N scale diesel frames too high

[Anonymous]

thanx, guys, for the input. i'll try a combo of both suggestions,since they're way off warranty anyway. Worst that can happen is that i learn what NOT to do! (AND i get more shells for a loco repair shop diorama...)

[DSchmitt]

I don't have any of their GP9's but do have GP18's and 20's. They appear to me to sit low enough[:)]

The old GP18's I own have plastic frames with a weight front and rear that sit on top of the gear towers. If the 9 has similar construction, I would first check that the length of the opening in the walkway is enough to clear the ends of the frame. If it isn't removing a little material from the end of the frame let walkway and body sit lower. If that is not the problem or does not lower the walkway enough, the body might be siting on top of the weights. It might be possible to shave a small amount of material off the top of the weights to allow the body to sit lower.

If the GP9 has a metal split frame, like the GP20, the problem might still be the same. Shortening the frame slightly and/or removing a little material from the top of the frame might work.

[Wdlgln005]

It would be very difficult to lower the frame on Nscale locos. First place, the truck must swing freely and run thru tight curves. Then you can have the problem of truck mount couplers that don't stay together if not cause derailments. The widest swing occurs when the loco is running light.

Secondly, there's a lot of gears in between the drive shaft & the truck. Messing with the gears changes the gear ratios of the locos. You might be lucky to swap trucks between mfr's, but you could get poor performance as a result.

The best thing to do is to make the gap less noticable. The underside could be painted black. Use just enough paint to reduce the shiny brass surface, but be sure to not mess with any electrical contact areas!

[Anonymous]

Anyone have input on how hard/easy it would be, to lower the frame, so that it's closer to the top of the drive trucks, on certain diesels? I'm looking specifically at older Life-Like GP-7's. Nice detailing up top, but that gap:Yechh!! Funny thing is the Proto 2000 series models, at least as pictured in catalogs, seem to have much the same problem. You can even see the brass contact wipers. Unless these were pre-production photos. For example, see the new Alco C-424's. Appreciate the info. I'd do it myself, if it's a straightforward fix.