Where can I find a good source of information on converting my N scale equipment to MT couplers? I have been putting this off because I can’t find any information on some of my equipment. I have the MicroTrains charts with the numbers for needed couplers, but no one online seems to list them by numbers – just by truck type.
The MicroTrains web site. Click on “Products” There are descriptions and photos under “New Products, Trucks and Couplers” link[:D]
How do you deal with locomotives that have their couplers attached to the power trucks? Are there MT couplers that fit in the Rapido pockets, or do you always pull a car with a Rapido on one end and an MT on the other end, or do you cut off the Rapido coupler and body-mount an MT coupler? It looks like some cars will have a clearance problem on the end with MT trucks/couplers. Do you file clearance space on the cars? Do MicroTrains make a replacement truck for Model Power trucks with the built in split bolster pin?
MT makes conversion kits for most American prototype locos See their conversion chart on the web site. For locos with truck mounted couplers some of the conversions replace the Rapidos on the truck. With other conversions the truck mounted couplers are cut off and the coupler is body mounted. The conversions come with good instructions.
On cars most beople just replace the whole truck with a MT truck. For those who prefer them their are also couplers designed for boby mounting. The freight trucks are made with short, medium or long coupler pockets in each style ( passenger trucks are adjustible) and the conversion trucks come with small washers to adjust the spacing between the truch and the bottom of the car if necessary (usually not necessary) Most cars can be converted without modification
Converting cars is usually fairly easy. Just match the style of truck to the rea of your car. Modern cars get the roller bearing type. Older cars could get the bettendorf type. Each style comes in a sample pack that includes the different shank coupler. On some cars, the coupler box can stick out from the end a bit to represent a cushion frame car. You do want to get the box as close as possible to the end of the car.
For some locomotives, MTL produced a coupler kit that filled in the buck tooth look of the pilot. Cut off the Rapido & screw the new coupler into the locomotive. They even came in different paint schemes to match the blue if you have the Wabash Uboat.
Other MTL coupllers came with a similar Tshank with a chip to fill the space of the spring.
A good source of information would be the Atlas forum when it comes back sometime in August.
The good news is most of todays N scale locomotives come with body mounted couplers…Its a snap to mount MTs with the coupler box…
Right, and the better locos have MT or compatible couplers already mounted. Also of the hundreds of freight cars visible on the display shelveles at Bruces’s Train Shop in Sacramento, only 4 or 5 had Rapidos The rest were MT or compatible.