Is it best on old Blue Box cars to cut off the coupler box that is atached to the underframe and install a new Kadee coupler box? If so, do you need to drill through the weight and with what size bit? (Seems like a lot of trouble.) Glue the box to the weight?
Or, is it best to just keep the old box with the metal cover and adjust from there?
Thanks.
Bachmann EZ Mate II slip right into the original coupler box.
Wisdom of the past from the living and the dead:
Nooooo!!!
I’ll liven up Overmods link…
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/166806/1833621.aspx
Cheers, the Bear.[:)]
No a #5 has always worked for me. You can still get new metal covers, at least I think so.
The Kadee regular #5 or #148 with the built in centering spring fit the existing Athearn coupler pockets. I now use the #158 Scale Coupler when a car needs a coupler.
When I don’t want accidental uncoupling I use the Kadee #119 Shelf Couplers or the #150 Scale Shelf Couplers with the built in centering spring.
I prefer the Kadee couplers with the built in centering spring.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
The old Athearn bluebox coupler pockets fit Kadee #5 couplers, no problem. You will find that the couplers come out a little bit low, but a #6 flat washer under the trucks will bring the couplers right up to the proper height. The metal coupler boxcovers work reasonably well if you use a pair of long nose pliers to bend the side ears ninety degrees to the the bottom.
It is always best to install a Kadee Coupler in a Kadee coupler box.
The linked thread below has all of my methods for assembling and improving Blue Box Athearn boxcars. These are mechanical techniques, not cosmetic.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/271360/3082289.aspx
I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask any questions in either that thread or this one.
-Kevin
Kevin’s right. Kadees work best when you use the whole system. The metal-clip built-in Athearn boxes are OK for light use but will eventually give trouble.
We use the new snap-together #242 draft gear box and usually the #148 couplers. Cut away the old draft gear box, drill a hole up into the floor, and thread it for a 2-56 screw. Depending on the car, you still might have to adjust the coupler height so the knuckles line up. You probably won’t need to do anything with it for quite a while.
I am already using the Kadee #5s but was frustrated with the couler sagging due to the metal cover. Instead of removing the stock box and installing the standard plastic box (with the required drilling, gluing, etc.) I’m first going to try bending the metal covers as several suggested. Seems simple and straightforward. I feel kind of dunb not having ever thought of it!
There seems to be split on whether to file the truck mount nubs a little to lower the body and allow some movement but still be snug enough. I guess I’ll have to try one to see how it works.
Thanks to all for the tips.
Remember to consider electrical issues when putting metal shank couplers into metal coupler pockets.
I recall some issue with the locating nub being too small in OD causing standard couplers to sag because the ID of the coupler is a bit large. Kadee makes two sizes of sleeve rings that may fill that gap. A slice of styrene tube in the right size could be used to make a custom spacer ring.
I can’t recall if it is Athearn coupler pockets that have this issue or Bachmann.
Later Athearn products used a plastic coupler pocket cover that cannot be bent, just btw.
This is drifting off topic a bit, but one of our club members has solved our drooping coupler problems.
He drew up a shim to fit inside a Kadee coupler box and cut out a couple of sheets of them on his laser cutter. He made them in a variety of thicknesses but we seem to use .005" the most often. The shim can go above or below the coupler shank.