Athearn RTR passenger coupler problems

[Don Gibson]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Durango360

My son (age 7) just purchased a new Athearn RTR SP vista dome. The couplers are attached to the trucks similiar to the old AHM cars. Anyway the couplers sit about 1/16 higher than they should. I tried bending the plastic arm that holds the coupler pocket with no success. Any tricks out there to remedy this?? He wants to run it real bad on "his" train. :) Thanks - Todd

If you are SPECIFICALLY talking about ONE car (the dome) I'd leave it in the TALGO (truck mounted) configuration. You can use offset KD's but the main consideration IS 'what will it be connected to? You want to avoid connecting Talgo mounted couplers to Body mounts and vice-versa wherever possible (Derailments).

I once went so far as having 'Conversion cars' (Body mount one end, Talgo the other) when converting cars.

Matched coupling BETWEEN CARS is where it's at.

[Durango360]

Thanks for the tips guys!
Looks like I will go with the offset shank Kadee's. Probably go with the "long" version as his "layout" has 18" radius curves. Body mount doesn't suit him very well either because of the tight curves.

I've never thought very highly of the imposter couplers. Kadee still has my vote! I figured they would be good enough for a while. guess I was wrong.

I got my stuff out the closet and he got the bug for a passenger set. We were running my Milwaukee Road heavy pacific with the heavyweight cars. Yeah it looks bad on the tight radius but he loved it anyway [:)] He wanted to go the hobby shop and start getting his own passenger car with his own $$. Kids are great. His faviorte color is red.

I overlooked the conversion chart in my outdated Walthers catalog. I'm bad.

Thanks again

[twhite]

I usually replace all of my Athearn couplers with Kadee's anyway. I think the Athearn cars use Bachmann's EZ mate couplers and they're not very sturdy, I've found. The spring mechanism is a thin plastic that can get bent very easily. As to the height problem, I've found that to be true with quite a few Athearn RTR cars. I've been able to lower them by filing the truck mount down a little, but that's only going to work on the freight cars. Other than that, the idea of the offset shank coupler is a good one.

[cwclark]

body mounting a new kadee coupler, and draft box should work... I always pull the RTR couplers off and install kadee's anyway..I use a coupler height gauge to ensure they all match to other couplers and then CA glue styrene plastic under the draft box to keep it level and in gauge ....Chuck[:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by hugoschn

I used Kadee # 22 & 32 couplers on my Athearn passenger cars - worked out well.
Hugo

Thanks Hugo. Here they are.

http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page67.htm

http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page77.htm

[Anonymous]

I used Kadee # 22 & 32 couplers on my Athearn passenger cars - worked out well.
Hugo

[Anonymous]

Body mounting the coupler would be preferred, but if you don't want to do that, use a Kadee offset shank coupler. They make ones that will offset up and ones that will offset down - where the offset lowers the coupler. That's what you want. Good luck!

Greg

[ericsp]

Even if you bend it, the coupler will not be horizontal. If there is enough room in the couper box, try putting a washer or two above the coupler. It is an easy solution, if it works, I doubt it will. Unfortunately, the coupler is pretty well at a fixed height from the rail. It could be that you will have to convert the car to a body mounted coupler. Walthers makes a kit for this. However, I would wait and see if anyone else has some better advice.

You also might try sending an e-mail to Model Railroader's Workshop.

[Durango360]

My son (age 7) just purchased a new Athearn RTR SP vista dome. The couplers are attached to the trucks similiar to the old AHM cars. Anyway the couplers sit about 1/16 higher than they should. I tried bending the plastic arm that holds the coupler pocket with no success. Any tricks out there to remedy this?? He wants to run it real bad on "his" train. :)

Thanks
Todd