Oh, Canada! - Upgrading and Improving InterMountain’s HO Scale Canadian Hoppers

[@johnmalley4355]

Informative show Dan, thanks. I’m not very experienced at bending coupler cut levers, so I picked up a 5 pack from tangent. There pretty nice for about $6 shipping not included. Thanks again Dan…

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. I wasn't aware of the Tangent parts. I just went and ordered some. Thanks for the tip and for watching!

[@markwilliams2620]

You had me reaching for my magnifying visor. Great work. Agreed on the trucks. Another thing Athearn got right from the start.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. I've never had this issue with Athearn cars, very true. Thanks for watching!

[@205004gs]

Spectacular upgrade Dan!👍

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thank so much!

[@struck2soon]

Very useful video, the methods for making the mods is most welcome. Thanks for taking the time to produce this.

[@DanielCortopassi]

You're welcome. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!

[@JRPRailways]

Excellent. I love CN grain hoppers.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!

[@lucgagnon5241]

Hey Dan. Thanks again for sharing your work with us. Upgrading cars is sometimes tricky and awkward especially cars with details already on. Intermountain is a good example. You've done pretty nice improvements on that Canada grain car. The brake wheel chain is a hard one to do. Hopefully today's cars are all detailed and most of the time it's nicely done and accurate to the prototype. Today's models are way much expensive but at least they come all assembled and detailed. I hope one day I'll see you installing semi scale wheels on your cars. I just can't let standard wheels on my cars since I've been using these. For me it adds a lot of realism to models. Merci pour ton bon travail Daniel.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. I prefer the semi-scale wheels, too, but I have a lot of these cars and there's really nothing wrong with the wheels they have. I may replace them at some point in the future. I have a couple that I built from kits that came with plastic wheels (they're really old), and those have the semi-scale wheels. Thanks for watching!

[@lucgagnon5241]

@@DanielCortopassi Hey Dan. Thanks for answering back. I remember buying an Intermountain CN grain car back in 1993. They we're coming as kits. I didn't have the experience I got today. Assembling it was a nightmare for me. Especially the tiny walkway supports. At the time, those were very nice. Then they came all assembled with see thru walkway, separate applied grab irons, knuckle couplers and metal wheels. I've never been a cylindrical hopper car modeler. Got to admit that those cars are beautiful. Especially when paint has kind of disappear in parts like CN big red logos. Keep on your good work. Warm up here. To warm for me. August's coming... Hope it will cool down a bit soon !

[@AllenCNW441]

Fortunately, Intermountain quit making those trucks. Had a couple fall apart like yours. Sent them to Intermountain & they sent new replacements. Also, those “bumps” on the Accurail trucks are “side bearings”. Nice upgrades to those cars.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I am glad to hear that InterMountain isn't using those awful trucks anymore. Most of my cars are fairly old so they still have the old trucks. Thanks for the info on the side bearings. I wasn't sure what to call them. Thanks for watching!

[@AllenCNW441]

@@DanielCortopassi 👍

[@ZombieSlayer-dj3wb]

They quit in 2015 , thats when i got 2 off them

[@jnv4392]

Thanks! Great video

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it!

[@DansRailroad2011]

Dan, Tangent does make several coupler lift bars to. They work well for these IMRC cars! Great upgrade vid!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for the info. I wasn't aware of the Tangent parts. Someone else mentioned them, too. I went and ordered some to try them out. Thanks for watching!

[@chuckmaddison2924]

I was wondering how about using supa glue to lock original trucks.

[@beeble2003]

Problem is that you'd have to lock it in exactly the right place, with the two side frames both parallel and level with respect to the cross-beam.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I haven't tried that, though I have some doubts. The material that the trucks are made of is one of those more slippery, flexible plastics that often don't take glue very well. Epoxy might work better. As @beeble2003 said, you'd also have to make sure to get both sides lined up perfectly. Thanks for watching!

[@CentralVirginiaRailProductions]

Great video Dan!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@w.rustylane5650]

I have an Intermountain HO scale hopper that will not stay on the tracks. It's not Canadian but a Georgia Kaolin hopper but it looks the same. I've done everything to that damn rail car trying to keep it on the tracks. I didn't realize their trucks were $hit. I even glued two 1/2 oz. weights under the bottom. Guess I'll order a new set of Walthers sprung trucks for the hopper. Thanks for posting. Cheers from eastern TN

[@DanielCortopassi]

The older InterMountain trucks definitely have issues. I think they may have used them on other types of cars as well. Replacing them will very likely help. Thanks for watching!

[@BriansModelTrains]

Another helpful video. Thank you for sharing your expertise.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!

[@markiewodi3371]

Hey Dan, these are great tips, I did the same for running qualities! I’ll take the screws (which I painted) for the great running… and it’s adjustable. Great detail tips as well. I did same with chain too…PITA though. No details west uncoupling bars? Wasn’t that a mainstay in the hobby? Great video!!!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. I'm not sure what the situation is with the Detail Associates parts, if they're just out of stock right now or if they're discontinued. A couple other people commented that Tangent has similar uncoupling levers available on their website. I ordered a set to try them out. They haven't come in yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing them. Thanks for watching!

[@YourLocalRailfan]

As a Canadian railroad modeler I need these cars

[@DanielCortopassi]

I think InterMountain is still doing runs of these, hopefully with better trucks. Thanks for watching!

[@YourLocalRailfan]

@@DanielCortopassi if not I’ve seen Bachmanns, ( I know not the best ) for around $30

[@Mildcat743]

Would that 40 link per inch chain look good as chains for the end crossover platforms?

[@DanielCortopassi]

I also use it on locomotives when I make my own handrails, for the chain on the end railings that would be hooked between full sized locomotives when they're coupled together. It's probably a little oversized for that, but this is the smallest chain I've been able to find for hobby use. I haven't seen chains used that way on freight cars much, but this could probably work. Thanks for watching!

[@ZombieSlayer-dj3wb]

Had mine since 2015 , not a problem

[@DanielCortopassi]

Those are a lot newer than mine. I'm glad they're working for you. Thanks for watching!

[@riogrande5761]

I had a batch of Intermountain D&RGW 4750 covered hoppers which came with those funky 3-piece trucks. Intermountain sent me 1-piece trucks to fix that problem.

[@DanielCortopassi]

That's good they were willing to offer replacements. I didn't contact them, but I've had these cars for so many years, I'm sure they're long out of warranty! Thanks for watching!

[@TrashMan2008]

Dan. Thanks so much for the video. Please don’t forget us N scalers LOL. You’re still one as well. What chain would you use for N scale models, for tie downs and brake chains???

[@DanielCortopassi]

I do have some N scale projects, so I haven't forgotten. I've been going through my boxes of stuff and found these cars and started fiddling around with one and then I thought, I should make a video about this. As far as chain in N scale, I'm not sure. The chain I used on the HO cars would be huge in N scale. I don't know of any actual chain that small. Maybe simulating chain with some thing else would work. I'm thinking of some very fine wire with something applied to it to make little bumps to simulate the texture of chain, though I'm not sure how you'd go about actually making that. Thanks for watching!

[@markhayes6407]

Nice video.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@beeble2003]

Ohhhh. Those wobbly InterMountain trucks are a design feature? I'd always assumed it was just cheap-ass manufacturing of that part. As you say, an HO-scale car just isn't heavy enough for that kind of suspension to work. But, also, the only significant unevenness in model track at the scale of an inch-long truck is at joints between track sections. Since the joints on both rails are roughly opposite each other, a rigid truck is fine on that.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I don't really know what the thought process was behind using those trucks. I assume it was an intentional choice. Whatever the reason, as you mentioned, the rigid trucks work much better at this scale. Thanks for watching!

[@nyemt601]

Take a look at Micromark they have pliers specifically meant for bending brass well worth the time saved

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'll have to check that out. Thanks for the tip and for watching!

[@chrisdaniell2990]

What's sad is how many KZbin "reviewers" would say these cars are great, straight out-of-the-box, 9.9/10. It's to the point where there's no point in watching reviews, everything is perfect, lol.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I haven't reviewed one of these, but if I get the chance to pick up a new one some time I might. I don't give out a lot of perfect scores. Most models get the coupler height wrong if nothing else. Thanks for watching!

[@CoreyKinley]

@Daniel Cortopassi InterMountain I got one this same exact red Canada hopper but I had one main problem with them because minds always wanted to derailed on a curve I had to removed the InterMountain trucks then I replace it with Athearn Bluebox trucks after that I got no more derailment problem anymore I just don't like InterMountain trucks because it is bad designed issue.

[@DanielCortopassi]

It sounds like you had the same issues I did. I haven't tried Athearn trucks on these, but that's another option. I'm glad they're working for you. Thanks for watching!

[@CoreyKinley]

@@DanielCortopassi I just bought mind recently last Saturday at the Van Wert show they are pretty nice cars.

[@MosriteCharlie]

Con Cor trucks ae worse being warped so that not all wheels make contact at the same time.

[@DanielCortopassi]

That sounds pretty bad. I don't have a lot of Con Cor models anymore. Replacing the trucks with something else might be the best option. Thanks for watching!

[@davidstewart5694]

I hate these cars in 1:1 scale, truck mounted brakes are horrible and don't like to hold on hills, the handbrakes are absolutely aggravating even with a brake stick because you've gotta wrap them what seems 1000 times.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm strictly a modeler, so I like hearing stories about the real thing. It sounds like they're a pain to deal with. Thanks for the info and for watching!