Older freight cars Coupler question

[frankc102]

Ive had a box filled with freight cars (many Bachmann) that I purchased in the mid-1990's unopened until I decided to do a layout for my grandkids. Train layouts have come a long way in the past 30 years. I did realize the need to start modernizing. My layout is DCC. I had to get DCC locomotives. I then realized that the newer locomotives have a different coupler than the older freight cars. Unfortunately, I dont have the physical capacity to change couplers. I live in Barnegat NJ. Does anyone know of a place or individual, that can replacement the older cars with newer couplers?

[trainman203]

Start with a local hobby shop that sells Trains, or with a local Model Railroad club, if either of these exist in your vicinity.

[jward]

In your case it may be easier and cheaper to either make a conversion car with one coupler of each type, or change the couplers on the locomotive. I don't usually recommend doing this except as an interim measure while converting a big fleet of cars, but in your case if you have to pay somebody to convert all your cars it can get expensive. You didn't mention what scale you are working in, and that matters alot in how you approach this.

[Len]

The simplest way to convert the old cars is using the knuckle coupler of your choice, EZ-Mate MkII's are not super expensive, and Kadee #212 Talgo Truck adapters for cars with truck mounted 'horn-hook' style couplers. The hardest part is trimming the swing limiters off the mouth of the talgo truck coupler boxes.

Len

[trainman203]

I've seen people trim the old style couplers, commonly called horn Hook couplers, down to the bare minimum, removing all of the bottom trip pin and the horizontal piece to the side of the knuckle and get them to where they will mate manually with knuckle style couplers that are fairly standard across Model Railroading today.  They will still spring to one side, but you could put a piece of a toothpick in the pocket to stop that. 

It's not the ideal solution, But it's free because you already have the couplers and you don't have to worry about trying to install new items on the cars that may not readily accept them.

[cdw5561]

Rather than change all those couplers on the rail cars I would just change the ones on the engines.

[trainman203]

And go back to X2F?

😳😮😱🤯

[Fred Klein]

Changing couplers on your locomotives is no different than creating a coupler conversion car.

[jward]

And go back to X2F?

😳😮😱🤯

I agree that is a little out of the ordinary. However, the OP has stated he is not physically capable of changing all his equipment over to knuckle couplers. I do not know whether it's poor eyesight, or a condition like arthritis or tremors that make this difficult, but I assume he has a good reason to state this. As a result, a conversion car seems to be the best solution for him. I say this rather than changing couplers on the locomotives because freight car couplers on something like a Silver Series car or Roundhouse kit are far easier to deal with than changing a locomotive coupler. On these freight cars, it is a simple matter of unscrewing the coupler cover, changing the coupler, then replacing the cover. On a diesel locomotive, the same conversion involves threading the replacement coupler through the locomotive pilot and holding it in place while dropping the coupler cover into position in a tight space, aligning it, then dropping a screw into the same tight space. It's not that hard to do for somebody like me, but it is infinitely harder than a freight car conversion.

[trainman203]

[quote author=jward freight car couplers on something like a Silver Series car or Roundhouse kit are far easier to deal with than changing a locomotive coupler. On these freight cars, it is a simple matter of unscrewing the coupler cover, changing the coupler, then replacing the cover. On a diesel locomotive, the same conversion involves threading the replacement coupler through the locomotive pilot and holding it in place while dropping the coupler cover into position in a tight space, aligning it, then dropping a screw into the same tight space. It's not that hard to do for somebody like me, but it is infinitely harder than a freight car conversion.
[/quote

All good points

[trainman203]

If the train is for kids, the conversion car is best.  They won't be doing any switching or any consist changing or anything. And if one of them actually gets interested in real model railroading in the future, they can convert the older couplers themselves then.