how can you change couplers on ahm engines and cars without destroying them? looks to me like they have a post that is melted down after the coupler was put on.
There are a lot of models that have premolded draft gear boxes, AHM included. I use KADEE couplers exclusively and like to use the gear boxes that come with the kadee coupler. This means I have to break out the ol’ hobby knife and whittle the stock draft boxes down until they are gone and then replace them with the draft gear box that comes with the KADEE coupler.
Once the old draft gear box is gone, I usually glue the top section of the Kadee draft gear box to the frame of the car and then drill a hole into the frame with a 2-56 screw drill bit (also made by KADEE.) Then, I’ll assemble the rest of the coupler / draft gear box assembly and insert the 2-56 screw into the hole to hold the entire assembly to the frame of the car. So i guess to answer your question, you’re going to have to make some modifications to the car’s draft gear / coupler assembly to mount any other type of coupler…chuck
Yup, sometimes you have to cut off the exsisting box and replace it directly with a Kadee coupler box.
David B
A couple of pages that might help you:
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/couplers.html
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/retrucking.html
First, check the Kadee coupler convertion list to see what coupler Kadee recommends. The list is on the Kadee website and in the Walther’s big book. For freight cars It recommends a #5 for body mount couplers and a #37 for talgo (truck mount) couplers, and some others for passenger cars, and yet others for locomotives. Speaking from experience, I can tell you Kadee’s recommendations are worth following.
Was it me, I’d convert talgo mount couplers to body mount by glueing a Kadee coupler box to the end sills of the car, and then drilling for a 2-56 machine screw to hold the lid in place. Glued on coupler lids are a pain should the coupler need work. Bpdy mount backs up better, the truck mounted couplers tend to twist the truck, a flange climbs over the rail head and bang, the train is on the ground.
If it’s just a body mount coupler box lid secured by melting over the top of the plastic stud , you can file or cut the melted over end off and remove the lid. A #5 Kadee will most likely drop right in. Cut the stud off flush and replace it with a 2-56 machine screw. A #50 twist drill is the right size for 2-56 screws, and a pin vise is what you want for drilling the hole.
As far as AHM this should help you: