Athearn freight car coupler height.

[Anonymous]

I'm not building many Athearn freight cars anymore. However, I have always found the Athearn freight cars to have too low of a coupler height. Generally I have ended up putting Kadee's fiberboard washers between the truck and bolster to raise the coupler height. I also never liked the car weight being outside the car. However, this is the best place for it, it is just unsightly.

Do you agree that the coupler height is too low? Also, what do you do to remedy this problem?

[Anonymous]

I only use the washers on bolsters as a last resort. You can use offset couplers, or install larger wheels to raise coupler height. Sometimes I have also noticed that if the car weight has a slight "bow" it, then it may cause the couplers to sit lower. You can try to turn the weight over, or flatten it out.

As for the Athearn weights, I dont notice them much as I tend not to look at the bottoms of my cars. An easy to fix to this would be to remove the weight from the car and spray paint it black (or whatever color matches the underframe of the car). Sometimes if part of the weight is exposed and visible from the side of the car (Athearn's "Railbox" boxcars are like this) I paint the small visible parts black.

I hope you find these ideas useful.

Josh
Spokane, WA

[Anonymous]

Once again, I seem to have picked a subject no one is interested in.

I have my method of correcting this problem and I install the weight on the inside of the car, when this can be done. However, I was interested in whether or not more folks considered this a flaw in Athearn's products. That is the reason for this post.

[Eriediamond]

deschane, I can't make an honest yes or no answer to your flaw question as to Athearn's freight car kits, as Iv'e never had that problem with the few that I've built. My experience has been, that no matter the brand there is always a little tweaking to do here and there. I may suggest you contact Athearn and inform them of the problem, they may not be aware of it. It could be they have corrected the problem but your kits may be from a dealers older stock.

[ndbprr]

Years ago I found out something about Athearn cars that is as true today as when I discovered it. Athearn makes the weights by shearing them in the equivalent of a big pair of scissors. In most of the weights that are flat you will find they are bowed or twisted which causes the frame to bow and twist unless the weight is straightened. This causes the coupler pockets to sag and hang low. Before installing the weight place it on a flat surface and sheck that it is making 100% contact. Usually just pushing on the high spot will twist it back where it needs to be to solve the problem.

[BRAKIE]

I have many Athearn cars ..Here is what I do..I paint the trucks frames,weight and car frame this helps in the appearance of the car.I use the KD washer to bring up the coupler height up to the correct heigth..Also I tighten the truck screw all the way down till the trucks can't swivel..I then back the screw off 3/4ths of a turn.This will give me a derailment free car.Now however I like the 5344 and 5347 RTR boxcars and Genesis car far better.No I will still buy the blue box cars as needed.
I never consider the wight being a flaw in the design of the car..You see to my mind it is BETTER where it is then glued on the inside of the car where it can come loose and rattle around like I had some weights to do om my MDC/Roundhouse and Walthers cars.

[Eriediamond]

Also that weight is better on the bottom, especially box cars. Can you imagine shipper ordering a boxcar to ship his product and opening the door to find a load of steel???? [(-D][(-D]

[dharmon]

I agree that on many of the older Athearn kits the coupler height is too low. Particularly the Railbox style boxcars. I will use washers if it's just a little out and offset couplers if it is significant. As fars as the weights go, I will lay out the weight on a flat surface and check it before install, I usually end up having to bend then a little. Otherwise it will warp the floor and cause coupler sag or lift and poorly fitting shells. For enclosed cars, I usually end up putting about half and ounce of weight to bring them up to spec. I just attach it to the floor on the inside ends with double sided tape. On open bodies, if I have to add weight, I usually go with having to add a load.

[Sperandeo]

I'm not building many Athearn kits these days either, though I have some of the Santa Fe cabooses under way – see my article in the September 1999 MODEL RAILROADER.

For boxcars and other house cars I learned this solution for a couple of the shortcomings that Mark DeSchane mentioned: put the floor in upside down! On the older boxcars this puts the planking on the bottom where you can see it (in an emergency, at least) and the weight can be secured with caulk or some other kind of glue inside the car. You have to cut off the doorway tabs to do this, but I was replacing the doors by then anyway so I never missed them.

I also cut the coupler pockets off the underframe and drilled and tapped holes to mount Kadee couplers in their own boxes. This puts the couplers at about the right height without having to jack the car so far off its trucks, and they work best in their own boxes anyway.

And thanks for signing your name, Mark.

so long,

Andy

[Anonymous]

The folks over at Railmodel Journal have written about this problem and even have a book out about Athearn freight cars. Basically, and it has worked for me, is add washers to the LOW end. Normally one end of an Athearn car will have correct coupler height and the other end will be a bit low. Bring that end up and you're ok.

Ed

[Anonymous]

I use the fibre washers and offset couplers, depending on the magnitude of the problem - if the coupler's only a little underheight, washers, if it's way out, offset couplers. I've found very few cars that didn't need either - can only think of a couple of 40' tank cars that were ok with #5s and no washers.

[Anonymous]

I use washers on the trucks. (Bolsters) I never finish a Athearn car unitl the couplers meet the test coupling gauge properly on both ends.

Then I will take a switcher run it thru a switch on a 3 foot test board and test the couplers by setting it out and retrieving it and moving it to the other track.

I have one on the table at the moment with both ends dragging the pins on the table. This one will either need alot of washers or a spare weight and frame from another athearn kit.

Best of luck!

Lee