I need some N scale help!!!

[Anonymous]

I have two questions.
The first is, I have a loco that I bought with kaydee couplers, it's a fantastic engine but all my rolling stock has the cheapo couplers. I tried converting one with a conversion kit. Holy crap is that difficult!!! There has got to be an easier way!! Is there?
The second question is, I would like to add a track on my set that just goes back and forth with a gandy dancer. Is there a way to have it go back and forth by itself without having to throw a foward/reverse switch? I have seen this on a O gauge kit but I don't know how to do it.
Thanks in advance for any advice or help.
Doug

[thirdrail1]

Doug, first re: couplers. I assume you have one of the Atlas Diesels with Accumate couplers Atlas has done this since virtually everyone in N eventually converts his or her rolling stock to Micro-Trains couplers. You can convert your freight and passenger cars fairly easily to either Micro-Trains or Accumate couplers (they are compatible) by replacing the trucks. Micro-Trains sells a dozen different freight trucks and Atlas sells three with Accumates.

I do not know what you mean by a "gandy dancer" as that is a person who works on a track gang, not a type of railroad car. You can, however, buy a kit from Circuitron that provides automatic reversing on a section of track, but it is not cheap (costs about what a locomotive does).

Hope this helps. BTW, you can get a great deal of good N scale information on the Atlas N scale forum at http://www.atlasrr.com It's a busy forum and runs at light speed compared to this one!!

[n2mopac]

I believe by gandy dancer Doug is referring to a two man hand car. I have heard these referred to as gandy dancers in connection with the track gangs who most often used them.
Ron