Piko Ore Cars

[AddictiveBiscuit]

I'm looking to repaint mine in to Pennsylvania RR colours, but while I'm at it I want to improve them, especially the distance between the wagons as there is a big gap between the couplers which is what puts me of using them, I plan to put buckeye couplers on them as well..

Looking for some ideas, or to see other peoples attempts

 

[Gizzy]

Although in DB livery, these are US vehicles.

They do in reality appear to have a quite a large gap between them. Fitting buckeye couplers as per the prototype would certainly make these wagons look more realistic....

 

[dunnyrail]

Agree with al, that has been said about these wagons.mhowever we used them on the Ruschbahn. Andy modified them for a more European look by mounting platforms on each end. A repaint and they were set to go. The LGB ones got the same treatment. I think the gravel train had 5 Wagons the lgb set of 3 or 4 with the rest of the consist being Piko. Pic below shows the idea. The platform at each end had the effect of lengthening the wagons and hiding the overhanging couplings somewhat.

Interesting to see the Gravel loader in as new condition, after 4 or 5 Years it has achieved a good rusting in my Garden.
JonD

 

[AddictiveBiscuit]

I have thought about adding a platform at each end, I'm getting a LGB Sumpter Valley Mallet but I've realised I need some more freight stock so I plan to turn these in to US wagons..

 

[stockers]

Just buy the American print ones.

to show but a few.

 

[AddictiveBiscuit]

Just buy the American print ones.

to show but a few.

After purchasing a Sumpter Valley Mallet money is something I do not have I'm just wanting to add some more wagons to my US collection as 5 wagons might look a bit silly behind such a big engine, but 8 will be better! I've had them laying about for ages and I don't use them behind my LGB European loco s as they look to modern, so I might as well find a use for them. I know I should have thought about these things before purchasing the loco but where the fun in that!

 

[a98087]

Agree with al, that has been said about these wagons.mhowever we used them on the Ruschbahn. Andy modified them for a more European look by mounting platforms on each end. A repaint and they were set to go. The LGB ones got the same treatment. I think the gravel train had 5 Wagons the lgb set of 3 or 4 with the rest of the consist being Piko. Pic below shows the idea. The platform at each end had the effect of lengthening the wagons and hiding the overhanging couplings somewhat.
View attachment 218305
Interesting to see the Gravel loader in as new condition, after 4 or 5 Years it has achieved a good rusting in my Garden.
JonD

Those modified piko wagons look quite nice, do you happen to have any more pictures, as the possibility of a bogie ballast hopper is quite appealing on my line

Dan

 

[dunnyrail]

Those modified piko wagons look quite nice, do you happen to have any more pictures, as the possibility of a bogie ballast hopper is quite appealing on my line

Dan

Your wish is my command. Actually it proved a bit tricky as they were modified by Andy Rush for his layout and since he died they have been sold on via Glendale Junction. But as I have copies of all his Model Railways pictures an extensive search this morning found these two images. They are of the LGB Hopers that he converted, but the Piko one was treated in a similar way so I hope this helps. The first image shows the LGB SF original with one converted. As you can see there was quite a bit of butchering to get to the second side on image of the converted vehicle. I still have a box of loads of the removed Red Pipe, some has been used in a scrap wagon load. The rest is awaiting inspiration in the manner of all stuff in the junk box. They were all subsequently numbered and ran in a block Train of 4 LGB and 1 Piko vehicles. Sorry could not find a pic of the full train.


JonD

 

[AddictiveBiscuit]

I put some buckeyes on mine but the gap between them is still a bit to big for my liking, I'm going to see about coupling them together with a strip of plastic card, or adding the platforms on the end.

 

[Fred Mills]

I use these "Ore Cars" on the IPP&W. The Piko ones are made from the old Model Die Casting ones (MDS) I consider them not as good a reproduction as the LGB Ore Cars. Lionel used to produce an ore car too. It was better than the MDC car, but sat too high on its trucks. USTrains are using the old Lionel moulds to produce their ore cars now. Both the MDC, and the USTrains/Lionel cars have rather bad trucks, as far as durability is concerned.
Over all the LGB Ore Cars are the best reproduction of a North American Ore Car. Their trucks, although not a perfect copy of the proper trucks for the car, are very durable.
In real life, the ore cars outer wheel set are very close to the ajoining car's wheelset. To get this effect, you have to change the couplers, or go for a drawbar of the proper length. The cars were often joined up in quads, with drawbars. I think LGB provided draw bars in its sets of 4 cars.
In operation on the IPP&W we run Ore Trains. we require two sets. A set of empties, and a set of loads. The operation starts with the loaded ore cars being picked up on the run from one end of the line to the other, and on the return trip the empties are used.
Fred Mills
BTW...the MDC/Piko ore cars are in fact 1:32 scale, while the LGB ones are close to 1:29....for those that care. The Lionel/USTrains cars are probably around 1:29.
To make the cars look closer to the prototype, we convert them to body mounted Kadee #1 scale couplers (820's or 1906's) This gets them close coupled as they should be.
I just now managed to get another 15 of the LGB ore cars. I will be masking over the data lettering, and spraying over the lettering they came with, then using a Brother label maker, reletter them with their individual reporting marks, number, Since the cars I managed to purchase are all the "Penncy" lettered ones; I just give a quick spray from a red oxide primer rattle can. After drying, I remove the masking, and the cars look like old second hand cars that have been inexpensively relettered for the IPP&W....
If you are not modelling a North American style railroad; I guess you guys would know best how to alter them to look European in style.
If I could find more of the LGB cars; I'd gladly get rid of the Lionel, and MDC cars......I consider them as very poor models of anything...but that's just me....others will enjoy their own opinion, and rightly so. LGB is not producing them at present, as far as I know.

 

[Fred Mills]

If anyone is modelling North American Narrow Gauge, in around 1:22.5 scale; B'mann used to produce a fine simulated wooden Ore Car. These were not their 4 wheeled tipper cars. They were two truck cars. If you can find any of them; they are a very durable car, and are worth looking at, or acquiring if you like them. Most came in brown colour and lettered for the Penncy....
Fred Mills

 

[The Devonian]

A short while before Aristocraft ceased trading they produced trial models of American prototype ore cars made by the Greenville Car Company. There were to be about ten different road names including a DATA only one. It was suggested after the closure that moulds for these cars, together with other products, had been made. There was a suggestion that some were produced but none that I know of were ever offered for sale.
It was a great pity that these cars did not make it to the shops, they looked rather good and were to have authentic road names.

 

[Fred Mills]

Yes, Alan; those "Hoped for" Aristo ore cars, might have been almost as good as the KGB cars, from the pictures of them, that appeared. Too bad we never got to see them on dealers' shelves.
Fred Mills

 

[AddictiveBiscuit]

Just seen this on eBay looks like somebody's modified the coupler so they are closer together.. might have a go at doing that with mine

 

[Fred Mills]

Will;
That looks like the coupler modification I wrote about in my notes above. The Kadee conversion, using the Kadee 820, or 1906 coupler set. Body mounting them makes for a great operational coupler, especially if you are planning on a fair sized length of train. These cars in real life were not run individually. They were run in so called unit trains. In model form, a 10 car train looks rather good; of course it all depends on your railroad, and how much trackage you have, and the expanse of your curves. In our case here, on the IPP&W, we run 16 car ore trains.

 

[dunnyrail]

Back at post 8 I appologised because I did not have a full view of the Ruschbahn Hopper Train. However I just remembered this Vid that I took of it with my Roundhouse Russell propelling the Hoppers up the line Iron Mountain Style like the Rack Railway that used to run at Vordenburg in Austria, much to the Ruschfuhrers disgust it must be addedd!

There are 4 LGB and 1 Piko Hopers in the Consist, but I defy anyone to tell which is which.
JonD

 

[Fred Mills]

From that distance, of course you can't see a difference...in fact I can hardly tell if they are two axle cars or four... but if you were anywhere close, or had them in your hands; you sure can tell the difference !!
BTW; just a suggestion, if I may....try to run that "Ore Train" a might bit slower, to give a better effect on the video...nice looking railroad...
Fred Mills

 

[AddictiveBiscuit]

Will;
That looks like the coupler modification I wrote about in my notes above. The Kadee conversion, using the Kadee 820, or 1906 coupler set. Body mounting them makes for a great operational coupler, especially if you are planning on a fair sized length of train. These cars in real life were not run individually. They were run in so called unit trains. In model form, a 10 car train looks rather good; of course it all depends on your railroad, and how much trackage you have, and the expanse of your curves. In our case here, on the IPP&W, we run 16 car ore trains.

Sorry Fred didn't see it! I don't use them Kadee's but I'm thinking if it would be possible to shorten the distance between them using bachmann Kadee's as they are what I use.. I know in reality these ore cars are in a long consist and if I can make bachmann Kadee's work I might buy a few of them!

 

[Fred Mills]

Will;
"Kadee" is an aftermarket make of coupler, and has nothing to do with the Bachmann couplers. Here I'm speaking of the North American style of knuckle couplers in model form.
The reason I speak of Kadee Couplers, is because they are the ones I standardized on, way back when. The Bachman knuckle couplers are hard to body mount, and are much harder to truck mount in a position that lends itself to close coupling.
Kadee couplers come in two sizes.
The smaller ones, which I prefer, are 1:32 scale, Kadee numbers 820/1906.
The larger ones are called "G"Scale...whatever scale that is, maybe 1:22.5. I find them, to my eye, much oversize, but that's just me....!!
If you Google, "Kadee Couplers" you can find their web page. They probably have distributors in the UK...
I hope this helps.
Fred Mills

 

[AddictiveBiscuit]

After working on a lot of OO Gauge layouts with Kadee's I to often call knuckle couplers Kadee's.. I'm obviously no longer on OO Gauge but the superior G scale