bachmann to tyco couplers/controllers

[Doneldon]

Jim-

It's not difficult at all. You just slide the thread across the spring
and maybe wrap around once and you're ready to go.
                                                                                 -- D

[Catt]

The reason some of us buy those old Bachmann and TYCO cars is we would rather do the modeling ourselves than pay someone else ridiculous prices for stuff that will break off if you handle them very much.By the way those TYCO cars with the solid stirrups were made while General Mills (think cereal) owned the company.

[jbrock27]

Meow, you can do the same to your little heart's desire on other models that have much better detail and weight that are no where near "ridiculous" prices as you say.  Maybe I should ask you to define reasonable from ridiculous, as in cost?  I understand if these cars are already on hand from some years ago purchase, but would not make it a practice to buy either old Bachmann or TYCO today, in order to do that.  Thanks for the info on the cereal (Meow Mix), but I really could care less who makes them-they are ugly, da cheese and would never buy one. 

[jward]

The reason some of us buy those old Bachmann and TYCO cars is we would rather do the modeling ourselves than pay someone else ridiculous prices for stuff that will break off if you handle them very much.By the way those TYCO cars with the solid stirrups were made while General Mills (think cereal) owned the company.

that was consolidated foods/sara lee who owned tyco. I can understand your point about paying top dollar for cars with fragile details. but you'd have to invest a lot of time and effort just to get a tyco car up to the standards of an athearn or roundhouse kit from the same era. to me, those would be much better candidates for an upgrade, as all they need are some kadees, metal wheels and a little weight. you can get a car which needs half the work, for about the same price at a train show.

[jbrock27]

In addition to knowing what Catt's standard is for a "ridiculous" price, I would also like to know what brand cars he is referring to with the fragile details.

[Irbricksceo]

Ridiculous Price is subjective. I am not willing to go above 15 for a freight car personally, with a few exceptions however Bachmann cars and many athearns can be had in that area. Likewise, while I dont use them as much, I wanted a passenger train so I got older Athearn cars where I got 4 for 35 bucks. sure, the quality was far lower than newer equipment both in looks and running style, however i felt that laying out 200+ dollars for four coaches was way too much.

[jbrock27]

Ridiculous Price is subjective.

Of course it is, which is why I asked him what his version of this subjective figure is, as his comment makes little sense until he quantifies it.  I've said, again and just recently, I am not paying $20 for a freight car, new or otherwise.  So their is my "ridiculous".

[Len]

A 'truck tuning' tool http://www.reboxx.com/Tools.htm does a lot to improve the rolling performance of older cars with plastic trucks. Even if you leave the original wheels in. Micro-Mark also offers a similar tool. Replacing plastic wheels with metal ones also makes a big difference. And can effect how often you have to clean your rails.

I got into refurbishing old Tyco, Life-Like, Athearn, etc., when the uncle who got me into HO as a kid passed away several years ago. He left me three boxes of the stuff, and the first thing I wanted to do was add knuckle couplers. This was before Life-Like came out with their small mounting hole knuckles.

There was definately a learning curve at first. But know I can do the basics, body mount coupler, screw mounted trucks with metal wheels, in about an hour. Cars I decide to go all the way with, trim off the molded detail and install wire grabs, etc., take an afternoon. Not counting repainting. I don't do a lot of those, when the trains moving you don't really notice anyway.


Now I pick up the Tyco, etc., cars for $1 or so at the local train shows and refurbish them for kids who don't have the skills, or budget, yet.

Len

[jbrock27]

Len, I agree with your whole first paragraph.  I have the Micro-Mark version-a very good tool, handy especially if you are going to modify, tune up or revamp any cars that have plastic trucks.

[wiley209]

The original poster mentioned having "powerful" TYCO locomotives. What kind were they? Most TYCO diesels made until 1975 came with the Mantua MU-2 truck-mount drive, which was a pretty good motor. TYCO diesels and any newly-released steam engines (like their Chattanooga ones of the time) had their PowerTorque motor, which was a crummy pancake motor (sort of like the pancake motors seen on older Bachmann locomotives) that was famous for being rather unreliable. In other words, the PowerTorque drive apparently killed TYCO's model train business.
I do like TYCO's rolling stock. I've upgraded most of them with knuckle couplers, either using the Life-Like ones, or by using E-Z Mate couplers with Kadee talgo truck adapters. Whichever one is used, the whiskers do need a bit of trimming on the ends so they will fit nicely into those Hong Kong-made talgo coupler pockets. A few of them I've even upgraded to metal wheels, and it's made quite a difference.

[ACY]

I do like TYCO's rolling stock. I've upgraded most of them with knuckle couplers, either using the Life-Like ones, or by using E-Z Mate couplers with Kadee talgo truck adapters. Whichever one is used, the whiskers do need a bit of trimming on the ends so they will fit nicely into those Hong Kong-made talgo coupler pockets. A few of them I've even upgraded to metal wheels, and it's made quite a difference.

Why upgrade a piece of rolling stock that is not very detailed when you can buy one cheaply that has more detail and requires minimal work?
Bachmann economy line rolling stock and Athearn kits have better detail than most if not all Tyco rolling stock (not counting any that was actually metal and made by Mantua). They both also lend themselves to easy Kadee coupler installation. Tyco cars have plastic bolsters which are unreliable, have talgo trucks (truck mounted couplers), plastic wheels, X2F couplers and are not detailed. Bachmann economy line and Athearn Blue Box kits both have decent trucks that accept metal wheels without using a truck tuner which you often need for Tyco. I can't think of a single advantage to using Tyco rolling stock except for if it was of sentimental value.

[jbrock27]

I've upgraded most of them with knuckle couplers, either using the Life-Like ones...

Life-Like makes knuckle couplers?


I would not go through the expense of buying Kadee talgo truck adapters for TYCO freight cars.  I have to agree with ACY for the most part.  While I would not say no TYCO car is ever worth upgrading, I would say most are NOT and most are not worth buying during these times.  The few I have done, were mine bought and paid for about 35 years ago and they made good test subjects for my upgrading.  I would rather save up my $$ and buy 2 decent cars, than have 4 TYCO ones for the same cost. 
I think regardless of whether you are upgrading older, cheap stuff, the truck tuning tool is worth having in the train tool box.

[jjdog33]

Wiley;  The Tyco engines are as follows:  The GP 20, the Plymouth Yard diesel, and the F-9 diesel.  I don't know what motors are in them, all I know is that they easily outpull the engine that comes with the Bachmann overland limited set. 

[Len]

I've upgraded most of them with knuckle couplers, either using the Life-Like ones...

Life-Like makes knuckle couplers?

Yes. http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/433-1427

They are designed to be direct replacements for the horn-hooks with the small mounting hole use in old Bachmann, Tyco, Life-Like, etc. cars with talgo mounted horn-hook couplers. For Tyco, and a couple of others, you need to clip 1/16" - 1/8" off the end of the whiskers to fit the coupler box correctly and not bind.

Len

[jbrock27]

Once again, thank you for the info Len.   You are a wealth of information.  Do they employ a metal knuckle spring or plastic one? 
I did not know about these as I do not bother to install knuckle couplers in Talgo trucks.  I also don't reuse Talgo trucks but rather, replace them with real trucks.  I save any replaced Talgos for scenery.

jdog, how much do these locos weigh compared to the Bachmann one?  And how do they sound when they are running?