I’ve got a lot of old cars with truck-mounted horn-hook couplers. Eventually, I’ll be replacing all of them with Kadees. I’ve read a lot of posts about people replacing their truck-mounted couplers with body-mounts.
As I recall from the 1960’s when these cars last ran, they were the most fault-tolerant cars I had. They seldom derailed, always coupled and uncoupled well, and generally out-performed the body-mount couplers on similar cars.
We all realize that truck-mount couplers are not true to prototype, but is there another reason to convert them? Will Kadees even work on truck-mounts?
I fail to see how they were the ‘best’ performing cars. I had the same cars in the 60’s(AHM/Tyco/etc…) and converting them to body mount knuckle couplers was always a good starting point. Horn-Hook couplers on talgo trucks will cause a problem when backing up. Most of the time, those talgo trucks will need new wheels anyway.
The problem with truck mounted couplers is the wheels are pushed askew when being pushed around a curve. If you don’t have sharp curves, say less than 22’ radius, it is less of a problem if not at all.
Long eqipment like passenger cars and 86’ flat cars models are equiped with truck mounted couplers because the centerline of the rail cars moves too far outward on tight curves.
So if you have sharp curves and long cars, I recommend keeping the truck mounted couplers on those. If you want better looking trucks on shorter equipment, 60’ and under, go ahead and replace the trucks and body mount the couplers.
Check the Kadee reference chart to find out which couplers will fit tago trucks. Kadee also sells trucks with mounted couplers. McHenery’s, Intermountain or Bachmann’s coupler with the center return spring probably would be a better choice.
If your locos pull the wagons, rather than pu***hem, there is no need to change the couplers at all. If your loco has a Kadee fitted, just put the one coupler on a head-end car…
I body mounted all my old Tyco, AHM, etc. cars couplrs and replaced the wheels with metal ones long time ago. I still have problems backing up with long cars that have truck/talgo mounted couplers. Recently, I have body mounted the couplers on these long cars, but used a long shank coupler. So far, they seem to work better. On sharp curves I have an occassional derailment, but long equipment requires broader curves. I think what you are referring to from the 60’s is the truck mounted horn hooks out performing body mounted horn hooks. I know I get better performance from body mounted knuckle couplers preferably Kadee. If a car comes with another brand of knuckle coupler I will run it until it gives problems then replace it with Kadee. Maybe try body mounting one or two of your cars, try them out in some switching situations with curves and grades and see if they do better than the talgo mounted ones. Please keep us informed.