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2. Hallmark PA shell with the details milled out so hold Micro Trains chassis.

3. Micro Trains GP35 chassis with modified trucks from the Hallmark PA model. This chassis has the pilot attached to the lead truck. This is required as this is used the trailing unit. This is necessary as the trucks are pivoted between the centre and inside axle so the trucks which results in too large an over hang on chassis mounted couplers. The lead units has a body mounted pilot for looks.

4. Hallmark PA shell with the details milled out so it will hold the modified Micro Trains chassis.

5. A view of  the modified trucks on the Micro Trains GP35 chassis. Only 2 axles are powered and the lead axle is a floating wheel set made from an N-scale wheel set. The axle has to float to ensure the powered axles are not lifted off the rails in dips and can drop down over peaks. 

6 & 7. Modified Micro Trains GP35 truck with truck frame and lead axle and pilot attached to create the class C truck from a B truck. The detail on the MTL truck side frame is ground off and filed flat with minimal thickness. The Hallmark truck is modified to remove the cross piece from the pivot hole back to the end of the truck leaving just the front axle slot. Then in the area where the Micro Trains truck is to be placed, the inside of the PA truck frame is reduced to allow the modified GP truck to slip in. The Hallmark frame is then glued with ACC to the outside of the Micro Trains truck frame. The lead wheel set is from a N-scale wheel set which has been regauged and then the pointed axle cones are removed plus the face of the wheels is ground down to reduce the thickness of the wheel tread.

8. The original Hallmark model. To get into the model you need to remove the cover plate on the truck axles. Then you have access to the screws used to hold the trucks to the chassis. Once the trucks have been removed you can access the screws used to hold the floor in the model.

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2. Hallmark Cards Freedom Train Observation car in original colours.

3. Shows the bottom of a sleeper with modified trucks using Micro Trains Z-scale passenger truck wheel sets and acetate wheel cone bearing plate which is glued to the inside of the truck frame. Micro Trains couplers are added to the trucks.

4. Shows a close up of the modified truck with acetate inserts and MTL wheel sets. The openings in the top of the truck have to be opened slightly to avoid contact with the wheels.

5. Shows a view of original truck with the bar seen in photo 7 removed exposing the screw used to hold the truck to the car. There is a screw holding the flood of the car in place under the truck and becomes visible when the truck is removed.

6. Inside the red square the detail has to be removed flush with the bottom of the truck. Then the holes for the wheels have to widened to accept the MTL wheel set with a back to back of 5.35mm or.210 inches. The current space between the holes is 5.70 mm or .225 inches so you need to widen each hole by .17 to .18mm or.0065 inches to .007 inches. The length of the slot is 4.7mm or .185 inches and only needs to be opened a bit test fit wheels and then adjust as needed.

7. view of unmodified bottom of the sleeper car. To remove the trucks you need to remove the cover plate holding the original wheel sets in place. This give access to the screw holding the trucks to the model. I removed the trucks and used a dremel tool to mill out the detail used to hold the wheel sets in place.

The couplers used are 905 assembled and I modified the trucks to accept them. The truck with the loop is easiest as al you need to do is remove the loop from the pad and then remove the raised sides of the pad to level the sides with the bottom of the slot. Then drill and tap for an 00-90 screw. The Truck with the hook or pin requires a bit more work. The pad has to be cut off and lowered and reglued to the truck and I usually re enforce the pad with an .020 styrene shim from the bottom of the truck to the bottom of the pad. The raised sides of the pad have to be removed in the same manner as was done with the loop end. This can be seen in photo #4.

Here is the shorty baggage we have started work on and just need to cast some more doors and add some more body putty to get this ready for painting. Might try a full length RPO car next.

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