01-15-2011, 10:10 AM
Most model cars and locomotives ride a bit high. The manufacturers do that to allow the models to negotiate our tight radii without fouling the trucks on under body details and causing derailments. We don't realize it but a 30" radius (which wee consider "broad") is extremely tight by prototype standards. A friend of mine, who now works for Athearn (Horizon) had a machinist type cross vice that he used with a drill press and milling bit to mill off a few thousands of an inch from the bolsters on Athearn locomotive frames to get them down to scale height off of the rails. The tool he used had a hole in the center of the face, that allowed him to mill off part of the truck bolster face without disturbing the centering pin.