N scale - Adventures in body mounting

[MRLX1020]

Not attempting to re-design the wheel here, or if it's been covered elsewhere, I skimmed over it when I searched...so.

N Scale adventures in body mounting couplers -

I have a dozen Red Caboose 62' beer cars that I'd like to convert - anyone have any suggestions or examples of what was done?
I'd also like to keep the look/function of the longer draw bar these cars have, and maybe add an etched or separate cross over deck plate to them.

Same for a dozen Red Caboose coil cars.

I'm working through a variety of Atlas tank cars with scratch built body bolster additions to handle 1015/6 or 1025 depending on the car type, and if I can drop the car to a more acceptable height at the same time, I'm doing that also.

Was thinking long and hard, and as tempting as the True Scale couplers are, I have to take a pass because I have over half my running fleet with body mounted couplers already.

As another aside, has anyone attempted to replate the accumate on an Atlas 89' ACF flat with a longer shank knuckle coupler? 
I can run a BLMA or TWX 89' or 85' between 2 Atlas cars with no problems, but not 2 Atlas cars together (starter HCD layout with Kato # 4 switches, which will migrate to long term layout eventually - found some other design conformance issues that must be adhered to as well for body mounts on the future layout, as well as point protectors for Kato #4's - more on those once my layout thread gets up and running).

Another generally related query - I'm in the rail industry and understand draft gear principles (worked with Miner Industries last year to modify a new draft gear design to substitute for an obsolete passenger application) - curious if anyone has any experience in replacing the spring in an MT coupler with a chunk of rubber band cut to size? 

The rubber should still allow the coupler to function as designed, but could if applied properly take up all the free slack in the draft gear and minimize the slinky effect.  I have some ideas that I need to experiment with on this, and will share my results here - but curious if anyone else has considered this?

Thanks for your time - if there is an older thread that is relevant, please give me a mention so I can follow.

MRLX1020

[squirrelhunter]

I just picked up a few Red Caboose beer cars and would be interested in any advice on body mounting couplers on these as well...

[djconway]

MRLX1020,  I can't answer on the different mountings you are looking to do, but I have done the rubber band modification you mentioned.
My results (24 cars) were not conclusive nor exhaustive.
1 - cut a 1/16 square cross section rubber band (Staples standard office size) into sections that are the same size as the spring.
2 - assemble the coupler with the rubber band chunck, cut extra they fly almost as far as the spring
3 - hit the assembled coupler with a shot of powdered Teflon lube
4 - install on cars as normal

I found that coupling worked fine, magnetic uncoupling did not work, tooth pick uncoupling was OK.
There was a good bit of inconsistence in the force of the rubber bands,  some more squishey, others less so it was hard to see an improvement in the slinky effect.

I gave up on the experiment  after about 1 year, my main worry was that the rubber would oxidize over time and gum up the coupler, or crumble.

If you are installing couplers on a flat bottom car make a jig for drilling the screw holes.

[Mark5]

Those beer boxes really should have extended draft gear ...

Probably some relevant info in here (from the elusive "Best of"):

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=21980.0

Mark

[bbussey]

You should be able to drop-in replace the Atlas TOFC couplers with MTL 1016 knuckles.  All of the coupler pockets of the body-mounted Atlas models have the provision for the MTL centering nubs.

[cjm413]

http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/the-best-coupler-box-is-here.89213/

One of the cars on this thread is the Red Caboose 62' RBL.

[Wutter]

http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/the-best-coupler-box-is-here.89213/

One of the cars on this thread is the Red Caboose 62' RBL.

I designed the boxes in that last thread for Mike (pastoolio) to reuse all the internals from MTL truck mounted couplers so nothing is wasted after the coupler is cut off from the truck itself.

If you have any questions about the boxes, their use or dimensions, feel free to ask!

[squirrelhunter]

I've wanted to get back to this thread, but other things have gotten in the way. Thanks to everyone's replies, now I've got a start on what to do with my beer cars.

[davefoxx]

I've wanted to get back to this thread, but other things have gotten in the way. Thanks to everyone's replies, now I've got a start on what to do with my beer cars.

FYI, if you're looking for the el cheapo way of body-mounting the couplers on the Red Caboose 62' Insulated Boxcar, what I did was to cut the truck-mounted coupler off and mount that coupler and box to the body.  It won't necessarily give you the look of a cushioned underframe, but since the couplers are oversized, I've been satisfied with the distance between cars.  This only costs you the cost of the screws to mount the box to the car, which, if you're like me, you've got a bunch lying around anyway.

DFF

[jagged ben]

You should be able to drop-in replace the Atlas TOFC couplers with MTL 1016 knuckles.  All of the coupler pockets of the body-mounted Atlas models have the provision for the MTL centering nubs.

Except that they don't all.  I just took apart the draft gear on a TOFC, thinking it would be just like that and I could share pics.  But it's not.  I can vouch that the coil cars and NSC boxes have the slots for the nubs.  But not the flats. 

[davefoxx]

Except that they don't all.  I just took apart the draft gear on a TOFC, thinking it would be just like that and I could share pics.  But it's not.  I can vouch that the coil cars and NSC boxes have the slots for the nubs.  But not the flats.

I can confirm that I also tried to change my Atlas 89' flats to MTL 1016s and was disappointed when it turned out that it wasn't an easy swap.

DFF

[jagged ben]

Here is how I did a couple Red Caboose beer cars; see pics at bottom.  I'm reasonably happy with the results, but not ecstatic.  I think that in '3-foot rule' terms the extended draft gear came out nice and car spacing is nice.  They also function fine.  From close up they look a little funky though.  I'm actually inclined to try this next time I have a go at this, once Wutter updates it to handle MT couplers, which I understand from Trainboard might be this week.  But for what it's worth...

Method: 
- Cut a length of 3/16 x 3/32 brass C-Channel (hopefully this is not out of production?)  to about 1/2" or a little more.
- In the back half of the brass, drill two holes large enough to clear a 00-90 screw and far enough apart so the screw heads clear each other.  File the other (front) end carefully square as needed.
- Cut off the front of the lid of an MT 1025 coupler, right at the back of the 'neck' that rests between the two alignment posts that are part of the bottom of the draft gear.  Paint to match your car, and set aside.
- Take the cut off rear of the MT lid and place carefully over the top of the front of the brass, as a template to locate where you need to make modifications.  Drill and tap a hole where the hole is.  With an acute angle triangle file, cut a notch in the side of the brass for the coupler locating nib.  Compare carefully to your template as you go to make sure you don't file too much.  What matters is that you get the notch filed to exactly the same depth as the MT lid, and use a thin enough file not to compromise your hole.  The rest of the shape doesn't matter that much.   Apply a coat of paint at this point. 
-Assemble the coupler as normal except for the lid, and screw it into the brass.  The width of the bottom of the drafter gear fits nicely inside the channel, and you don't get that unprototypical see-through look as with the stock 1025.  Cut the top of the screw off and file flush to the top of the brass, since this screw will sit beyond the end of the car body.  I used the edge of a dremel cutting wheel to file flush.
-Attach the cut off front of the lid in front of where the brass ends. Use CA sparingly to hold in place, or maybe tack weld with a soldering iron.
- Drill two holds in the car body to mount the assembly. Locating is a bit difficult, and is definitely a weak point of this method.  I didn't make my holes in the brass big enough for adjustment, and I would make them a bit bigger next time.  Touch up paint carefully when you're done.
- You do have to lower the car to get the couplers at the right height, but the ride height comes out good.  Mill the truck bolster locations.  Don't let it be an afterthought. 

Sorry the pics aren't better, it doesn't help that in this prototype everything is black.

 
 

[jagged ben]

I designed the boxes in that last thread for Mike (pastoolio) to reuse all the internals from MTL truck mounted couplers so nothing is wasted after the coupler is cut off from the truck itself.

If you have any questions about the boxes, their use or dimensions, feel free to ask!

I somehow missed your posts before I typed mine. 

So does the item I linked to now have the modifications for MT couplers?  It is unclear on the Shapeways website.