I am upgrading couplers on an HO gondola which has the old cow horn couplers which are held in place by means of a brass grommet which is embedded in the floor (bed) of the gondola. Any suggestions on the least destructive method to remove these old couplers?
Boy for the life of me I can't figure out what you have? Brass grommets imbedded in the floor? No screws involved?
Maybe someone else will recognize this, and chime in.
Do you know what make it is? Is it stamped on the bottom somewhere?
Any more info you can give will help the cause.
Mike.
My You Tube
Look at Kadee couplers. Once you find out what you're replacing, their web site can tell you what you need and probably showing you how to do the replacement. we
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It is an old Varney model I picked up at a show
OK, a Varney. I'm not familar with them, but some guys on here are.
In the mean time, maybe check out HOseeker and see what you can find.
https://hoseeker.net/lit.html
Scroll down to Varney, and look over what they have, and see if you can find what you have.
I just looked at 3 different versions, the oldest, being the cardboard embossed, and the newer, with the horn hook coupler, and one in between. Either way, the draft gear cover has to come off. I don't see anything with a brass grommet.
Hang tight, those that know will find this.
Are the couplers mounted on the car's body or on the trucks? The grommet to which you refer sounds to me as if it might be a rivetted connection, which is something that can usually be drilled out with a drill bit slightly larger than the hole in it.
You'll then need to fill the hole: if it's not too big, a piece of plastic sprue left-over from a kit may work. Otherwise, Evergreen offers styrene rod and tubing in various diameters, and for a large hole, you may need to use tubing filled with rod.The best way to get a solid patch for a round hole is to use a filler that's .003" or .004" larger in diameter than the hole to be filled. If necessary, drill-out the hole to suit the size of the available filler material. Apply a generous amount of solvent cement to the circumference of both the hole and the rod, let them sit for a few seconds so than the plastic can soften, then jam the filler into the hole. Wait at least a few hours so that the joint hardens fully, before trimming-off any excess.As mentioned, Kadee's website will show you lots of appropriate couplers to suit your particular situation.
EDIT: I couldn't find any Varney gondolas with rivetted-on couplers or trucks, but I have seen (and bought) a Mantua gondola with rivetted-on trucks (and replaced them as I outlined above).
Wayne
This is a how to I did a few years ago about replacing old couplers with Kadees in a Kadee coupler box. I hope it helps with what you want to do
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/194274.aspx
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
That is a nice tutorial George.
I wish I could see what he has. I still don't get the brass grommet thing.
ejeman I am upgrading couplers on an HO gondola which has the old cow horn couplers
I am upgrading couplers on an HO gondola which has the old cow horn couplers
By "old cow horn couplers", you mean the NMRA horn hooks?
Anyway, for upgrading couplers, one word: Kadee.
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I have a Varney F3A that had the brass grommets on draft gear boxes that are built into the frame. Since the old horn-hook couplers were broken and junk anyway, I snapped what was left of the horn-hooks off and used needle-nose pliers to crimp the grommets into a cone shape, then I used the end of the needle-nose to push them out. If you have a quality set of needle-nose pliers, it shouldn't be a problem.
Good luck!
ejeman I am upgrading couplers on an HO gondola which has the old cow horn couplers which are held in place by means of a brass grommet which is embedded in the floor (bed) of the gondola. Any suggestions on the least destructive method to remove these old couplers?
A picture would help, but for what you're describing, I think I get the gist.
I've taken a few of these and just ground off the top of the rivet over the coupler so the cover pops off but leaves the post in place. Then I just swap in a Kadee 148 (a bit easier to use than the classic #5) and glue the box back in place. As long as the height is right, I don't see any reason to add a whole new box if the original can be retained.
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Yes, a picture is very valuable. I can't tell you the trouble of replacing old couplers with Kadee. Kadee makes their couplers far easier to use. Love them!
So, maybe a type of rivet would be a better description than a grommet? The Varney models I looked in HOseeker, 3 different "styles" all used some type of pin or rivet to hold the draft gear cover on.
Acording to the Varney in HOseeker, the old carboard embossed models, you used a plastic "pin", and the directions say "with a heated screw driver blade, the pin head is easy to melt and hold it in place" Maybe not the exact quote, but the meaning is the same.
If that's the case, I'd cut or file it off to remove the cover, and start from there.
Thanks for all of the helpful tips!
mbinsewiSo, maybe a type of rivet would be a better description than a grommet?
Yeah... well maybe kids these days have never seen a rivet.
Well this would not be your standard solid boiler rivet but mre similar to a small snap-rivet.
Actually this would look more like a grommet, but it is still being used as a rivet.
Rivet counters would know, you know.
ROAR
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