Hello I have some older bachman rolling stock with plastic wheels and horn hook couplers. Could anyone tell me what kind of kadee couplers I should get and the correct trucks. The cars are as follows 2 millwalke road yellow boxcars a handful of ATSF cupola cabosee a southern bulk head a Conrail open hopper 2 UP gondola
Try: http://www.kadee.com/conv/hocc.htm
Note that there are several listings for various Bachmann lines, so you’ll need to sort and identify which apply to the cars you have on hand.
What Mike said. I have used the The Kadee “what-fits-what” list for many years and it never steered me wrong. Any every piece of rolling stock ever made is listed in it.
One note, if the car has truck mounted couplers, the Kadee list will steer you to a truck mount Kadee replacement. You may want to convert to body mount couplers instead, which usually means fastening Kadee coupler boxes to the end sills of the car and stuffing them with a #5 coupler, or the whisker version of a #5.
David is on the mark advising avoidance of truck mounted couplers. I have converted many such cars by cutting the coupler “tongue” off the truck and mounting a Kadee #5 box to the underside of the car floor. This can be done with a screw but I usually cemented them on. If you do not already own a Kadee coupler guage put that at the top of your shopping list. When mounting the coupler box use the guage to get the coupler height right. I often put a shim of styrene sheet between the box and the car floor to get the feight correct.
With regard to the trucks, they probably don’t need tobe replaced. Buy some metal wheel sets (Proto, Intermountain, etc.), remove and discard the plastic one and put the metal one in. If there are some that don’t fit properly some of the Athearn trucks should work fine.
Body mounted couplers are the way to go, but converting Bachman freight cars, well, for a beginner it may seem like a lot of work to shim, mount and get couplers mounted at the right height etc. on the bodies. Yes, for experience people they take it all in stride, new folks, maybe not so much or YMMV. You you’ll have to try and see for yourself. I’ve got some experience and IMO, I prefer not to put that level of work into models you can buy at Train Shows for a couple dollars a piece. If you really like a train car or it has a lot of sentimental value, then you may feel it’s worth that level of effort to convert. Speaking of train shows, you can pick up HO trains with body mounted couplers such as Athearn, Accurail and MDC (especially used) for a few dollars each or a little more and then the KD#5 or whisker KD#148 just drop in. Easy peazy chicken squeezy!
I like Bachmann,LifeLike and TYCO cars.They don’t cost a whole lot and with a little tinkering they can be made into nice models.Bachmann first,LifeLike second,TYCO third.Bachmann and TYCO hoppers are repained with new decals,LifeLike Thrall has metal wheels in the stock trucks.All three have KaDee couplers body mounted.
The start of my current layout started out as a Bachmann trainset, and after converting the rolling stock to Kadees and metal wheels and some weathering, still ride the rails.
Hello All,
What a great project!
I have converted many a “vintage” car with Hook & Horn couplers to Kadee couplers and fully sprung trucks. Some had Tyco or Talgo truck mounted couplers and some had body mounted that needed to be modified.
As has been suggested, go to the Kadee website (even if you’re not using Kadee couplers and trucks) and look at the various conversions. This will give you some idea as to the scope and cost of the task at hand.
When I began my conversions I used the Kadee fully sprung trucks with the couplers mounted to them. I thought what a simple thing! The couplers are set at the correct height and I don’t have to make any other conversions other than mounting the trucks.
As I discovered with truck mounted couplers (including the Tyco or Talgo type) if you are planning on “pushing” any of these cars the compression forces transmitted through the couplers to the truck tends to lift the truck and derail that car. This “pusing” includes switching and “helpers” or any locomotive applying a compressive (pushing) force.
If the couplers are mounted to the frame (body) the compression (pushing) forces will be passed through the couplers to the frame, not the trucks, (and unless something is really amiss) the car will stay on the tracks, even in the tightest of situations. On my pike there are 15-inch curves an #2 turnouts.
To begin with get a coupler height gage from Kadee. I prefer the #206. It’s insulated so you can use it at anywhere on your layout without having to shut down the power.
For this next (and further) step you’ll need a set of Jewelers Screwdrivers, among other specialty tools you’ll need to buy.
Turn over each car and see how the trucks are mounted. Are they screwed in? Or, does it look like they are press fit on? If they’re screwed on remove them with the appropriate Jewele