Converting couplers

[Ken W]

All of my rolling stock has the old couplers and I've noticed that after my several year hiatus, everything on the market has knuckle couplers!! I haven't been able to find any directions on how to convert these things. Can anybody point me in the right direction?

 

[CBCNSfan]

Hi Ken and welcome. There are a few more manufacturers, mostly based on the Kadee type magnetic couplers.
To get you started here is a link to the Kadee site
http://www.kadee.com/index.shtml
and a page to explain how the couplers work. http://www.kadee.com/animation/c1.htm
Cheers
Willis

 

[hamltnblue]

Hi Ken.
You'll find that it will cost a few bucks but the basic change-out is pretty simple. If you have truck mounted couplers or Bachmann cars it will be alittle more difficult but best thing is to make a couple of transition cars with a knuckle on one side and horn type on the other. That way you can use both without changing all of the cars at once.

 

[mavrick0]

And just to make it easy this is the site you want to look at and check out their conversion charts as they may help you as well. http://www.micro-trains.com/
Kadee = HO-scale
Micro Trains = N-scale

 

[nmaniac]

Ken, Hi and welcome if your running with a club most of the time all the rolloing stock is switched over to Mt's this way you can run your cars with other members and even if your not I think the Mt's are the best couplers and trucks around right now buy them in bulk packs at shows it will be a wee bit cheaper or to save even more money buy the kits you have to put together and good luck

 

[NYO&W]

Transition car is a wonderful thing

Hi Ken.
You'll find that it will cost a few bucks but the basic change-out is pretty simple. If you have truck mounted couplers or Bachmann cars it will be alittle more difficult but best thing is to make a couple of transition cars with a knuckle on one side and horn type on the other. That way you can use both without changing all of the cars at once.

The transition car is definitely a great way to get started fast until you can convert all of your rolling stock. My first and only attempt was to make a transition car with truck mounted couplers. Maybe it's just me, and my eyes not being so good anymore, but it was a pretty frustrating endeavor. I made one other transition car (a caboose) with body mounted couplers and that was a snap.