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

I know a guy who will convert those old Tyco rolling stock to very detailed master pieces. He only charges about $140 per flat car and prolly more for tankers or box cars. 
When he delivers the car, you won't even recognize it as a Tyco with all the rivets, piping, sprung trucks and operating couplers. Even the paint job will be different.
I'm considering getting into that business too.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

I've swapped several Tyco trucks with all-metal Kadee replacements. Some Tycos have a screw, the rest have that pop-in rivet thing. For those, use some sprue material or other plastic to fill the hole, then drill/tap a 2-56 screw hole. After that you can easily add metal trucks from Kadee, Intermountain, or others, and it will made a huge difference in how those old cars roll down the track. I've also fitted some cars with the fully-sprung trucks which do have a nice flex to them if your layout will have a lot of elevation changes.

Of course adding body-mounted couplers is going to be a case-by-case situation. Just get yourself a couple height gauge and use shims of styrene as needed to get the coupler at just the right height.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

I think these are good suggestions and I'll look into them. I hate to say but I do not need a very involved project. So I'm looking for easy. Its tempting to in fact just let them sit for awhile or use a rubber band to connect them up. I don't think I'm in the market for massive improvement -- $140 per car sounds pricey to me. I mean I'm sure it's a fine result but that seems like a lot.

BTW as suggested:

https://www.nmra.org/beginner/retrucking-old-r-t-r-cars


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Actually, you can just replace the Tyco plastic wheels
with metal if you are looking to improve running
efficiency. Cut off the truck mounted couplers and
install body mount Kadee # 148...that uses the
whisker centering spring...they are the easiest to
assemble. Best to screw on, but glue works also.

But get a Kadee coupler alignment tool to make
sure all are of the right height.

Don


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Severn said:


> I think these are good suggestions and I'll look into them. I hate to say but I do not need a very involved project. So I'm looking for easy. Its tempting to in fact just let them sit for awhile or use a rubber band to connect them up. I don't think I'm in the market for massive improvement -- $140 per car sounds pricey to me. I mean I'm sure it's a fine result but that seems like a lot.
> 
> BTW as suggested:
> 
> https://www.nmra.org/beginner/retrucking-old-r-t-r-cars


Unfortunately, their isn't an easy way. Anything you do will require some surgery, effort, and expense on your part.

I agree with you that $140 is a pretty steep price for a refurbished Tyco car. For that price, buy an Exactrail or other high end brand and give it some super detailing yourself.

Probably the solution requiring the LEAST effort and expense on your part is what DonR suggested: replace the stock wheels with metal ones, and cut the couplers off, replacing them with body mounted versions. This will still require drilling and tapping holes for the coupler pockets.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

Quick follow up. I went to the somewhat local to me m.b. Klein shop. Also known as modeltrainstuff.com. One of their floor staff suggested wheels and whisper couplers as suggested above. I'd brought one of the cars and he did the change with minimal surgery and it appeared to work good enough for my immediate needs. I bought enough parts for the rest and will try my hand at it later. 
I think in the ideal is replacing trucks -- that would be nice. Perhaps I'll think about that if I keep these running as I really prefer larger modern cars and tankers. I just don't have any of it. Anyway thanks to all for your help.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Let ya all in on a little secret.
That $140 detailed freight car is only a Rivet Counter version from Scale Trains. As I said, ya prolly won't get the same car back, because he would just chuck that one and order a similar one and pass it on.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

I did them all. wheels and couplers. rolls great. the "golden eagle" lives again! (almost, no engine but I'm poking around I might still have it)


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

You could use Plastruct tubing, pick the size that fits in the hole for the truck (or drill it out to fit a larger size) and glue it in place. There is already a hole for the screw, cut the pieces square so the car sits level when you are finished.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

I kept the original trucks due to immediacy of need. But I can see the complete replacement with all metal would possibly be even better. But I just replaced the wheels with metal ones from intermountain. And kadee couplers, the whisker kind medium length can be "snicked" into the slot replacing the old style there...
Perhaps I can take pic ...


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## wiley2012 (Dec 8, 2012)

Severn said:


> I kept the original trucks due to immediacy of need. But I can see the complete replacement with all metal would possibly be even better. But I just replaced the wheels with metal ones from intermountain. And kadee couplers, the whisker kind medium length can be "snicked" into the slot replacing the old style there...
> Perhaps I can take pic ...


That's what I've done; I replace the original plastic wheels with Intermountain 33" metal wheels, but for couplers I generally use Bachmann's E-Z Mate knuckle couplers (preferably Mark II with the coil spring) with Kadee talgo-truck adapters. It does make quite a difference, plus I think it looks cool seeing a newer, prototypical and upscale DCC HO locomotive pulling the classic TYCO cars.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

I've a just purchased walthers sd70ace. it's the only ho engine i have minus a few thomas & friends backmann pieces right now. i think the tyco cars look great behind it. I did also buy one scale "pot ash?" cylindrical hopper. I like the size in the box and the rather ugly orange-ish color I think put a discount on it. I liked that. Its a tad bigger than the others but seems fine to me. i'm enjoying this more than O and have boxed up most of O for the time being at least.


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## HOfabricator4$sless (Jun 20, 2019)

Wed 6-19-19 9:48 p.m.

I guess you can say that I am no fun or I am a purist. I see too much good hardware which has been turned into junk. 

I have been purchasing junk boxes of cars and locos at train shows for years. I do what I can to restore most cars to their original condition. Bachmann / Life-Like (Varney copies) / Tyco cars or bacon / lettuce / tomato (BLT) cars are actually not bad little cars as is. Of the three, I like the Tycos the best. 

Every car, that is, Athearn, (BLT), Kadee, Tichy, etc. started life as a pretty good product. Then someone began to fiddle with it. That is the first step to the HO graveyard. 

Every car in my opinion has a few basic functions. The trucks should swivel freely, the wheels should roll freely, the couplers should snap to one side (hook-and-horn), and the car should have enough weight so it doesn't derail. Most cars have enough weight as manufactured. Generally, problems are due to the previously mentioned swivel and rolling problems I described. Poor assembly, burrs, substitute parts, etc. are generally where problems occur. 

Original wheels / axles are a big deal in my book. Some cars (Bachmanns) have up to 6 wheel / axles sets which fit in various truck frame subassemblies. If you have the wrong wheel / axle in the wrong truck frame, the wheels will not roll freely. I have spent years studying different wheel / axle sets and truck frames. I try to put everything back the way it was originally. I do not like making substitutions. 

I generally measure the point-to-point length on axles. I also make sketches of wheel cross sections. Finally, I look for dots, numbers, etc. on the wheels which might give me a clue what wheel / axle went in an original truck frame.

I have some cars which are waiting for the correct wheel / axle set so I can complete the car. I don't like creating junk or dumping junk off on unsuspecting buyers. 

In the end, there is nothing more important in the HO train hobby than a smooth-rolling truck.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

I'm trying to (thinking about) replacing now all the couplers on the bachmann thomas and friends cars so they can be pulled behind the SD70ace ("it's contract work") ...

anyway, it took me awhile to sort through which kadee couplers should work because they need an offset to make them the right height.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

*Good Man*



HOfabricator4$sless said:


> Wed 6-19-19 9:48 p.m.
> 
> I guess you can say that I am no fun or I am a purist. I see too much good hardware which has been turned into junk.
> 
> ...


There is something about bringing rolling Stock back from the grave and cannibalizing junk boxes is a must....I have my collection of Stuff in my Nuts & Bolts organizer that come in so handy...along with wiring, windows walls, everything that can be prefabricated for the Layout...so keep up the good work and enjoy your posts:thumbsup:


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