# My Simple Mods to my LGB Amfleet cars.



## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

I took the day today to see what I could do with the LGB Amtrak Amfleet cars to make them look little more realistic and without completely overhauling and cutting up the cars.

I decided to keep the LGB Knuckle couplers instead of going to a Kadee 906 build for three reasons;
1) The main reason was that the LGB Genesis engine design really doesn't lend itself to a body mounting solution that would work well front and rear without some major modifications.
2) The Amfleet cars have a deep well at the ends of the cars, that would require me cutting the lips at the ends of the cars and making a mounting platform for them.
3) Since I am only going to be running these cars with the Genesis as a set consist I wanted to keep everything the same.

So all that being said here is what I did, each car only took about 15 minutes to mod, it was very simple and had a great result IMO.

The first thing I did was to shorten the distance between the cars by about 1", and then I added some rubber diaphragms to complete the look.

Here is how I did it;

First I shortened the coupler arm by cutting off the raised knob and the end of the arm.







Then all you do is to place the LGB Knuckle Coupler flush to the newly cut end and pick up a New mounting hole (don't use the original hole or else you will still be at stock lengths) and mount the Coupler.




This shortens the length of the coupler by about 1/2" for each end, for a 1" total reduction in space between the cars.
Very easy and has the added benefit of being able to reinstall the coupler in it's original position if you ever need to.

Here are some before and after pics;

this is Coupler length with the coupler in the original mounting hole.




Side shot before



Side Shot after Mod



End before



After



Distance between cars before 



After, looks very nice



Spacing on 9ft curve before;



And after, (I didn't check on tighter curves because I don't have any on my railroad and it doesn't matter to me).



Hope this helps out all you Amfleeter's out there







.
I'll post a video of the whole train when I get a chance, 
Ron


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## Ted Doskaris (Oct 7, 2008)

Ron, 

Very nicely done. Does the LGB Genesis engine used to pull the cars have truck or body mount couplers as it comes from the factory? Will you do any coupler alterations on the engine? 

Thank you for showing the good things you do. 

-Ted


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Nicely and simply done, Ron. Much better looking...


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## adelmo (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron: Nice work, I am going to try the S-Kuplix to shorten distance between Armfleet cars. 

Where did you get the rubber diaphragms? 

Alan


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Posted By Ted Doskaris on 13 Jan 2013 12:22 AM 
Ron, 

Very nicely done. Does the LGB Genesis engine used to pull the cars have truck or body mount couplers as it comes from the factory? Will you do any coupler alterations on the engine? 

Thank you for showing the good things you do. 

-Ted 

Hi Ted, was hoping you'd take a look at this thread, this may be right up your alley. 

The Engine was the main reason why I didn't body mount the couplers.
The couplers are truck mounted so to speak. 
They have a very unusual design though, they not only mount to the truck but also pivot independent of it.

The front plow/fascia is attached to the truck mounted coupler. One would have to build an entire mounting base for not only the coupler but the plow as well.












The rear fascia swivels and the truck mounted coupler goes through it, the coupler arm is what actually moves the fascia left and right. This end would be a little easier mod than the front end for sure.

I would start by removing the coupler arm completely, then securing the rear fascia to the car body, and then making a mounting base for the body mounted coupler and then attaching it to the body trough the fascia.
You would also have to fill in the large gaps in the fascia to make it look good.

But again the real problem is the front and I didn't want to have two different coupler styles. This would be a pretty big job to make it look good and have it functional.
So I decided to keep the engine stock and make the simple changes I did to the cars that gave me the result I was wanting.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

good thread Bob.


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Posted By NTCGRR on 13 Jan 2013 02:50 PM 
good thread Bob. 

Thanks Marty, 
it's Ron btw, not Bob


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

What??? 
OK, what does Bods mean? I looked in your profile and did not see a name.(of what I could view) 
You don't always sign your name. 

sorry, You all look alike..LOL. 
Ron 
Ron,,,Ron 
I got it. brain fart....


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## Ted Doskaris (Oct 7, 2008)

Ron, 

Wow, I see your dilemma! How long is the Genesis engine? 
That mechanism reminds me of Lionel. 
Maybe they designed it that way so it would go around the Christmas tree! 

-Ted


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Marty, to funny.

Bods (not BoBs btw, lol) stands for Bod as in "the bod" my nick name, which comes from my last name Bodnar.
There everything you never wanted to know bout how my rail road got it's name







.

Ted,
It really is a mess if your trying to change it, but it does work fine if your not a rivet counter I suppose.
The engine is 28" long end to end, 30" coupler end to coupler end. 
I think LGB designed it that way to keep their"it must navigate R1 curves" moto.

You should get one and go to town on it







(and save me from messing mine up)
Ron


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