Replacing Truck Pins

[diburning]

I have some older Atlas and older Atlas Trainman rolling stock that uses pins to hold the trucks to the model. I want to replace the pins with screws as sometimes the pins fall out onto the club layout and disappear and I don't find out until I derail the car and the truck flies out (although that does make for a very prototypical derailment )

I had one screw that I put into one of my Atlas cars on the side where the pin was loose. I don't know what size the screw is and I have no way of measuring something that small.

What I do know is that the screw is smaller (narrower) than a 2-56.

 

[Rico]

On some cars I have the pins glued in. If they ever need to be removed I trim them off then drill a hole for a small screw.
A lot of Accurail cars end up that way so sometimes I just glue the pin in right off the git-go then do the surgery.

 

[diburning]

I just want to replace the pins with screws as it will save me the hassle later.

 

[Rico]

In that case use a screw that fits thru the truck and into the hole.
Otherwise glue the pin shanks in without the "tops" then drill into the center for what ever screw you want to use.
There might be a better way to go but that's what I've done in the past.

 

[diburning]

I'm trying to find someone who knows which size screw I should use. Buying a bunch of screws and trying them is not my idea of a good solution.

 

[Larry]

Why don't you measure the size of the hole in the trucks & then get the next size smaller. That way the rest of us won't have to guess the correct size. Just a little common sense.

 

[diburning]

I have no way of measuring something so small.

 

[MRLdave]

Noone seems to be addressing that the pins are stepped.......the part that sticks into the carbody is smaller than the the part that goes thru the truck. If you use a screw that fits into the car, the truck will be very sloppy. I think that's what Rico was getting at when he said to glue in the pin with the head removed, then drill for a screw. An exception is some Bachmann cars, where the truck fits over a stud on the bottom of the car, and then a screw holds the truck in place.

 

[diburning]

There are two types of pins.

The first type is stepped. The second type looks like a nail.

The screw holds it in well enough so that it does not slop. I just need to find the screw size/manufacturer for such a screw so that I can replace all of the pins on my cars

 

[flyboy2610]

I would suggest going to a hardware store and buying a set of calipers. The dial type will work well, and you should be able to get a set for about $20-25.

 

[alcoman]

A drill gauge would be much cheaper. Usually a dollar or less. Mine was a free premium and measures from 1/2 down to 1/16. Or, if you have a set of drill bits, see which bit just fits the hole and get a screw one size smaller.

I can't just tell you which size screw to use because I've found different sized holes on different truck centers.

 

[UP2CSX]

Alcoman has the best solution. A cheap drill gauge is the easiest way to figure out what size hole you're dealing with. You can also just use drill bits if your drill bit holder is indexed. Once you know the drill bit that almost fits, you just by the next size smaller. I've been doing it this way for years.