Old rolling stock coupler

[NerdlyNate]

I picked up an older HO Bachmann coal car recently, and it's coupler doesn't match my recent Bachmann set. It has the coupler as part of the truck assy, whereas my current stock has a separate coupler attachment, not connected to the truck assy. Is it possible to modify the old stock to work?

[jward]

It can be done but you need the proper tools. You can't just drop a knuckle coupler in place of the horn hook. Ideally, you'd mount the new coupler in a draft gear box to the car's underframe. But it's also possible to truck mount them using adapters. I wouldn't do this, but others have.

In the future, you may want to look for cars with the knuckle couplers. They are usually much higher quality than the one you are trying to convert.

[trainman203]

Anything is possible in model railroading. You just need the right tools, materials, and skills.  People used to scratchbuild steam locomotives from brass tubing and bar stock.  If that can be done, any coupler can be mounted on any car.

Always convert to body mounted couplers whenever possible.  The dividends come in astronomically fewer derailments when backing up the train.  Truck mounted couplers are a cost cutting measure found in toy trains.  Body mounted couplers are for when serious operation begins.

Kadee couplers are the original HO scale knuckle couplers and are still the best in operation and durability.

https://www.kadee.com/hocc_bachmann_spectrum

They are always all metal and always actuate the knuckle with a coil spring instead of plastic fingers that soon fatigue and make the coupler inoperable.

Metal Kadee couplers always meet and couple up with a realistic feather touch, essential for realistic operations.  Cheap plastic couplers often will not couple up without a hit at considerable speed.  None of this will matter if you are into running trains at 100 mph an hour in circles, but for smooth switching operation, nothing beats the Kadee coupler.

[NerdlyNate]

It can be done but you need the proper tools. You can't just drop a knuckle coupler in place of the horn hook. Ideally, you'd mount the new coupler in a draft gear box to the car's underframe. But it's also possible to truck mount them using adapters. I wouldn't do this, but others have.

In the future, you may want to look for cars with the knuckle couplers. They are usually much higher quality than the one you are trying to convert.

Thanks Jeff, what is a "draft gear box" ?

[jward]

A draft gear box is the box that you mount the coupler in. It holds the coupler shank and whatever centering springs are used. Kadee supplies them with many of their couplers, and you can mount them directly to the car floor or in your case, the I beam underframe that runs the length of the car. Trainman alluded to tools. In this case, you should have a pin vise, a 2/56 drill and tap set, a Kadee coupler height guage, and a set of trip pin pliers. All of these are good to have anyway, especially the height guage and trip pin pliers. Desert Rose used to have some illustrated tutorials on coupler conversions but they seem to have been taken down.

Another option would be to buy a new hopper and put the old car's body on the new car's underframe. I've noticed alot of hoppers available in the rerailed section of the Bachmann online store. These are usually around $10-15 each, already have body mounted knuckle couplerrs, and are a great source of cars for kitbashing projects.

[trainman203]

Here's one set of tools that really help coupler mounting jobs.

https://ppw-aline.com/collections/bulls-eye-drill-tap-jigs/products/copy-of-11003-bulls-eye-drill-jig-tap-jig-tap-6-screws

[Ralph S]

Desert Rose used to have some illustrated tutorials on coupler conversions, but they seem to have been taken down.

Yea, I was putting those tutorials to good use, until they disappeared.  I'm thinking there was a copyright issue.   But does anyone know where or what pamphlet/book/magazine that it could be found on?

[MidWestMikeGT]

Here is the link to the Kadee gear boxes:

Kadee gear boxes

and the couplers I really like (#148 instead of #5 because it is simpler)...although the prices have really gone up!  Wowzers!  Kadee #148, 50 pairs.

I strongly recommend getting a coupler height gauge.  It is very useful to keep the height correct and the train connected when going up or down grades. 

Kadee also has a coupler conversion resource: Kadee Coupler Conversion

IF you want to keep using the truck mounted system (we call them Talgo trucks - I think), Kadee has Talgo Truck adapters on their site.


Let us know how it goes!