Lifelike twin hoppers help

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

I have several Lifelike twin hoppers with Hookhorn (talgo) trucks. I want to change to metal wheels and Kadee couplers. What is the best way to do this?

![ |500x229](http://i.ebayimg.com/t/HO-Scale-Pittsburgh-Shawmut-9232-Model-Train-Car-/00/s/NDcxWDEwMjQ=/$(KGrHqF,!qkE+nScZhpnBP9k3cLeqQ~~60_12.JPG)

Thanks

Mike Dickinson

Jamestown NY

2

Sorry I put this in the wrong forum

Mike Dickinson

3

Metal Wheels → Intermountain (or whoever your favourite manufacturer is). Just pop out the plastic wheels, and pop in the metal ones.

KD Couplers → you have some options here:

  1. Keep the Talgo trucks, and simply replace the X2f (horn-hook) couplers with Kadees. This is done with a #212 Talgo adapter and a standard #5/58 coupler (dunno if Whisker couplers work with this).

  2. Keep the trucks, and cut off the coupler boxes (i.e. convert them to “standard” trucks), and body-mount the couplers using the #232 draft gear box (this is the one included in a package of #5s).

  3. Trash the trucks, replace with KD (or whoever) and body-mount the couplers with the #232 draft gear box.