Snow, and linking old & new

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone. New guy here with a couple questions. I'd like to link some pre-war Lionel trains with some post-war & new cars. But of course, the pre-war metal clamps and the current plastic C-clamps are not compatible. Is there an adapter anywhere to accompli***his?

Also, for the holidays I'd like to put snow under our set as we set it up on a table by the tree. But I just don't trust the old set with anything even possibly flamable, and I don't have the time to create my own cemented snow scenery board. So I'd like to find a snow matte, kind of like the rolls of "grass" I've seen. Can anyone point me to these?

Thanks

[cnw1995]

Welcome! Snow mats - especially this time of year - are available practically everywhere - the big discount stores, drug stores, grocery stores - where you can find holiday decorating - probably find a pretty good deal on it too. Some people have created transition cars with a coupler of both types - one on each end. I take the lazy way out and use a rubber band or 'twisty tie' to couple the cars together. Works fine - if you're just running them.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Doug. Haven't found any snow mats, but the twisty tie method rocks. So obvious, and somehow it just never crossed my mind. Would still like a "real" way to do it, but that works for now!

[cnw1995]

Maybe snow mat is the wrong word - I saw a few types around different stores last evening - like a roll of 'snow' just like the grass mats or a bag looking like pillow stuffing that you spread out.

[mersenne6]

Lionel made a simple piece of sheet metal which could be crimped onto the end of the prewar couplers so that a knuckle coupler could couple with it. One of the parts manufacturers sells reproductions of this adapter. The nice thing about it is if you tire of the adapter it is an easy item to remove without damaging the original coupler.