Is there an easier method to attach a Kadee coupler to an older AHM ore car besides using a #37 and drilling out the truck to mount them? Would a #148 in a box mount better?
I do not have a snappy answer for you, but some pretty noted model railroaders have used ore cars that have permanent bolsters in groups of four or more, on the theory that ore cars are rarely part of a mixed freight. A variant on that idea is nonworking dummy knuckle couplers coupling four or more cars. At least you could minimize the challenge of working couplers.
Dave Nelson
Cut the truck mounted coupler off the truck. Shim under the end sill to install a Kadee No. 5 at the right height. Done.
That’s what I did to mine. Pretty straight forward conversion. I only did one end on each of 2 ore cars and made a permanent connection between the two of them. After all they are very short. Couple very nicely with my Roundhouse ones.
cheers
The DM&IR many years back converted their ore cars into “mini-quad” sets, four ore cars connected with drawbars with knuckle couplers only on the ends of the sets. I do that with my HO ore cars, many iron ore modellers do too.
BTW years back I bought one of the AHM/Rivarossi cars but ended up not using it because of it’s size. My guess is it’s built to OO size not HO (i.e., 4mm = 1 ft instead of 3.5mm = 1 ft) so didn’t look right with my other ore cars.
The AHM ore car is IIRC a 90 ton capacity car used by ether B&LEor P&LE. Most of the Minnesota or Michigan ore cars are 70 ton cars. The other ‘interesting’ thing about ore cars is that they are very close coupled - the flanges of the outer wheels are very close. I have about a dozen MILW ore cars and I have drilled the shank of a Kadee #4 to accept a 0-80 screw - the metal frame is tapped for the 0-80 screw. I lose the self centering , but the really is not much ‘swing’ on an ore car anyway. This gets my cars coupled on 24’ centers(matches the ore doce pockets on the Great Lakes).
Jim
I installed Kadee #33, short shank couplers. I drilled a hole for a self tapping screw in the underframe as you can see in the photo. Cars still couple a little too far apart, but I ignore that.
I also replaced the wheelsets with Kadee 33" wheels. The truck sideframes were a little too snuig, and I solved that by bending the frames outward slightly. I cut off the couple mounting part of the AHM trucks.
Jim is “dead on” here, the only other thing I would also consider is the drawbar setting them up as 2 car or 4 car sets, otherwise what he explained would probably be the best way to do it.
Mark