Model Railroading > diaphragm change on BLI SP 1953 daylight coaches

I want to change diaphragms on my 1953 de-skirted Broadway limited Daylight passenger cars. I want to get rid of the full-width and go to the standard diaphragms that were used on SP's daylight cars from the early 1950's to the 60's. the problem is when you remove the diaphragms, there are four holes and mounting rings. what is the best way to mount new diaphragms on these cars.

Suggestions? recommendations?

Sincerely

John Ruehle

John, the mental engineering team here at the home shops has decided that swapping out the entire end for Athearn 77-C-1 or -3 ends is the way I want to go.

It's a cut-and-paste operation, because the Athearn ends are mitered into the shell, whereas the BLI shell is one-piece. But exploring the alternatives, I couldn't see a way that would be more satisfactory.

This, of course, requires either the sacrifice of an Athearn car (which you might consider for the better seats and interior partitions anyway) or obtaining parts. I haven't asked Athearn if they have the ends available, but their parts department is responsive to voice mail inquiries with an email return reply.

The Athearn car has a wide coupler swing, and is absent any sheet metal between skirt and draft gear. The BLI car may offer up those parts, or you may want to fill in with styrene.

The Athearn cut-down diaphragm even has the recessed outline of the carpet inserts to quiet the faceplate from squeaking (on the prototypes). And the support rods are well done and well-articulated. You'll need to shave the diagonal row of rivets, which were an incorrect approximation of the 1937-38 car's internal bracing. But fitting the end to the BLI car should basically be easy enough: trim out the end of the BLI car, then bevel the joint to match the Athearn mating surfaces. Tedious, but not impossible.

I'm mid-project on an Athearn upgrade right now, and that's where the photos hail from. But once I'd studied the issue with my MTH cars, I realized that the Athearn ends would solve that problem there too. The only problem is how many cars you want to do. And that could be a deal-breaker for this idea.

~ BZ

 

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