Hello, this is the first time I have posted on this forum but I would appreciate a little assistance.
A well meaning family member bought some pieces through Ebay and now I am trying to get them operational.
I was given what looks like a kit built wagon! (Judging by the glue everywhere!)
If I try and put it on to the track the wheels fall off because the axle boxes are so worn out!
It does have some embossing saying that it was produced by Bachmann Hong Kong and as can be seen it has different couplings. I would like to replace both bogies and couplings (Rapido preferably) but have no idea which ones I should be searching for around the world!
Here is your problem. Based on the bottom of the car i can tell that this is an older car. You will not be able to buy new rapido coulers because they are not made anymore. You might find older stock online someware but rapido couplers are not used by any of the manufactures any more. If you want new couplers you will have to go with micro train couplers or the plastic equivalent. Either way, modern couplers are usaly atached by plastic pins. I see that the wheels are attached with screws. You normally do not see this. You will have to reuse the screws because the holes will not work with the normal pins anymore.
The reason this car has different couplers is because the person who owned this car used it as a transsition car. He placed it between he older cars (rapido coulers) and his newer cars (micro trains). If you choose to convert it to the modern couplers, I think micro trains 1128 (short shank) will work. As for the rapido couple, i do not know which one you will need to look for.
Frank, excellent reply, thankyou very much. I will study the .pdf form and hopefully understand what I am looking at and also, hopefully, order the pieces from somewhere!
This is an old Bachmann. You can oreder Bachmann’s dummy knuckle and you should be able to swap them out in abput 5 minutes. However, I would suggest replacong the trucks with newer Atlas trucks with low profile wheels so you can run this car on code 55 track. You may have to modify the Atlas trucks to get them to fit however.
Glad to be of some help. That car looks to be a crane car, or a boom car,used in MOW service for the wreck train crane, the crane boom rides over the open end of the car. You should be able to order parts directly from that site, trucks also. Have Fun!
I’ve not been so good, been offline a couple of days.
You’ve got a Rapido at the left and a Unimat knuckle type coulper to the right.
A couple years I had to give up N scale for health reasons, if you just want to replace the bogies no sweat I can sort you say for postage, I’ve a lot of stuff left. Or you can contact me and we’ll see what’s what on. john.pickles87@ntlworld.com
