# Aristo Flatcar - Lowered, Weighed, & Fitted with Kadee Centerset Couplers



## Ted Doskaris (Oct 7, 2008)

Aristo Flat Car - Lowered, Weighed, and Fitted with Kadee Centerset Couplers
Ted Doskaris
September 1, 2011

The Aristo-Craft flat car is fairly light in weight, and if you have older versions like I do (before Aristo started making the lowered floors for its 40 freight cars standard), the car sits way too high from the rail head.

Since I have been retrofitting rolling stock with Kadee body mounted centerset type couplers, I decided to resolve the flat car height and weight issues at the same time; after all, if you have to establish the proper coupler to railhead distance when mounting centerset Kadee couplers, then it's compelling to address the height issue at the same time.

Shown below is a comparison of an unmodified Aristo flat car on the left and the lowered car (by 0.200 inch) after modifications on the right. Lowering the car has advantages other than just prototype aesthetics. As the car weight becomes closer the rails it helps lessen the tendency for string-lining it around curve tracks.










Shown below is a Union Pacific Flat car on the left before I lowered it. The Southern Pacific lowered Flat car is on the right.









As to the weight issue, shown below is an example of a standard Aristo Union Pacific 40 foot flat car, equipped with Aristo ART-29111B metal wheels (before being modified) that measures about 1.7 pounds.









That's about a pound less than an Aristo Box car (also, with metal wheels added). The box car has enough extra weight (at 2.75 pounds) to prevent "string-lining" the car around curves (depending on one's layout parameters) when operated on the front of a long, heavy train consist. In my case, a 270 degree 10 foot diameter loop back is critical for such a train.

Shown below is a lowered and fully weighted Aristo flat car (at 2.9 pounds) fitted with Kadee 907 centerset coupler assemblies on the layout loop back being pulled behind the locos on a 62 car train. 









The weights added to the flat car are out of view and the car's total weight exceeds that of an Aristo box car equipped with metal wheels.










Lowering the Aristo Flat car

If you have a newer production run Aristo Flat car with the factory lowered floor, you won't have to lower it further unless you are striving for prototypical perfection.

The key to lowering the car with the older NON lowered floors is to use modified USAT brand Bettendorf trucks in conjunction with making some clearance notches in the floor bolsters. Since these type trucks do not employ actual working springs (like the Aristo ones do) their design allows lowering the bolster within the truck assembly without having any external visual affect; thus, the car will be lowered when these modified trucks are attached to the car. Moreover, the wheel base of the USAT truck is more prototypical than the Aristo one being it scales out to the more common 5 foot 6 inch wheel base model, whereas, Aristo's truck scales out larger to 5 foot 8 inches.

Floor Modifications

The floor must have some simple to do modifications to it so that the modified truck when installed will freely pivot.
The bolsters must be notched near the screws and the little rib next to the pivot post where the truck mounts must be removed. These modifications allow the mounted lowered truck assembly to freely pivot.









Truck Modifications

Shown below are areas of the USAT Bettendorf truck that are modified to lower its bolster 0.210 inch within the truck as well as what else needs to be done for operational fitment.










As to metal wheels, I used the Aristo ART-29111B since I already had them on the cars being modified.

To lower the car by approximately 0.200 inch, the USAT truck bolster is to be lowered within its side frames by 0.210 inch. (The car / trucks could be lowered an additional small amount, but complications arise to deal with, such as removing the shallow ribbing on the underside of the floor where wheel flanges would then interfere as the trucks pivot.)

Mounting Kadee 907 Centerset Coupler Assemblies

Mounting is done such that no screws will show on the top decking surface of the flat car.

Kadee 907 coupler assemblies were chosen for their small footprint. Though I believe Kadee 906 / 830 (also centersets) may perform better, the smaller footprint of the 907 / 789 is more visually appealing and prototypical looking on a car with such little end bulkhead area that would be overwhelmed with the larger 906. 

Shown in the below picture is a mounted Kadee 907 coupler assembly. As can be seen, the car's end bulkheads must be removed first. The bulkheads are to notched out before they can be reinstalled - discussed later.








As can be seen in the above picture, a metal bracket is used to mount the coupler box assembly. 

A bracket must be fabricated for mounting the Kadee 907 so screws won't show on deck surface of the car. Bracket detail is shown below.










The bracket is configured in such a way that screws will not be noticeable on the top surface of the car . The below picture shows the top of the flat head screw that retains the front of the Kadee coupler box assembly in conjunction with the bracket. When the end bulkhead is fully installed, this screw head will not show.










Notching the End bulkheads

Before the end bulkheads are installed on the car they are to notched in order to fit over the Kadee coupler box assembly.

A razor saw and Dremel tool can be used to cut out the notch as illustrated in the following pictures:









The completed notch is shown below.









The end bulkheads should only be installed after the proper coupler height is established since shimming can't be done with bulkheads in place because the end screw would be covered up with the bulkhead.

Shown below is the car "buttoned up" with end bulkheads installed and coupler height re verified with the Kadee 980 gauge.









Having checked in various railroad books, the slight projection of the installed Kadee 907 coupler box assembly "striker plate" is prototypical.











Adding Weight to the Flat car

The Aristo 40 foot flat car as it comes from the factory weighs only about 1.7 pounds, and that's when fitted by the user with Aristo ART-29111B metal wheels. 

Thus, depending on the layout the flat car is operated on, it is at high risk of "string-lining" around curves when placed in a long train. To prevent this, most folks are probably content with placing a load on the car. However, if you like to emulate prototypical operations with out any load, the flat car can be weighted without noticing it from the outside.

There are two separate methods that can be selected from or collectively combined to increase the weight of the car. The fist method is to add weight along the underside spine of the car, including within the bolsters. The second method is to add weighted box tubes (one each) nestled against the drop down (fish belly) underside of the car.











Adding Auxiliary Weights

An pair of weights made from 6 inch lengths of square steel tubing filled with no. 9 lead shot can increase the weight of the car by 0.70 pounds. This can be used to augment the weight added to the spine and end bolsters of the car, or in place of it. 

If using the auxiliary weights to augment the weights added to the spine and bolsters, the total becomes 1.7 pounds + 0.5 pounds + 0.7 pounds for a total of 2.9 pounds. The following picture shows an example SP car. 










For much more detail, particularly about the how to's:
See the full article, *Aristo Flat Car - Lowered, Weighed, and Fitted with Kadee Centerset Couplers*.


Operational Results

The modified, fully weighted (2.9 lbs), lowered Aristo 40 foot flat car performed without incident when operated on severest part of the 270 degree loop back of my under house layout. With the car being the first behind the locos in a 62 car train, the couplers stayed coupled. There was some evidence of slight wheel lifting when with the car in the train was nearing the exit of the 270 degree loop back - but no more so, actually slightly better, than a standard Aristo box car (with metal wheels).










An overhead view is shown below on the 270 degree loop back.










Shown below are inside and outside views of the modified flat car coupled to the trailing loco on the 270 degree loop back.










Note the high stress loading of the 62 car train on the flat car's 907 coupler caused it to assume an upward attitude. The loco has been retrofitted with Datum Precision made CNC machined metal coupler boxes that house the same coupler from the 907 kit but to a much finer tolerance so the coupler can't move up and down as much as the one in the car that is loosely housed in a Kadee plastic box.










Shown below is a slight wheel lifting when with the flat car in the train was nearing the exit of the 270 degree loop back - but very impressive with such a load on it. The Kadee 907 coupler action is surprisingly good, too.









-Ted


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## Therios (Sep 28, 2008)

One **** of a tutorial. Nice look. I really like the lower look and the lack of truck mounted coupler. And relly good response on the curve. And I can't believe the bend on that coupler for the pull! Never really seen it in a picture before.


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Hello Ted,
While many flats and other cars ended up with nothing behind the striker plate I don't know of any that started out that way.
Here are a couple of photo's of the business end on some flats. As you can see those with the wood fillers the wood is just about to fall out and I guess these must have been a maintenance item for many owners.














































Thanks for the detailed info on the Kadee coupler installation.
Cheers.


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Another Great Job Ted









Ron


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## Ted Doskaris (Oct 7, 2008)

Thanks to all for the comments.

I competed the Aristo Western Pacific Flat car.

It weighs a bit more (measures 3.02 lbs) since I tried using solid steel weights in place of the square tubing filled with lead shot.










I suppose the no. 9 lead shot, as small as it is, still can't be packed as though it were melted in a crucible and poured into the hollow tubing - in which case I am sure it would out weight the solid steel ones.










-Ted


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## Ted Doskaris (Oct 7, 2008)

Posted By Ted Doskaris on 19 Nov 2012 11:11 PM 
Posted By Ted Doskaris on 19 Nov 2012 11:07 PM 
Aristo 40 foot Gondola now Lowered with Kadee Centerset Couplers

As done with the Aristo flat car for installing body mounted Kadee 907 centerset couplers, the Aristo Gondola can be lowered to a more prototypical height, too. Because the Gondola's "U" ends and drop-doors must be removed in the process, it was a little more involved, but still easy to do. 

Like the flat car, this applies to the older production run cars that were made prior to Aristo upgrading to "lowered floors". 

So far 4 of my 7 gondolas have been completed with satisfying results.



















Like the flat car, mounting screws for the coupler box do not show when looking down at the floor surface.



















The lowered gondola cars shown on the right in the below pictures have a very noticeable difference.


















For how-to details, see Appendix A in article:
"*Aristo Flat & Gondola Car - Lowered, Weighed, and Fitted with Kadee Centerset Couplers*"

-Ted


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Very nciely done, Ted. The use of the angle bracket for mounting is a great idea. 

Thanks for the tutorial....


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## bdelmo (Oct 21, 2010)

Kudos to Ted's work effort here. My holiday season wish is that the manufacturers of Gauge #1 rolling stock would read your article here and modify their truck design, along with better weighting, to save us the need for this surgery to match up couplers and avoid "string-lining" causes of derailments.


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## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

whats the fun of that ...... part of the hobby is making things better .... look better run better 

and driving up the cost does not help .... and no mater what you do someone would not like it 

I can hear it now ... "the cars are to heavy i cant pull the grade wish they would make them lighter"




buy the way ... loved what you did ... going to make some just like it .... just got to find trucks


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Agreed, weight is a funny one... people often strive to see how many cars they can pull with one loco... often overstressing it's gear train with disastrous results. 

Adding weight would just irritate some people, but cars that "scale out" too light will not allow long trains, that is for sure. I weight all (40 foot) cars to 3-4 pounds. Interestingly enough, if you calculate the scale weight of a car with a moderate load, you get right there. 

Scale weight for locos works very well. 

Greg


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking good Ted as usual. Makes them look better siting more to prototype. Later RJD


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