Coupler Conversions

[OnTheRightTrack]

O.K. converting older Con-Cor cars w/ Rapido couplers or any older stock with that style coupler is easy. You buy the preassbled Micro-Trains trucks and change them out in seconds...done! Now converting loco's is harder and far more time consuming. I have had my local LHS do some conversions and they aren't bad but they're not great either(read sloppy). Is anyone willing to recommend a shop or an individual that is trust worthy enough (w/ my precious engines) to convert them for me at a reasonable price?

 

[railfan]

In my quest to learn important N scale info before investing in a layout and trains, couplers ended up high on my list of items to pay attention to. Real train units don't have truck mounted couplers. Older Rapido couplers are hugely out of scale and ugly. I'll be starting with newer intermountain and microtrains locos so they'll come with the same modern accurate looking couplers.

I love the EMD FT A+B's in these brands. You get good body-mounted couplers, small flange wheels that work with accurate looking code-55 track, and with the A+B units you get two separate (both powered) short wheelbase locos that work well on tight radius curves and have a total of sixteen wheel drive. For me, it can't get any better than this.

 

[dgwinup]

What engines do you have that need conversion?

Having just gone through my locomotive roster doing MT conversions, I can tell you that Micro Trains has many coupler conversion kits for locomotives that make the conversion easy if not simple. Other locomotives can be converted with t-shank coupler kits. Some locomotives need to have custom coupler conversions (Bachmann's 4-8-4 is one of those! You'd think that a locomotive that's been in production as long as Bachmann's 4-8-4 would have a coupler conversion kit for it. You'd be wrong! LOL)

Post that list and let's see what needs to be done. I may be able to help with some of those conversions.

Darrell, quiet...for now

 

[railnut49]

I like to get the intermountain trucks with knuckle couplers as they are compatable with micro trains, and cost less than half on ebay. a pair of micro trains cost $5.60 a pair at my local hobby shop, and on ebay I can buy ten pair for $21.00, ten pair of micro trains would be $56.00.
I like to buy atlas accumate couplers for loco conversion. No tiny hard to assemble couplers like micro trains, no tiny springs, accumates are compatable knuckle couplers and twice as fast to assemble as micro trains and cheaper. A screw holds the couplers in place. Just my preference.

 

[dgwinup]

Call me old-fashioned, but I like to keep the same brand of knuckle couplers on as much of my rolling stock and locomotives. I don't change out other brands unless they cause problems. Guess I'm just used to MTL couplers and I'm getting too old to change now! LOL

Post that list of needed conversions and let's see what can be done.

Darrell, quiet...for now