Having tried the push and fit replacements for the standard horn hooks - without much success - I was wondering if there was an easy way to fit couplers similar to the ones on Walthers cars to a Rivarossi baggage car so that it works better with my later passenger equipment.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Jay-Bee makes coupler mount pads for Rivarossi cars. 369-110 will fit the 1920 Baggage cars. Or just body mount the draft gear box if using Kadee.
I wouldn’t call it easy, but as Ned says there are the Jay-Bee mounting pads. I found that they don’t put the coupler height where I want it, so I just make my own using sheet styrene. When I make my own I put in several strips so there aren’t any “hollow” spaces under the mount. I have also had trouble if I just use glue for the mounting pad. I always get a long 2-56 screw so that it goes clear up into the floor of the car, not just into the mounting pad.
Another thing is that the Jay-Bee pad has two mounting holes. I always use a longer shank coupler (a Kadee #46 or #49) and the rear hole, rather than the front hole and normal length coupler (Kadee #5 or #42). That gives a little bit more play when going around tight corners.
If you get the Kadee Rivarossi conversion couplers they work a LOT better.
Do you mean the Kadee #508? In this case I don’t think those would help as they are still truck mounted couplers. If I understand properly the intention is to couple these cars to Walthers which have body mounted couplers.
That would depend on his minimum radius. I’ve successfully operated a mix of body and talgo mounted coupler passenger cars on the club layout, but the minimum radius is 36 inches.
I FIND Kadee #30 series the most satisfactory.
Rivarossi (and IHC) use 31" wheels. When changing to 36" wheels that raises the car and JB #110 coupler pads offset the difference.
If one keeps the 31" wheels, or subs the IHC metal trucks, the cars height stays the same and coupler pads may be unnecessary.
The IHC trucks were designed for improving the Rivarossi cars - which they do. Superb rolling qualities plus lowered center of gravity and unsprung weight, and getting rid of those d**n talgo mounted horn-hooks makes a big difference.
I recommend ‘Kadee’s conversion’ only when operating on 22"r curves. I Prefer Body mounts such as the #36’s, or #38’s - depending on my radius. 1 each seems to look right for theses 85’ cars. That and the metal trucks make a big difference in performance.