Hi,
I am thinking about replacing all of my horn/hork style couplers on my (mostly) Atlas N rolling stock with knuckle couplers… How hard are they to replace and what would be a good replacement part.
The long time “standard” N scale couplers ar Rapidos. Horn/hook couplers are HO.
The easiest way to convert to kunkle couplers is to use MicroTrains Line truck coupler assembly’s with the appropriate side frame type and length (short, medium, or long) for the particular car.
MicroTrainsLine Website
For most conversions, simply pry the truck to be replaced off the car being carefull not to break the truck pin. Then attach the MTL truck. You may be able to reuse the pin from the car, if the size matches the MTL truck, otherwise one of the two sizes of pin supplied by MTL will usually work. Sometimes a washer (supplied by MTL) is needed to keep the coupler box from rubbing the bottom of the car.
For cars with screw mounted trucks, reuse the screws, but it might be necessary to make a small washer from a plastic tube that fits the hole in the MTL bolster so the fit won’t be sloppy.
Atlas cars should be an easy conversion, There have been a few cars (other brands) that I have not been able to convert to MTL, for them I replaced the Rapidos with a Unimate couplers, so the could at least be coupled to the MTL coupler equipped car.
Newer Atlas cars are offered with Accumates which look like MTL and are compatible with them. There have been numerous threads comparing the two brands.
If you want body mounted couplers MTL has suitable assemled couplers. Usually the cars trucks can be reused by cutting off the coupler box. When well done body mounts provide better operation than the standard truck mounts. However getting both horizontal and vertical alingmnent correct can be difficult and the minimum curve radius required increased.