Couplers: Confusing trying to plan a solution

[mcbryan]

Yep, I found a 10 pack delivered by Monday on eBay for $58. Thanks for the help!

[dknelson]

mcbryan

Thank you. This sounds quite involved. I'll have to hold off until the layout is built, and renovating cars reaches the top of my task list.

 

 

I tend to disagree with that approach, speaking not as an N scale guy but as an HO guy who went through this same process when I decided the time had come to swap out the horn hook couplers for Kadees on what had become a substantial amount of rolling stock.  This was before I had a layout to run them on.  True, N tends to have more truck mounted couplers than HO, but I had plenty of truck mounted couplers that I had to figure out.  

 

I'd say now is the perfect time to begin this process so that when the layout is built you'll have a supply of cars and locomotives with the better couplers ready to go.  Based on the experiences of Jim Kelly as written up in his N scale comments in MR, it looks like body mount couplers really are the way to go for N as for HO, although yes tank cars and some covered hoppers present a challenge.  It is a challenge that can be overcome.  Sometimes when I could think of no solution at all I punted and cemented coupler boxes in place - aware that the coupler may fail and need to be recemented at some point.  

 

There is a learning curve for this and while drilling into car floors, or shaving away material so a smooth shim can be cemented in place, sounds risky and seemingly doing damage to the car, once you have a few under your belt it can become an interesting and even enjoyable challenge.    

 

Swapping out couplers is also a good time to be replacing wheelsets, if need be, weighting cars to the proper standard, again if need be, and even doing elemental base-line weathering.  You'll want a critical mass of your best cars ready to go when the layout is ready to go too.   

 

Make sure you get a coupler height gauge -- I got two and had them on each end of a test track on my workbench.   

 

Again my advice is not to wait because once the layout is operating it isn't like you'll suddenly have all this spare time for the coupler project.  The sooner the better.  

Dave Nelson

[DSchmitt]

Bulk packs - 10 pairs of trucks per pack, save a little money over the single pair price.     https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?_route_=n-scale/trucks-815912933/n-scale-bulk-packs

 

         

 

 

 

[mcbryan]

Thanks for this. Makes sense, replacing the trucks. This is also "easy", and one of my cars has a truck that slides out of the body if you lift it up, so that would be fixed. It is certainly not a cheaper option but at least my cars would be good to go, and I wouldn't have to worry about buying the right kit, losing those tiny springs, etc.

[NVSRR]

Kadee makes coupler height gauges so all the couplers can be brought to the same height.  That is how to solve most of the coupler issues

[originaldirtguy]

Hey guys, 

I bought these roller bearing truck mounted units and I love them. One of the things I noticed about my N-scale cars is that the body mount couplers can be at different heights. Not the end of the world but sometimes the cars come apart. So, I replaced everything with truck mounted. All of the couplers line up every time (I also added metal wheels which really work well). 

Body mount is how the prototypes do it, but on my RR I have plenty of sharp turns and the body mount couplers strain to get through some of them. Truck mount fixed that problem too even though my locos all have body mount couplers.

Hope this helps,

s~

[DSchmitt]

Your links are for couplers designed for locomotive conversions.

It is really very simple for most cars.

If you are OK with truck mounted couplers, the the quick and easy way to convert is to buy MTL trucks with couplers.  They offer a variety of truck types  with short medium and long extensions. https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?_route_=n-scale/trucks-815912933

  example     

 If you want body mounted couplers (note will increase mim radius required)   

 

[mcbryan]

Thank you. This sounds quite involved. I'll have to hold off until the layout is built, and renovating cars reaches the top of my task list.

[PC101]

Looks like your N scale cars will have a flat bottom where the coupler box will sit. You will use one 00-90 brass screw, round or taper head, I'v used both types to mount each box. You must center the box side to side with the correct end overhang. You mark the cars bottom though the box hole dead center with a pin, then drill the correct size hole to thread with a 00-90 tap. I see on my cars there is no metal weight covering the bottom on the inside of the car in that area. Mount the coupler box and with talgo coupler removed from the truck, put truck in place with truck king pin, check your coupler height. If good your done, if coupler is to high, then you need to shim coupler box lower, if coupler box is to low, put a washer on the truck center pin to raise the coupler. Now the caboose will be the pain because the screw will come up though the deck, the plastic is very thin, so you will have to guess the correct length so your crew will not trip over it. If you decide not to fasten them with screws and use glue you better be right the first time. 

PS: If there is and molded details on the bottoms where the coupler box will go, you will need to file it flat.     

 

[mcbryan]

Interesting. I'm leary of drilling into my cars. How involved is the process of body mounting?

[wjstix]

If you search online, you probably can find them cheaper. Their website most likely shows the "list price", generally with any model railroad stuff you can find something for around 60-70% of list price online.

It sounds like these are all 'talgo' trucks - replacement trucks with couplers. It would be cheaper to just buy the couplers and body mount them yourself. (N scale is a little unusual in it's continuing reliance on truck-mounted couplers. In HO or O scales, the great majority of products are designed for body-mounting of the couplers.)

[mcbryan]

I have these cars that have the squared off, what I believe are "rapido" couplers:

1 x Atlas: container car (Has correct knuckle coupler but Uncouples in curves and grades)

1 x Atlas: Cattle car

1 x Atlas: Box car

1 x Lima: Flat car - steel coils

3 x Unkown: Caboose

1 x Con-Con: Flat car

1 x Model Power: Box car

 

I want to convert them all to Micro Trains couplers, with the little metal piece hanging down. I believe those are "knuckle couplers". Is this true? The little piece is magentic, I tested them all.

They're all truck couplers. The cabooses don't have a manufacturer printed on the bottom.

Is there a one-size-fits-all bag of couplers I can buy and put in these?!

 

According to these listings: 

https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=10

Most of my cars in question use either 1128, 1129, 1130 universal couplers. Those are $7.20 per 2 pair!

https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?_route_=n-scale/magne-matic-couplers/universal-coupler-2-pr-1128-00130012

https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?_route_=n-scale/magne-matic-couplers/universal-coupler-1129-2-pr-00130013

https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?_route_=n-scale/magne-matic-couplers/universal-coupler-1130-2-pr-00130014

 

Is there really not a more economical way to get rid of the rapido couplers?