Help Bachmann GP-40 dummy decoupling!, improvments?, weight?, couplers? UP


Mogul2-6-0

Rookie Switchman
Hello All,

I just got 2 sets of HO scale Bachmann UP GP-40 loco dummy caboose sets. (New old stock) $29.99 and $34.99
I love them!!!, running them under the xmas tree.
Not super nice, but plastic hand rails are kid friendly.
However if I run the 2 powered units and one dummy "consist" the two powered units eventually run away and rear end the caboose and the rest of the train == "train wreck" LOL
I think it usually happens right where I run the power wires under the EZ track.
I'll try and grade the whole thing properly tonight.
Are there beter couplers I can get? Microtrains? EZ couplers?
Also it seems the dummies are really really light. the caboose seems to be weighted and weighs much more than the dummies.
This seems to contribute to the problem.
Should I weight the dummies and if so whats the best way.. I saw someone put modeling clay inside and said that worked. (Jeffry? Earlier this year?) He did some other mode too. have to reread that post Jeffry.
I was thinking some of my kids playdough and some led crossman pellets?
Maybe a strip of metal? (Project for this weekend)
Of course a sound system would be nice, some day in the future. $$
Maybe add some lighting later too.
Thanks in advance you guys have been awesome for this newb.
Not a slug or a Bug but a dummy? Tempted to make a dummy B unit out of one?
 
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What kiind of couplers are you using now? Changing to Kadee's wouldn't hurt, but I think the weight issue is what's causing the problem. Some cheap fishing weights held in by modeling clay should do the job.
 
Dang Jim! I was just thinking of where can I get some lead shot or something?
and I have a bunch of the small fishing weights in the tackle box.
I'll test that out tonight with some playdough. keep the weight low.
The couplers that came with it are I think Bachmann plastic knuckle couplers?
Maybe the EZ couplers?
Oh yeh and the rest of the freight has the old Likelike horn couplers or whatever they are called. So that could deffinetly contribute to the problem I suppose. but thats on the other end of the dummy, but could twist lever on it?
I thought they might be old, but the 2007 catalog was in the box.
I still need to unravel the mysteries of the couplers any way. So I'll pick some up next chance, Kadee sounds like a popular choice.
Somone else mentioned MicroTrains but Kadee sounds more common like if I get some today I can still get them in a year.
I'll take some pics once I get it all running right.
Grading a slope properly over the AC wires from the tree, power packs etc will probably help too. But so far its only the 2 dummys that have this issue when either one is in the consist. More testing tonight.
Thanks a bunch again!! You Rock!
Oh yeh it seems in a 3 engine consist most run with 1st two pointing frontwards and the 3rd backwards. Is this right? I think it looks the best. What if I include the fourth? front front back back or front back front back maybe? Too much fun.
 
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The couplers that came with it are I think Bachmann plastic knuckle couplers?
Maybe the EZ couplers?
Oh yeh and the rest of the freight has the old Likelike horn couplers or whatever they are called. So that could deffinetly contribute to the problem I suppose. but thats on the other end of the dummy, but could twist lever on it?
I did this when i first started in the hobby,my bachmanns came with knuckle couplers and my other cars had horn-hook couplers. heres a really simple solution

Make an adapter car.

What i did was id have the first car in the consist (directly behind the locomotive(s)) and put two different types of couplers on it. The end of the car attached to the locomotive should in your case have knuckle couplers, while the other end of the car should have horn-hook couplers. Rather than upgrading your whole fleet to knuckle couplers or even worse downgrading your locomotives to horn-hooks, the adapter car is a much cheaper, quicker and easier solution. If you plan on building a layout someday, or even something more permenant, you should definately consider upgrading to knuckle couplers and metal wheelsets, it will cost alittle bit now, but it will help you down the road.
 
...Oh yeh it seems in a 3 engine consist most run with 1st two pointing frontwards and the 3rd backwards. Is this right? I think it looks the best. What if I include the fourth? front front back back or front back front back maybe? Too much fun.

the real guys use what's available... all forward, all facing rear, and any combination. I've seen a train of 6 axle locomotives all facing backwards being led by a switcher...

sometimes they are arranged 2 sets back to back so the train can be split down the line.
 
kool
added lead weight to dummy nice stable, smooth

All 3 are still decouplling? :mad::(

Help
stll only happens on the bump, will try and smooth it out further later.

Maybe just put horn hooks on the engines LOL

do the little wires hanging down cause trouble?

I'll make a adapter car with knuckle and horn hook on ether end in the morning.
 
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OK, no coupler is going to work right if the track is uneven. You need to get that bump smoothed out before you do anything else. Level tracks, in the both horizontal and lateral planes, are vital to getting your trains to run without uncoupling or derailing.

In answer to your other questions, Micro Trains doesn't make HO couplers. Accumate and McHenry are the two other common types of knuckle couplers in HO. I still like Kadee's the best but have had decent luck with McHenry's.

As V&AL said, the real railroads put engines together in whatever combination they have available at the time. The only common thing you'll see is the last unit in the consist tends to face the rear, so it's easier to move consist when it reaches the terminal. Even that's not a hard and fast rule.
 
OK track is smooth.
Still decoupling.
Cant put old horn hooks on these.
Kadee makes several types of couplers
Which will fit on my Bachmans and work right?
May make a run to Reed Hobby Shop later.
Ah found Katee conversion tabel!
 
quick question, how many cars are in your consist? if your running under the tree, a locomitive and 5-6 cars looks pretty good

kadees will work on your bachmanns just fine, but itll get expensive to upgrade your whole fleet, and if you have the stock knuckle couplers already on it (the ones it came with it) and this is just a christmas tree layout, your wasting your time/money on kadees.
 
Look at the coupler heights on the engines. I think you have at least one engine where the coupler is either higher or lower than the others. As a quick Chrismas fix, you can use a needle nose pliers to carefully bend the coupler shank either up or down to better match the other couplers. The long run fix is to either shim up low couplers or get a Kadee underset coupler, so the coupler face is dropped down to match the other engines.
 
Oh my God good couplers are expensive!!! Doing research.
Yeh I was going to convert the consist and one conversion car from kadee to horn hook. For now.
Need 4 pairs of 37 and one 27. Adds up. $$ 3.75 a pair!!!
Yeh looks like the McHenry is cheaper than Kadee. 19 bucks for 25?
Bachman EZ mate $20 a pair WTF?
Have to see what else is available locally.
My Spectrum steam and cars all have nice couplers that work fine on these tracks.
This is a Great Planes resale I think, not as nice as Spectrum.
Stuck at inlaws right now.
Yes I can see the height issue.
I'll try and adjust later. not sure if they will bend sice they are plastic, not sure if they have springs or not?
I'll try and adjust.
But I can just pull a little on the two engines and they decouple.
If they done adjust or shim I'll make a run to the shop tomorrow.
Thanks for all the help.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
Funny no one else seems to understand why this is so important to me. :D
 
is it one particular dummy loco that decouples? or is it both dummy locomotives?

Let me see if ive got this right
you run three locomotives, loco A, loco B, and loco C and loco d. Locomotive C is the dummy? try running a different dummy, loco D we'll call it. If loco D decouples from the second powered unit, you know the problem is in the powered unit. If it doesnt uncouple, you know its in dummy loco C. Perhaps the problem is just a coupler missing its spring? be sure to check it for a small silver or brass spring when you get home tonight.

I would check your track work, is your flooring carpet or hardwood? or is it on a table? i would triple check every single track connector again. Also, what speeds are you running at?
 
Oh my God good couplers are expensive!!! Doing research.
Yeh I was going to convert the consist and one conversion car from kadee to horn hook. For now.
Need 4 pairs of 37 and one 27. Adds up. $$ 3.75 a pair!!!
Yeh looks like the McHenry is cheaper than Kadee. 19 bucks for 25?
Bachman EZ mate $20 a pair WTF?
Have to see what else is available locally.
My Spectrum steam and cars all have nice couplers that work fine on these tracks.
This is a Great Planes resale I think, not as nice as Spectrum.
Stuck at inlaws right now.
Yes I can see the height issue.
I'll try and adjust later. not sure if they will bend sice they are plastic, not sure if they have springs or not?
I'll try and adjust.
But I can just pull a little on the two engines and they decouple.
If they done adjust or shim I'll make a run to the shop tomorrow.
Thanks for all the help.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
Funny no one else seems to understand why this is so important to me. :D

I don't know where you're getting these prices but the $3.75 is probably the price of TWO PAIRS as that's how they come in the package. The $20 is probably for 20 pairs and not one pair. They'd have to be made of solid gold to be worth THAT much.
 
Your best bet is to buy a bulk pack (20 pairs) of ol' reliable Kadee Number 5 couplers (for the cars). For your engines, spring for two packages of Kadee 118's. Expect to spend $30-35 at your local hobby shop. You need 4 pairs, they come 2 pairs per package. I'd like to see those come uncoupled due to odd trackwork. 118 couplers are based on prototype SF couplers, they have a few extra pointy bits to prevent (real life) cars from decoupling in derailments or tipping over in derailments, or unwanted decouplings in general. Thats the idea anyway...

When you "graduate" to having a permanent layout, or join a club, you will be glad of your investment in couplers.

Now, being as it is that you have horn hook's on the cars now, they are probably truck-mounted couplers. Probably the best advice that you can get is to cut the box off of the truck, and mount a box to the body of the car. This is going to be a very repetitive process. Coupler boxes can be bought in bulk like you will have bought the couplers. Use a small drill bit to drill a hole in the appropriate spot on the underside of the car. I cannot recall what size bit you would use for a 2-56 screw (someone help me out?). Use a 1/4 inch 2-56 screw to attach the box to the car. Plastic is soft enough that I have never worried about tapping the hole. Assembling the coupler into the box and screwed to the car will take about a minute once you have done a few.

Please excuse the rambling, had a long day out at Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad as a student brakeman. =P
 
Sunset Route up and running!!!

Thanks guys awesome input!! I'm Back on track!
The Sunset route in open for bussines,
1. Cleaned up all the track work, 22" radius, removed grade. (ran one exrtension cord over track into tree etc)
2. matched all the knuckle couplers, adjusting screw tension. (some were drooping!)
3. made a converter gondola, knuckle on one end, horn hook on the other end
Runs smooth and reliable now.

Its on a hardwood floor.
running 2 engines , 1 dummy , 8 lifelike and (34 year old) tyco freight cars, one caboose. (just for fun)
Steam is on the inner 18" radius
Man did I just learn alot from this experience and all your help.
Will check out Kadee #5's this week during lunch.
May do some restoring rebuilding upgrading old rolling stock.

Thanks
Richard
 
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Well, if your running about 15 cars, give or take a few, 3 locomotives is alot, if your going for prototypical, you should slim down your locomotives to like 1. however if this is just your typical loop under the tree and nothing else, go nuts.
 



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