ButlerhawkMany good tips - will save post
Problem solved. The Kadee #148 fit like a glove on the Atheran blue box heavy weight passenger cars and work perfectly at the magnetic decoupler.
Lee
I too have a good number of Athearn BB cars and I'm just getting around to converting the couplers to various brand knuckles (donated to me by another forum member who has converted to Kadee's), and all I do is pop the cover off, put in the new couplter and pop it back on. Only place I've actually had to put screws in is on my 5-unit intermodal set and the couplers screw into place on them anyway.
Although I'm definitely going to take all the advice given on here about what to do with them.
I usually use the stock Athearn coupler boxes and lids. Usually, the stamped metal lids will stay in place with a little careful bending to shape. But, there are some instances where I replace the boxes. I never liked how the coupler boxes on their tank cars fit together. IMHO, they're all plastic, and unless you glue them...the couplers tend to droop. In that case, I'll remove the entire box, and fit one of Kadee's. That way, it's more secure, and if you ever have to replace it, it's much easier.
+The Athearn boxs seem to be holding. In addition to the suggestions in the post I put a little twist in the thin piece of metal that is supposed to hook on the nub of plastic. That way there is a little more bite when it snaps in place.
Good job Guys
That little snap as that metal cover seats itself is a very satisfying sound.
Thanks for the tip of filing the edge of the cover.
yankee flyerHi Guys It looks as though I will have to replace some coupler box's on blue box flat cars. The snap on lids that hold the coupler in place don't hold very well. I'm thinking of using Kadee #148 whisker coupler and coupler box. That means I will have to cut the supplied box's off the frame and replace them with the Kadee box. In order to attach this box, the car weight will have to be drilled and tapped to accept the coupler center screw. The flat weight is between the coupler box and the car floor.Are there other and better possibilities? Thanks for any help.Lee
Hi Guys It looks as though I will have to replace some coupler box's on blue box flat cars. The snap on lids that hold the coupler in place don't hold very well. I'm thinking of using Kadee #148 whisker coupler and coupler box. That means I will have to cut the supplied box's off the frame and replace them with the Kadee box. In order to attach this box, the car weight will have to be drilled and tapped to accept the coupler center screw. The flat weight is between the coupler box and the car floor.Are there other and better possibilities? Thanks for any help.
That seems like a lotta work. I have a sizable fleet of BB Athearn cars. The Athearn snap on coupler lids stay on for me. I bend the ears on the lid in with needle nose pliers to get a good tight fit. I also file the outside of the coupler boxes to remove the mold parting marks. This allows the lid to fit more tightly around the little plastic lugs that secure it. Those two steps keep my lids on.
I'm going to start doing a couple of other things suggested in this thread. I like the idea of filing off any possible burr on the inside of the lid ears. That should let me bend in the ears just a skosh tighter and still be able to force the lid onto the box. I also like the idea of using adhesive under the ears of the lid for those cases where the ear retaining lugs are worn off or mal formed.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
cudaken Lee, when the ears ware off of the coupler pocket (part on the car it self) besides squeezing the top for a tighter fit, I add a drop of model glue to each side. Pin in the center of the box takes all the pull, lid is just to keep the coupler in the pocket Have done this over a dozen times, have not had one fail yet. Cuda Ken
Lee, when the ears ware off of the coupler pocket (part on the car it self) besides squeezing the top for a tighter fit, I add a drop of model glue to each side. Pin in the center of the box takes all the pull, lid is just to keep the coupler in the pocket
Have done this over a dozen times, have not had one fail yet.
Cuda Ken
I've done something similar, only using Walthers Goo. The Goo keeps it in place, but is flexible enough that you can later remove the coupler box if you need to. Generally I've found Athearn coupler boxes aren't that bad, and most stay together without glue. However, I do find Athearn BB freight cars often sit a little low, and I have to put in one of the Kadee shims to raise the car a little so the coupler is the right height.
One could drill and tap the center post on the athearn frame for a screw to hodl the couplers in, but I've only done it with tank cars and a few cars that had messed up coupler pockets.
TomDiehl In addition to the above advice, before snapping the cover in place, take a flat file and knock the rough edges off the metal cover, especially the end that the coupler shank will rub against. Not doing this had caused me countless headaches with Athearn conversion to Kadees until I figured out the problem.
In addition to the above advice, before snapping the cover in place, take a flat file and knock the rough edges off the metal cover, especially the end that the coupler shank will rub against. Not doing this had caused me countless headaches with Athearn conversion to Kadees until I figured out the problem.
Also it sometimes helps to file the sides so the Kadee centering spring will fit in. I've had a few where the upright prongs on the centering spring prevented the lid from closing all the way,
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
I second what ken does by using a couple of drops of CA to the metal lids if you break a coupler or need to swap it out just hit the sides with a little bit of debonder and within a few seconds the lid will pry off. I have made this a standard practice on all of my Athearn cars if not you can bet your last dollar that that little metal lid will fall off on a turnout and rest in just the right spot to cause a short and not be easily be seen or found for several hours.
I hate Rust
I agree that a little TLC is all that's generally needed to get the Athearn covers to work correctly.
On the other hand, once you've done a couple of drill-and-tap installations, these become very ordinary projects and don't seem like much effort at all. Similarly, attaching a Kadee box with glue is another ho-hum little task. I used to avoid using glue, because generally it means that I would have to remove the whole box and start over if the coupler fails, but, well, first of all that's not much of a big deal, and second, Kadees simply don't fail.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Thanks Guys I did try bending the covers and I will look at it again. I also noticed that there does not seem to be a discernible nub for the cover to snap over. I might be able to improve that condition also. I sure would like to avoid all the extra work. Thanks for the input.
Tom, thanks for bring this up, I forgot to mention it in my post.
Sheldon
Lee,98% of my Athearn BB cars have the snap on coupler box cover.When you place these covers on be sure they are even and push..If all is well you will hear a faint "snap" as the lid snaps into place.
On the other 2% I simply drilled a hole for a self taping 2-56 screw..I use my dremel.Sure beats twisting a pin vise.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Lee, the fix is very simple. Take a small pair of pliers, bend the existing bends of the metal cover plate so they are a sharper 90 degree angle. Than after intstalling the cover plate, use a larger pair of pliers to squeeze the sides of the metal cover onto the sides of the box.
I've been putting Kadee couplers in Athearn cars this way for 40 years, the factory boxes work fine if you do this simple ajustment.
Replacing the boxes is a lot of unnecessary work.
I have several hundered Athearn cars, ranging from ones 40 years old to ones bought a few weeks ago, all with their orignal coupler boxes and metal covers.
I usually just glue the Kadee coupler to the cars frame with epoxy, drill a hole through the cars floor, mount the coupler and box lid and put in a self tapping screw.
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