I bought a bunch of older HO Athearn blue box freight car kits, and am having a blast putting them together. Am finding though that the little metal snap-on clip that holds the coupler isn’t reliable. Occasionally they snap in place as intended. More often they won’t stay on or seem loose. Any secrets to making those guys behave? Or do I need to drill the coupler base out and use a screw? (Truthfully, that prospect seems a little beyond my talent[:)]).
Ah Yes the old Blue box problems. There are only two to speak of and you have found one. The other one is to make certain the weight is absolutely flat before inserting it between the car bottom and the frame. Since they are sheared they tend to take a slight warp and will push down the coupler height some. Slight pressure on the weight on a flat surface will fix that one. This is more pronounced on longer cars. As to your coupler lid there can be two problems. If you squeeze (not mash!) the cover onto the box with a pair of pliars you will hear the little tabs snap when they engage. Occasionally one is misformed thusly /_/ instead of l_l in which case a pair of needle nose pliars applied to the entire side can be used to straighten the offending side or sides.
I usually give the loose metal clips a squeeze to make them fit better. You might also check the nubs on the car where the sides of the metal clip fit. If the nubs are worn down or missing, you may have to resort to glue.
I hope this helps. Athearn BB cars are my favorites, too.
Squeeze the center of the sides in slightly where the holes are in the clip, and it should hold much better. You normally don’t need to use any kind of tool for this, just squeeze it between your fingers.
I also check the sides of the frame and clear off any flash (excess plastic) to allow the clip to seat properly. Since you have older kits, sometimes the clip needs to be gently squeezed closer together just a little bit. If the frame side is really screwed up, either resort to glue, or cut off and replace with a Kadee draft gear box (glued or screwed, take your pick).
Brad
if mine come off i put them back on and tape a little glue on the snap.
I give them a slight crimp with needle-nose pliers just fore and aft of the middle protrusion. Works every time for me. Of course, do it before you mount the underframe to the car, because you have to work from the top of the draft gear box. And like NDPRR says, make sure your car-weight is flat, otherwise you may end up with a case of droopy couplers. I’ve noticed that Blue Box couplers tend to be a little low in height, especially if you’re using Kadee or Kadee-compatible knuckle couplers. Kadee washers (the red ones) between the truck and the mounting on the frame will usually cure this very well. it has for me, at least.
Tom
The crimping and bending and stuff is all very nice, but I have begun drilling and tapping the coupler posts for a 2-56 screw, 1/4" long. Yeah you’ll probably have to wreck an underframe or two to learn how to do it. There are two ways that I approach this, depending on the underframe. On the 50 foot boxcars, there is a little dimple on the back side of the coupler pocket. Just drill there. 1/16", keep your drill straight, check your progress to make sure it’s centered. On some of the others I have been drilling through the top of the post (the top of the post faces down when the car is on the rails). I just leave the clip in place so I have a guide. Just take it slow and check your work. It isn’t the end of the world if the hole is a little off center. Then take off the clip and tap for 2-56. Plastic is easy to tap and the hole is a little undersized. Reinstall the coupler using the clip and just use the screw to hold the clip in place.
I am also doing the same sort of thing with the Accurail cars. You can keep bending and replacing the clips if you like or you can learn how to do this. It just depends on what works for you. I believe that learning new skills is part of the hobby. And I have at least one ruined Athearn underframe to prove it. But those clips are not falling off any more.
I use the #37 (medium underset) couplers on the boxcars and reefers to get the correct coupler height. Washers make the car ride too high.
Have fun and Good Luck
Peter
conford
That was the only thing ,I hated about athearns cars,those @%# metal clips. A pair of neetle nose pliers,does the trick.
Patrick
A smear of CA along the outside of the coupler box and a little crimp with some needlenose pliers seems to work OK for me.
I squeeze the clips on both sides of the “tab” of the coupler pocket using a pair of needle nose pliers. Seems to snug down the clip to the pocket as well as put a slight arc in the cover which helps with the ease of movement of the coupler itself.
My problem wasn’t the metal clips. It was the nubs that would get sheared off when you took the metal clips off to change or adjust the coupler. Once they’re gone, they’re gone and it takes some creative solutions to save the car.
That’s a great piece of information about the warped car weights. I’d never given that a thought. I could never figure out why so many of my Athearn BB freight cars had low couplers no matter how many adjusting washers I put on. I always liked the selection available from Athearn but began shying away from them because of the coupler problems. Now I might go back and try to refurbish some old equipment I had shelved.
The warped car weights has been a problem for many years, and the little nubs being sheared off is from installing and removal of the metal clip to many times. I do the same as the other guy and drill and tap, it keeps everything in place, and it saves time later and headaches. I would just suggest to you just to go the extra step, you will not regret it in the long run.
ICRR1964
For some reason I still get amazed at the quality and volume of excellent advice I get whenever I ask a question on this forum. Thanks to all who helped me with this one. I Have already begun to apply techniques you’ve mentioned and things are working better! (The drill is coming out soon for the especially pesky ones [8D] )