I’m assembling an Trix passenger car train after an Era I prototype. I noticed that wheels don’t look like RP25 wheels that I’m used to, and although manual doesn’t explicitly state that, I suspect those are NEM wheel sets. Car appears to run fine on the code 83 track, so operation is not an issue, but I was wondering if I can just swap these wheels for Kadee passenger wheels without changing tracks.
Another point is couplers. Cars come with NEM close coupling - horn and hook. Looking at the pictures, it doesn’t look like horn and hook was a prototypical coupling mechanism, it looks like European cars used chain between two car horns to link up the cars, using buffers to keep them from hitting each other. Kadee makes standard knuckle couplers with NEM adapters. If NEM is not a prototypical coupling, is there any drawback to using Kadee couples on European train? Do I need short Kadee coupler to achieve short NEM coupling lenght?
Wheels - Kadee wheels will not fit without MAJOR surgery to the trucks. Trix/Marklin axles are much shorter than Kadee and most other wheel sets offered for NA prototypes. I believe ReBoxx does offer wheel sets with the correct axle length to fit - there is are charts on thier website. I would not change the wheelsets.
The cars come with a coupling system that keeps the cars close together on the straights, yet allows them to move apart for tight radius curves. It is a complicated mechanism that I recommend against messing with unless you are very mechanically inclined. (For example you feel comfortable rebuilding a Bosch mechanical fuel injection pump.)
Thanks for input, so I will leave the stock wheel set. I was trying to figure out how to remove the tracks for maintenance but could not figure it out. Manual shows that after you remove the wheels you can replace the electric pickup brush/spring - but there are no screws it looks like both brush and tracks are permanently attached to the body of the car. I can actually see the “rod” by which tracks attached and swivel standing high in the interior of the car, which is a bit odd design.
As far as couplers, I didn’t plan on replacing the mechanism of the “draft box”. I agree it’s very peculiar mechanism where draft box extends further as it travels from center to the side. The draft box is what I understand is NEM standard coupler box into which you can insert any NEM compatible coupler. In case of Trix they supply horn and hook couplers. But Kadee also makes knuckle couplers witch can be inserted into the NEM receptacle. I was just wondering if it will look right to have American style knuckle coupler on the 1920 European train. But like I said, I don’t think horn and hook are prototypical either, although maybe a bit closer in design to how European trains couple.