I need adapter car advice....

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

For Christmas my wife got me a N scale Bachmann 2-8-0 Consolidation. The original was DOA, but M B Klein took care of that with no hassles…hats off to them. The problem is that all of my meager supply of rolling stock, and the Athearn Overtons I have planned for this little gem, all are knuckle coupler equipped. I know MT has a conversion (# 2004), but I have no coupler experience, nor the equipment (locomotive cradle, drill bits, taps, etc to tackle the conversion…and I’m more than a bit hesitant to use something as pricey (to me) as the 2-8-0 for a training exercise.

My thought is one of the adapter cars I’ve heard about…Rapido on one end, knuckle coupler on the other. If possible, I’d like to find a car that would not be too out of place at the head of the Overtons used as an excursion train…my thought was an older/smallish gondola, around 40 ft or so. Any ideas on a brand and source of car that would be an easy truck-swap conversion? I’ve seen comments that the truck converson on Bachmann stuff can be a bear. I’m pretty much limited to online ordering, and so far I’m having a hard time finding a cheap (eventually probably throw away) small gondola that I’m sure has the Rapidos. If anyone has an idea for something other than a gondola, I’m open to that to.

I’m assuming that I’ll have to find something Rapido equipped and replace one truck with a knuckle equipped one, because I doubt there is much “out there” in Rapido equipped replacement trucks. Right? Wrong?

2

I’ve done what your talking about in HO with an Atlas Pk2 covered hopper (Kadee on one end, HornHook on the other end). I realize my options were far greater than yours, but wanted to let you know there is hope. You may want to look on Ebay for something used with the rapidos.

3

How many “rapido equipped replacement trucks” do you need? I’ll just mail you some.

4

No matter if I go the separate adapter car route, or a truck swap on one of the Overtons, I’ll only need one. But at this point I do not know what one. So far I’ve not found a suitable additional car, and on the Overtons I’d not want to do irreversable surgery on them. With the post holidays budget crunch, it’s going to be a while till I can get my hands on the Overtons to know what’s involved in making that change. I appreciate the offer, and I may just take you up on it once I have a specific add-on car or the Overtons in hand.

Thanks!

5

You could also send the loco back to MB Klein and have them install the MTs. As most cars and locos come with MT or Accumate installed it would make more sense to get the loco done rather than fool around with adapter cars.

6

‘MATCHING’ couplers becomes important - equal spring tension, geometry, grip, and height -produces far fewer problems.

‘Transition’ cars allow you to ‘mix’ as long as the mating couplers match. Some diesels work well with different couplers on each end.

7

I did not know MBK did installs. If I had known that was an option before I returned the DOA one, I’d have jumped at it, but as is, I’ve already got one extra shipping charge accrued, and that would be two more…combined with the original shipping, that would be approaching the cost of the the locomotive in the first place.

8

I think almost any hobby shop would switch out couplers, usually for a fee, of course.

9

Installing a set of couplers takes a bit of patience, but it isn’t brain science. If you’re in Baltimore, check out the Baltimore Area N Track (BANTRAK) group. There’s a ton of guys in there that would be more than happy to give you some hands - on help. Also, if you’re going to be changing out couplers, upgrade to the MT’s. It’s worth the time, money and effort in terms of performance and appearance.

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime… Don’t fear acquiring new skills.

I don’t think MBK does installs, either. I love shopping there, but sometimes they make you feel like you’re asking for their first born just to open a display case.

Lee

10

Actually, I’ve never encountered a LHS that would do things like that…but then my LHS experience has mostly been with places that trains were more of a sideline, or larger chain like places. But it’s also been probably 5-10 years since I was physically able to check out LHSs.

11

Unfortunately I’m a long way from Baltimore…the Xmas gift was a web site purchase.

I would absolutely love to hook up with a club/group, but health/mobility issues pretty well rule that out.

I’d take a shot at doing the conversion…if it were a $10-$20 piece of rollingstock and not 5 times that price locomotive. Someday. But for now I need to start small, especially when most of my meager budget is going into layout construction. Someday, once I’ve developed some skill (and have the tools), I plan on tackling the conversion…but for now it has to be cheap, easy and less devistating if I screw it up.