Howdy folks
What is the story on N Scale couplers? My son is starting off in N scale and has a Bachman set we picked up on eBay. He also has a couple of separate freight cars with different couplers. None of them are the same. Do I need to purchase all new wheel sets with new couplers to get them all copasetic?
I've been in N Scale for a few years now. Basically, the old standard coupler was the Rapido coupler. It's shaped like a squared-off letter C. These have since been succeeded Micro Trains and compatible knuckle couplers. Yes you can replace the trucks, which will not only give you the new coupler but also low-profile wheels so you can use the newer and nicer looking code 55 track. However, you can simply make an adapter car by placing a MT coupler on one end and a Rapido on the other.
Hope this helps.
Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in N Scale.
www.prr-nscale.blogspot.com
The problem with Bachmann freight cars is that they are not easy to convert to Micro-Trains. The simplest solution would be to do what GP-9 Man said, and make a conversion car. My advice would be to avoid Bachmann freight cars altogether, as most types Bachmann freight cars are made by other manufacturers, and can be converted to Micro-Trains by installing complete M-T trucks with couplers.
Dan