Bachmann Passenger Cars High Couplers

[plint]

I recently got some of these and after replacing the hooks with ez mates, the couplers are to high for my Bachmann GP7.  They just let go.  Too high.  Ant fix for this??  

[jbrock27]

Find a way to lower them or use an Overset Shank EZ Mate Mark II coupler.  How much do you have to lower it?  Have a Kadee Coupler Height Gauge?   When you replaced the couplers did you have to install a coupler box as well or no, just replace one coupler for the other?   

[plint]

I just swapped out the coupler which was a long shank ez mate.  The coupler box is fixed  to the car and must be snapped off and reglued.   The coupler is about 1/4" too high.   No gauge.    By the way,  I have another Spectrum passenger car with the right height.   So why the difference??

[jbrock27]

That's really high.  Sounds like you might be wiling to remove the coupler box to get it lower.  If so, you can build up the area where the box goes by getting some thick styrenne sheet and cut it into pieces the same size (or a little bigger) than the footprint of the coupler box and glue with Model Glue or CA glue.  Put as many cut pieces down to get you the height you want.  Use this in conjunction with the Overset Shank coupler. 

Do you have the ability to screw in the coupler box as opposed to gluing it in place?  How was the coupler box cover/lid secured?  Also, I don't recommend trying to do this w/o a Height Gauge.

[plint]

The box has a screw to swap out the couplers but the box itself is attached to the bottom of the car.  It has to be pried and snapped off and then reglued which I really would like to avoid.

[Len]

If these ae the heavyweight cars, even though you're using EZ-Mates, the procedure should be similar to Kadee's for these cars:

http://www.kadee.com/conv/pdf/b39.pdf

Len

[jbrock27]

I would just like to note, that #36 Coupler box assembly is a PITA to assemble.  Just used a similar one, #37 on an Atlas yellow box High Nose GP38.  It was no picnic.

Since the first few Figures in that illustration mention filing the existing coupler pad down, which will serve to RAISE the coupler height and the OP stated he needs to come DOWN a 1/4", that is probably not the direction he will want to take.

[Len]

It would help to know specifically what car this is. I've converted several Spectrum heavyweight cars without this drastic a height difference.

Len

[plint]

The cars are Bachmann UP  passenger cars but not spectrum.   I looked at the wrong ones.   The Spectrum I have is fine.

[Len]

Do the coupler pockets look like what's show here, with the offset that holds it away from the car bottom?

http://www.kadee.com/conv/pdf/b20.pdf

Or is it flat, and attached directly to the car floor?

Len

[plint]

It's flat, attached to the floor.  Without prying off the coupler box, I can't see any way of lowering this.

[Len]

Odd, all of the B'mann passenger cars I own either have the offset mount Kadee shows, or the'swivel pocket' that gets lowered the same amount by the swiveling mechanism.

You might be able to use a Kadee #262 Gear Box http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page262.htm as a spacer to lower the existing coupler box. Just trim the lips off the open end of the box, put the closed end towards the end of the car, and use a 2-56 screw to mount coupler, old box, and Kadee box to the car.

Len