I got the bulk of my Bachmann Boxcar complete with the exception of adding a little more detail to the inside and outside. The car was repainted, weather a little and I redid the inside so I can run with the doors open. I wanted to keep it simple and rustic. Now I just need to redo my Bachmann logging caboose and the Big John (when it comes in)
I've also been body mounting my "cut-off" Bachmann couplers. How are you fastening them to the body? And did you come up with some standard height?
On a few I also moved the truck toward the ends and like the look but it takes a bit longer and then the coupler got in the way until I notche the end beam and raised them a little - my new standard.
I'll take a pic for comparison with yours (like the figure and lettering too).
Neil
Here is a picture on how I mounted the couplers. My boxcar coupler hangs a little lower then the flats but not enough to effect pefformance. One of the biggest problems with body mount couplers is they tend not tohandle tight curves and s curves. I tried mine out on LGB R1 curves and seems to work. They come very close to rubbing corners but not enough to have any effectes. As for getting the height I just cut a block of wood to the thickness needed to match up with the other cars. Never really measured just did it by matchig up the other cars. I secured the block of wood with a screw and then screwed the coupler into the wood. I also had to had something for that plastic rod that sticks out. This keeps the coupler from moving left and right on its own.
Looks like mine but I raised the coupler into the end beam so the axle wouldn't hit the "tang" for the plastic rod. Of course I also moved the trucks toward the coupler as well. I find that keeps the end swing down and coupling on the curve is easier. All my track is either 6' lengths or hand laid so radius wasn't a fixed size.
The screw into the bottom of the car works well on boxcars but I worried about it poking through the floor of the flat car - have yet to solve that. I thought about glueing a nut to the floor with epoxy. Got myself in a pickle with the higher "standard" coupler height.
I meant to take a picture of my lift bar as well. Too many things to think about when at home.
The screws on the flatcar were easy. I just did it the same as the boxcar but instead of leaving the screw-head sticking out on top of the flat I just cliped it off and painted the flat. Can even tell there is a screw there. Blends in. Plus if you plan on haveing a load on the flat. The load will hide it.
Here's what the lift bar looked like before I painted it. The other end has a bend in it to clear the brake staff. Note the coupler height is notched into the end beam to clear the relocated trucks as well. It may be hard to tell but I chucked the wheels in a drill and filled the flanges down some. All in all it "feels better to me.
Next: glad hands with magnets! Love that idea.
A quick question for both Snowshoe and Neiler - Do either of you have any issues with the small drop bar inside the coupler not functioning properly? The couplers on my Big Hauler cars are hit and miss at best. I have been one at a time, dis-assembling them and cleaning any flash from the parts, which seems to help. Is there a better way??
Thanks,
Bob
Bob:
I've not tried this but Dave Goodman from Northwest Remote Control tells me that his railroad has a mix of couplers and the Bachmann has had similar problems. He drills out the bottom of the pin (maybe after cutting it shorter) and screws in a brass or stainless screw to add weight to the drop pin. I can see how that would help it latch more consistently as now, with my lift bars in place, they either work really well or very poorly. I'm guessing that the lift bars that have enough push on the pin work better or they are more freely moving than the sticky ones after painting. I'm still playing around with that.
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