Couplers

[TNK]

Hello
New guy here.  Can I pull Big Hauler cars (truck type couplers) with a new C19 Spectrum or Two Truck Climax steam loco.  Spectrum couplers appear to be set higher on the car body then the big hauler truck mounted couplers.  I keep hearing about a drop down coupler but have see no clear explanation if or how it might work?
TNK

[Chuck N]

These drop down couplers came with my Shay.  I had to use them so that spectrum 1:20.3 cars would couple to the Shay.  Your BH truck mounted couplers are even lower.



I removed the plastic on the back end of the coupler.



I then drilled a hole between the existing hole and the face of the coupler.



I then mounted it in the coupler pocket on the back of the shay.  I think that your climax has a similar pocket.



This then lets the coupler on the Spectrum car mate with the engine.



The coupler shown in the first picture should fit directly into the C-19 pocket on the tender.

Both of these may still be too high for the BH truck mounted couplers.  If they are use a Kadee #831  coupler on one end of a car.   These are truck mounted couplers that step up.  You will have to cut the button of the end of the coupler tongue to fit in the Kadee.  This car is called an idler car and will always have to be behind the tender as long as all of your cars have the lower truck mounted couplers.

Chuck

[TNK]

Thanks Chuck N
I don't have a c19 yet but i'm looking for one.
Thanks again.
Later

[StanAmes]

Both the C-19 and the new Climax come with high couplers but have offset couplers in the box to all coupling with the Big Hauler truck mounted couplers.  The change out the couplers only involves a few screws.

Hope that helps

Stan

[Chuck N]

I think that the Climax comes with an bracket that attaches to the motor block.  BH couplers and be attached to,the end of that bracket and will couple to BH cars without need of a step down.  If you look at my third picture, you can see two holes on the motor block.  My Climax has the same holes.  That is where the truck mounted coupler brackets are attached.  I vaguely remember removing those brackets when I got the engines years ago,  because all my 1:20.3 cars are the higher body mounts.  They are now buried in boxes that are hidden somewhere in the house, I think.

The step down as mentioned by Stan should work on the C-19.

Chuck