Sometimes, I see some nice Tyco freight cars that I’d like to add to my collection. However, most of them still use those horn-hook couplers on those clip-in trucks. Anybody has a replacement for those so that I could put Kadee couplers on them?
Here’s a link to Kadee’s page for Tyco conversions. Scroll down to rolling stock.
https://www.kadee.com/hocc_tyco.htm
In the past, I’ve used the #148 whisker coupler along with the Kadee Talgo truck adapter. It works pretty good.
Since then, I’ve replaced the trucks and body mounted the couplers.
Mike.
Thanks, Mike. I have some Talgo adapters coming.
What kind of trucks did you put on those?
I replaced my Tyco trucks with Tichy trucks and added body mounted Kadee couplers. The trucks were painted with rust colored primer beforehand and Intermountain wheelsets were added.
There was a huge improvement in appearance and rolling resistance.
Mine were old metal frame cars with screw mounted trucks. Those press fit plastic trucks may need to have the booster holes filled and redrilled.
Well, since I model from the late 90’s on up, I use Athearn 100 ton trucks. It will depend on your time period. 50 ton, 70 ton, or 100 ton?
There are lots of excellent choices for trucks, along with styles. Everybody has their own “go to”.
Mike.
I was not aware of the Athearn trucks. Are these snapping in place, replacing the cheap original plastic ones?
George Paine does a very good tutorial, here…
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/194011.aspx
and here…
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/194274.aspx
Cheers, the Bear. [:)]
I use to carefully remove the coupler and put Kadees on.
I would put machined metal wheels on the trucks and use a truck tuner first and check the car for free wheeling. I think I used reboxx wheels not made anymore last I knew. Intermountain are very good. I like machined for the weight do not pick up dirt like Kadee wheels which can pick up dirt over time. They are not solid metal. Opinions vary.
Also, I do not like black wheels.
Edit.
I mad a three foot long solid strip of wood with a three foot strip of track on cork. Raise one end to simulate a two degree slope and see how the cars roll with NMRA weight.
Rich
Thank you, guys. That’s enough material to get me started!
No. Athearn trucks, along with many others, are held in place with a screw. After removing the Talgo trucks, you fill in the hole with a plastic rod, and redrill for a screw.
Mike.
Hello All,
Most of my rolling stock is vintage 1970’s HO Tyco 34-foot Operating Hopper Cars.
These came stock with Talgo style Horn & Hook couplers.
What I have learned over the year of updating this fleet of almost 40 cars is…
•I first tried the Kadee Talgo adapters.
This allows you to use #5 couplers in the truck mounted Talgo style coupler pockets.
The problem with this solution- -and any truck mounted couplers- -is they tend to derail when pushing or backing-up.
•Next I tried the Kadee trucks with couplers mounted to them “Talgo Style”. I experienced the same problems during reversing operations.
•My final solution was to remove the Talgo style couplers.
I cut the Talgo coupler pockets, upgrade the wheels to metal and body mount the couplers.
It took a lot of time and money to reach the conclusion that Talgo-style couplers weren’t worth the time, money and effort.
My suggestion:
Keep the O.E.M. clip-in side frame trucks, cut off the truck mounted coupler pockets. Upgrade the wheels to metal.
Body mount the couplers with Kadee draft gear boxes; use #5 (or #148 “wisker”) couplers.
Enjoy smooth, free-rolling, cars with the reliability of Kadee coupling.
Hope this helps.
Thank you, it certainly helps a lot. To be honest, I’ve never thought about mounting the couplers on the car itself. What I did for a few cars was to cut the pocket on the truck and glue a Kadee gear box on it, then put the coupler in it. It think that’s why I had been having some problems with some of the cars. I will convert all of them to body mount the couplers.
Thanks again!
I usually convert train set cars, like Tyco, to body mount couplers. The body mounts look better to my eye, and work far better when you are backing the train. The truck mount couplers (talgo some call them) tend to twist the trucks under the backing force and derail. I drill a hole to take a 2-56 screw thru the Kadee coupler box in the bottom of the car. If the under carriage is pure plastic I merely drill a #50 hole. If the undercarriage is metal I tap the hole for a 2-56 screw. Body mount works fine on 40 and 50 foot freight cars. Passenger cars I leave with truck mount couplers. The Kadee what-fits-what list will steer you toward truck mount couplers for cars that originally had truck mount couplers.
.
JJ: Would you like another “special” Tyco operating dump car for your collection? If so, please send me a PM. I have one for you.
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-Kevin
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Here’s a Mantua (forerunner of Tyco) gondola, which originally had Talgo-type trucks, which were screw-mounted. Since the original trucks weren’t especially well-done, I replaced them with ones from MDC…
I also installed Kadee #5s in their own plastic gearboxes, and since the car has a metal underframe, drilled and tapped for the screws…
EG&E 4519 is a Tyco car, with a plastic underframe. It had Talgo-type trucks, too, but they were the clip-in type. I cut off the coupler extension and added body-mounted Kadee #5s, then modified the clip-in trucks to be screw-mounted.
I first filled-in the over-size mounting holes in the underbody, using styrene rod inside of styrene tubing, then drilling to accept screws…
Next, the holes left in the truck’s bolster after removing the clip-in portion were filled using suitably-sized styrene rod, from Evergreen…
…this allowed me to use solvent-type cement to add a piece of black sheet styrene to the underside of the bolster…
…allowing for a hole to be drilled through for screw-mounting the trucks…
Here’s the re-worked car, with its modified original trucks a
Wow! You guys amaze me! Incredible work, Wayne. Well, if you didn’t know, you can probably tell now that I’m kind of “restarting” in the hobby. I’m 58. I had my first train when I was 16. I lived in a small town back then. There was no internet, no way to really communicate with the external world except by phone. I forgot it for many years but last year, by accident, I came back to it. I started buying stuff and build my layout. I’m still experimenting. I rebuilt my layout 3 times, trying something a little different each time. Now, I think I have it in its definitive form for some time. These information you provide are invaluable to me. Thank you!
Yes, what Wayne (of many pictures) showed you. Cliff Notes version:
Cut off the coupler from the truck and body mount a Kadee #5 so it matches the Kadee height gauge. You may need to shim to get the height right. I’d attach with a screw.
After you get over the sticker shock of the more recent but gorgeous rollling stock available from Tangent, ExactRail, Moloco and Athearn Genesis, you will probably look at Tyco rolling stock in a very different light [:P] Your call of course!
Jim,thought you were a Tyco kind of Model Railroader[8D].
Yes, I now see Tyco in a very different light! But there are still some of their cars that interest me…
Hello All,
Very kind of you!