Coupler height on Athearn 85' and 86' rolling stock

[darth9x9]

What you need is Walthers Part # 933-997. It will convert two cars. I highly recommend them. They allowthe whole coupler pocket to swing inside of a bigger pocket just like the Walther's Autoracks and Hi Cubes.

The prototypes don't have the problem you do as all couplers are body mounted and they have much, much broader curvers than us modelers have to contend with.

Lastly, yes the NMRA guidelines for car weight applied to the long cars too.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the tips. I used a straightedge and found the weights on the offending cars to be flat. The cars are also. I had considered using some alternative support, and I think I will try that. Only a couple of the cars have this problem. Do the prototypes use this same type of swinging coupler system? I can't locate any pics of real cars. Also, while I am at it, I used the formula for weight (1 oz plus 1/2 oz for each inch in length) and found these cars to be within .2 oz of the recommended weight. Does that formula still apply to such long cars?
Tim

[ndbprr]

Remove the car weight and put it on a flat surface. I'll bet you a dollar to a donut it is bent. Athearn or their supplier shears the weights and the longer they are the more likely they are either bent or twisted. The only ones I don't check are the hopper weights because they are punched out. Just press down on the high spots until it is level. they are quite soft and will bend easily. 9 times out of ten that solves the problem.

[Leon Silverman]

Body mountingthe couplers will work only if you use at least a 40 inch minimum radius. I remember a article that suggested gluing a bar of styrene across the stirrups of the car to provide a bottom support for the coupler box.
An alternative would be to glue a piece of steel or brass under the bar. This would stiffin it and prevent sagging.

[Anonymous]

I think Walthers offer a kit to convert these cars to body-mounted couplers - the same system as their longer cars with the coupler mounted in a swing-arm. I've not seen any around for a while, but it might be worth looking at the Walthers website to see whether they're still in production. Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

I have quite a few long Athearn freight cars. 86' box cars and 85' flats. They have a drawbar type device that mounts to the same boss that the trucks screw to. The coupler is then attached to this bar. On a couple of the cars, this bar appears warped, and it sags or bows down at the coupler. Is there a fix for this? Can I heat (gently) and reform these pieces, or is there an alternative? Can I mount the couplers to the body, or are these cars too long for that? Ideas??
Thanks,
Tim