Con-Cor Heavyweight Passenger Cars

[kelleywpns]

My first post to this forum, please bear with me.

I acquired a 5-car Con-Cor New Haven heavyweight passenger car set.  After doing some research, it appears that the Con-Cor models are a re-release of previous Rivarossi models.

I'd like to swap out the Rapido couplers.  I looked up the models on the MTL website.  According to the chart, there is no compatible truck swap.  So, looking at the coupler replacement, the chart recommends 1128, 1129 and 1130 couplers (which are short, medium and long shank respectively).  This may be a dumb question, but ... since they throw 3x options out there, which is the correct coupler for the replacement?  Any insight is greatly appreciated. 

Thanks!

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Hi,

Try these

http://www.micro-trains.com/trucksCommonwealth6.php  but if you want more PS standard

http://www.micro-trains.com/trucks_6Passenger.php  and then body mount the couplers that Micro Trains is use on their Pullmans and follow up with Body Mount

001 02 000 Unassembled RDA body mount
couplers: 2 pr. (1015) short shank
(.312”) & 1 pr. (1016) med. shank(
.375”) body mount couplers.
(1015/1016) 3 pr. 6.45

001 02 001 Unassembled RDA body mount
couplers - Brown: 2 pr. (1015) short
shank (.312”) & 1 pr. (1016) med.
shank (.375”) body mount
couplers. (1015/1016-B) 3 pr. 6.45

http://www.micro-trains.com/PL.pdf

Regards

Al

[kelleywpns]

Al

Thanks for the info.  I read some reviews on the commonwealth trucks that were positive.

Appreciate the advice.

Mike

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Hi Mike,

You are not going to get a truck out there any better than MTL. Been around for years and are genuinely reliable.

Regards

Al

[chicken45]

Yeah, decide if you want to body mount the couplers or not. It's not that hard to body mount them, but there are things to consider. Plus, you should get a coupler gauge. It's clutch.

[SkipGear]

Hi Mike,

You are not going to get a truck out there any better than MTL. Been around for years and are genuinely reliable.

Regards

Al

The trucks are fine but if you are using the truck mounted couplers, good luck. I have more unintended uncouplings with MT passenger trucks than any other out there, including good old rapido. Because of the design of the coupler box, the coupler has quite a bit of verticle play. Add that to the relatively long distance of the coupler from the bolster pin and any type of verticle curve at all will cause them to uncoupler from each other.

If you have the radius to pull it off, remove the couplers from the trucks and body mount. You will be much happier. Otherwise, leave the rapido's on or use the conversion couplers. The length of the coupler you choose will be related to the minimum radius of your layout and can only be determined by testing. I have a set of the Concor cars that came factory equiped with the MT conversion in the Rivarossi trucks and they work very well. Every car that I have replaced the entire truck with the MT truck is a problem child.

[rogergperkins]

I have had good experience with the MTL Heavyweight truck with couplers. I have two 13 car passenger trains that operates just a well on my layout as the newer trains with MTL heavy weight passenger cars.   My old heavy weights are from the early Rivarrossi run.
If the ConCors are a rerun of these older cars, I do not understand why trucks with mounted coupler should be a problem.

[SkipGear]

I have had good experience with the MTL Heavyweight truck with couplers. I have two 13 car passenger trains that operates just a well on my layout as the newer trains with MTL heavy weight passenger cars.   My old heavy weights are from the early Rivarrossi run.
If the ConCors are a rerun of these older cars, I do not understand why trucks with mounted coupler should be a problem.

Roger,
 On a flat layout such as yours, they work fine. When you start getting into grades and transitions is where the problem lies. I quit trying to use them on the Ntrak club layout because of the headaches.

Watch your cars go around, I bet more than just a few are hanging on by less than half a coupler. Just the variation in the sag of the couplers from truck to truck is enough to cause certain combinations of cars I have to not play nice together. The lightweight two axle trucks are worse than the three axle but both have issues.

[Norway2112]

I'm constantly fighting the same problem with my Wheels of Time cars, they will stay coupled on perfectly flat track but the slightest uneven trackwork (like an Ntrak layout) and it becomes mayhem trying to keep up with the train.  I'm contemplating body mounting them all.  Has anyone had success body mounting MT couplers on WOT cars?

[rogergperkins]

Tony, you are correct that my layout is nominally zero grade.  I think I shared some videos of one of my B&O passenger trains that is all Rivarrossi heavy weights with MTL 6 wheel trucks/couplers conversion.  Will check that video again.

[kelleywpns]

Roger

Is the video you're talking about hung on YouTube?

Mike