Coupler Conversions

[wigwag]

jjdamnit,

Thanks again for the detailed help and great advice.  This bulliten board stuff is great!

Kurt

[wigwag]

riogrande5761

 

 

wigwag

In the last couple of years, I'm finally getting back into the hobby after a 20+ year layoff.  I notice that prototypical looking couplers are now the norm.  Unfortunately, I have a "ton" of HO, and some old N, equipment with old NMRA and Talgo couplers.  It looks like this winter will be the "Winter of Coupler Conversion".  However, the variety of different couplers is overwhelming.  Besides deciding on whether I want to truck mount the new couplers or body mount them, I don't know where to start.  Do any of you more experienced folks out there have any suggestions?  Any comments and/or advice is greatly appreciated.

 

 

After 20 years if you start shopping around you'll notice a TON of high quality RTR items on the market and I imagine the prices will be shocking too.  Street prices for them range from around $18 on the low end (HO Walthers Mainline) to $55 on the high end (Spring Mill Hobbies or Moloco) and Intermountain, ExactRail, Athearn Genesis and Tangent in the upper tier.  Many are dead on matches now to prototypes and well detailed.  Once you get some you may find it is something you really enjoy.

OTOH, if you are on a tight budget go to train shows and you'll find MANY Athearn blue box, Accurail, Walthers, MDC, Proto 2000, Intermountain, Branchline etc. kits and yes, there are still parts if you look, prices on the kits are generally very attractive.

With all the choices in the hobby right now, there has never been a better time to be a model railroader!

Cheers, Jim

 

Thanks for the great advice and encouragement Jim.

 

Kurt

[jjdamnit]

Hello All,

I too have a fair amount of vintage rollling stock that I acquired with what is commonly referred to as Talgo or Tyco (truck mounted) Hook & Horn couplers.

Converting them to body mounted Kadees is definitely the way to go.

My suggestion is cut the truck-mounted coupler boxes off.

To do this remove the trucks from the body. I remove the wheels on the soon to be ex-coupler box end. Cut off the box as close to the bolster as possible; I use a mat knife for extra heft rather than a hobby knife with a #11 blade.

Mount the Kadees on the body, as has been suggested in many threads on this forum, pop the trucks back in and away you go!

Just make sure that the height of the now body mounted couplers are within spec with a coupler height gage after putting the trucks back on. You can also "eye" the compatibility height of the couplers on a level track.

Adjust the coupler height as necessary, again as has been posted numerous times on these forums, and away you go!

Unless the side frames and wheels of the old trucks are completely unusable keep the OEM ones.

If necessary you can replace old wheels with new ones, making sure that they are the same size. (Hint: coupler height can be adjusted by differing wheel size: 28-, 33- or 36-inch scale sizes.)

Hope this helps.

[jjdamnit]

Double post

[mike33469]

As long as wigwag asked I have a related question.  I recently picked up a few car at a local train show.  a few of them have truck mounted hook and horn couplers that i would like to replace with Kadee's I figure I can glur on coupler boxes for the Kadee's buit what about the trucks?  The seem to be pressed  on.  If i can pop them off how would I mount new trucks?

[riogrande5761]

wigwag

In the last couple of years, I'm finally getting back into the hobby after a 20+ year layoff.  I notice that prototypical looking couplers are now the norm.  Unfortunately, I have a "ton" of HO, and some old N, equipment with old NMRA and Talgo couplers.  It looks like this winter will be the "Winter of Coupler Conversion".  However, the variety of different couplers is overwhelming.  Besides deciding on whether I want to truck mount the new couplers or body mount them, I don't know where to start.  Do any of you more experienced folks out there have any suggestions?  Any comments and/or advice is greatly appreciated.

After 20 years if you start shopping around you'll notice a TON of high quality RTR items on the market and I imagine the prices will be shocking too.  Street prices for them range from around $18 on the low end (HO Walthers Mainline) to $55 on the high end (Spring Mill Hobbies or Moloco) and Intermountain, ExactRail, Athearn Genesis and Tangent in the upper tier.  Many are dead on matches now to prototypes and well detailed.  Once you get some you may find it is something you really enjoy.

OTOH, if you are on a tight budget go to train shows and you'll find MANY Athearn blue box, Accurail, Walthers, MDC, Proto 2000, Intermountain, Branchline etc. kits and yes, there are still parts if you look, prices on the kits are generally very attractive.

With all the choices in the hobby right now, there has never been a better time to be a model railroader!

Cheers, Jim

[wigwag]

mar44

I'm in the exact same situation and I've been retrucking and installing Kadee couplers on some old AHM rolling stock for the setup my grandson and I are working on. One thing that I haven't seen mentioned that's really helped me with keeping the coupler box in place while drilling for and installing a screw for permanent mounting is using Seal 'n Peel - a clear caulk like product made by DAP. It's not a glue and can easily be wiped away if needed but it's great for temporareily holding something in place. Just my 2 cents.

 

Sounds like a great idea.  Thanks, Kurt

[dinwitty]

Kadees all the way, I'm not into operating yet so the knockoffs stay on till I'm ready, good for testing things out, but eventually off they will go. I have magnifying glasses you buy here and there at stores, but Big Lots one time had some narrow ones that don't cover the glasses entirely, but yep I got the visor. Soldering super tiny LED's a must, good eyes, bad eyes....

[mar44]

I'm in the exact same situation and I've been retrucking and installing Kadee couplers on some old AHM rolling stock for the setup my grandson and I are working on. One thing that I haven't seen mentioned that's really helped me with keeping the coupler box in place while drilling for and installing a screw for permanent mounting is using Seal 'n Peel - a clear caulk like product made by DAP. It's not a glue and can easily be wiped away if needed but it's great for temporareily holding something in place. Just my 2 cents.

[SouthPenn]

I agree, stay with Kadee couplers. Years ago the horn hook coupler was pretty much standard. Kadees were an upgrade that modelers added themselves. I had two 'transition cars' that had horn hook on one end, and Kadees on the other so I could run all my rolling stock.

Then, almost over night, there were Kadee knock-offs every where, being made by every body. Kadees and their clones became the standard. I decided to change all my rolling stock to Kadee couplers. But Kadees were expensive. So I bought a knock off brand at one third Kadees price.

The knock offs work OK, some of the time, but have caused problems. So now I am replacing the knock off with Kadees. I guess you get what you pay for.

South Penn

[wigwag]

jjdamnit,

Thanks for the suggestion.  I agree, I'll need to get one of those right away.

Thanks,

Kurt

[jjdamnit]

Hello All,

Welcome back!

Check out this link...

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/240202.aspx

It's an older discussion on the same topic.

The first thing I would do is purchase a coupler height gage. This will help you to decide on which coupler(s) to use.

Hope this helps.

[wigwag]

Thanks for the very useful suggestion Tom.  I'm headed over to MicroMark.com right now.

Kurt

[wigwag]

Ha ha ha!  Good stuff Frank.

Just looked at an old N scale car that came with both Rapido and MDC knuckle couplers.  Man that thing is small!!!!!

I've just come to two conclusions:

1) I think I'll start with my HO equipment first, and

2) I can see that lighted, magnifying googles are going to be a must!

But at least I'll keep the doctor and my wife happy by taking up an old hobby.  Retired four months ago and starting to drive my wife nuts.  

Kurt

[E-L man tom]

wigwag

Thanks for the friendly reply and very useful advice.  Your description of trying to do the conversion and needing three hands was priceless!  :)

My eyes are getting too old and my fingers too stubby to do some of this. :)

Kurt

 

Yes, Kadees for me too.

About the eyes, these 'ol eyes ain't what they used to be either. but, that's why God invented the magnifying visor. I don't do any close-up work without it anymore. Believe you me, when it comes to things like coupler conversion, or installing those tiny coupler knuckle springs, the magnification is very handy. You can get a magnifying visor at your LHS or, I believe Micro Mark markets one, or several models.

[zstripe]

wigwag

My eyes are getting too old and my fingers too stubby to do some of this. :) Kurt

Kurt,

Look at the bright side.....Maybe You'll learn some new cuss words...

73 and still counting...fingers still work...eye's need extra help, but....what the hay!

Take Care! 

Frank

[wigwag]

Randy,

Thanks for the friendly reply and very useful advice.  Your description of trying to do the conversion and needing three hands was priceless!  :)

My eyes are getting too old and my fingers too stubby to do some of this. :)

Kurt

[wigwag]

Thanks for the friendly reply and helpful links Frank.

Kurt

[rrinker]

 Body mount is pretty much the standard now, at least for HO, although this is more work to accomplish on cars that currently have truck mounted couplers.

 I use only genuine Kadee couplers - even cars and locos that come with some other knuckle coupler, I replace them with Kadees.

 Also - as long as the required couple is available in a whisker version - get the whisker version. It may just save your sanity when working on a car where you need to hold the spring in place, the coupler in place, and install the coupler box cover - wait, where did I get 3 hands from? With a whisker coupler, you will only have 2 pieces, the coupler and the box lid, to deal with.

               --Randy

[zstripe]

Wigwag,

Click on link for Kadee HO scale coupler conversion chart and more info. Mfg'ers of Model railroad equipment is on left:

http://www.kadee.com/conv/hocc.htm

Helpful hints...also on the site: Just click on any one, on the site.

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

N-scale...Micro-trains coupler conversion chart:

http://www.micro-trains.com/ConversionsN.php

 

 

Take Care! 

Frank

[wigwag]

In the last couple of years, I'm finally getting back into the hobby after a 20+ year layoff.  I notice that prototypical looking couplers are now the norm.  Unfortunately, I have a "ton" of HO, and some old N, equipment with old NMRA and Talgo couplers.  It looks like this winter will be the "Winter of Coupler Conversion".  However, the variety of different couplers is overwhelming.  Besides deciding on whether I want to truck mount the new couplers or body mount them, I don't know where to start.  Do any of you more experienced folks out there have any suggestions?  Any comments and/or advice is greatly appreciated.

 

PS - I apologize if this topic is a duplicate.  I'm not very well versed in these bulliten boards.  I looked to see if this had come up before, but couldn't find anything.  Thanks for your patience.