Coupler height and interoperation

[suffolk_rr]

Older Bachmann G scale stock has the couplers at a lower height than the 1:20.3 models.
Any suggestions on either a universal solution for all my stock, to bring the 1:22 scale vehicles' couplers up to the height of the K-27's coupler, or maybe to modify one boxcar as a convertor vehicle?

[Loco Bill Canelos]

I was under the impression that the K-27 came with a second set of couplers to allow connection  to the 1:22.5 cars, can anyone confirm this, I know some of the 1:20.3 loco's have them.  Help!!

[Kevin Strong]

To my knowledge, all of the recent Spectrum stuff includes "offset shank" couplers that mount on the 1:20 stuff to drop down to the lower height of the 1:22.5 stuff. I don't believe that Bachmann makes couplers that raise the 1:22.5 stuff to the 1:20 height.

What I'd recommend is converting the 1:22.5 stuff (or at least some of it) to Kadee's "G-scale" couplers. These are truck mounted (like the couplers of the 1:22.5 equipment) but sit at the higher height of the 1:20.3 equipment. You can do as much or as little as you need. You could also use their body-mounted couplers if you wanted to.

Later,

K

[Jon D. Miller]

As Kevin mentions, all of the latest Bachmann 1:20.3 scale locomotives and rolling stock come with a set of off-set couplers.  These couplers are a direct swap with the installed couplers.  These couplers lower the height to match that of the Bachmann truck mounted couplers.



In this picture you will see a set of the off-set couplers for the K-27.  I change the locomotive and rolling stock couplers to the lower off-set couplers to match the Bachmann truck mounted couplers.

Matter of fact, the 2-4-2T, (not a Spectrum) introduced last summer, comes with a set of off-set couplers.



This is a Bachmann 1:20.3 tank car with the supplied off-set coupler installed.

I've built a number of 1.20.3 rolling stock cars that use Bachmann truck mounted couplers.  Changing to the Bachmann supplied off-set couplers solves any problem with coupling these truck mounted couplers with any Bachmann Spectrum locomotive when the off-set couplers are used.

JD

[suffolk_rr]

Thanks, all. I omitted to say in the original post that most of my stock is Bachmann with the low-mounted couplers, and the K-27's offset coupler was fine until I bought an AMS coach, which rather complicated things! That's why I was looking for ways to raise the coupler height on some of the older stock, rather than just use the offset couplers supplied with the K-27. I wasn't aware that Kadee made a suitable height-adapter coupler to fit the 1:22 stock. Adapting selected vehicles with those looks like the best solution - thanks again.

[Jon D. Miller]

Suffolk RR
That will work.  However, I installed the Bachmann coupler boxes with off-set couplers on my AMS coach.  Now everything couples just fine with the lower couplers.  Works better than transition cars.

JD