Body Mounting Couplers on Red Caboose Centerbeam Flats

[BCR751]

Few years ago I remember reading about converting the N-Scale Red Caboose C/B flat cars to body mounted couplers.  I believe the article also told how to move the trucks to a more prototypical location.  I've searched but with no luck.  Anyone know where to find this article?

Doug

[Scottl]

@GaryHinshaw posted his conversion. Can't remember quite where.

[GaryHinshaw]

Well, here's a 15 year old post that describes how I lowered the ride height and extended the wheel base on the two styles where it's appropriate.  I also experimented with body mounting LEZ couplers in that post, but it should be straightforward to body-mount MTLs in its place.

Since the Rapido model came online, I am ditching most of my RC centerbeams, save for the opera window style, and I'll be body-mounting N-Possibles to those.  But that is a future project.

[BCR751]

Thanks Gary.  I'll take a look at that.  Too much $$$ invested in the Red Caboose ones to change over at this point.  Might look into flogging them in the future, however.

Doug

[turbowhiz]

Well, here's a 15 year old post that describes how I lowered the ride height and extended the wheel base on the two styles where it's appropriate.  I also experimented with body mounting LEZ couplers in that post, but it should be straightforward to body-mount MTLs in its place.

Since the Rapido model came online, I am ditching most of my RC centerbeams, save for the opera window style, and I'll be body-mounting N-Possibles to those.  But that is a future project.

In my early "can I make N scale work for me" days, the RC centerbeam was a car I experimented with, and I referred to Gary's post he linked to above for my own conversions. This is car number 2 as I recall of the earliest ever N-Possible coupler prototypes, fabricated this week 4 years ago. I sure didn't know 4 years ago where I'd be today on this journey, that's for sure! Thanks @GaryHinshaw, I think! 

[Olivani]

Speaking of lowering these cars. Didn't MicroTrains announce some 100 ton low bolster trucks a while ago ? Have they ever been released ? What is the part number ? What other low bolster 70 or 100 ton trucks are available beside the BLMA/Atlas ones ? Thank you all for any info.

[GaryHinshaw]

I sure didn't know 4 years ago where I'd be today on this journey, that's for sure! Thanks @GaryHinshaw, I think! 

You're welcome!

What other low bolster 70 or 100 ton trucks are available beside the BLMA/Atlas ones ? Thank you all for any info.

I'm not aware that MTL ever planned to offer their 100T truck with a lowered bolster.  Tangent sells a very nice Barber S-2 truck with a lowered bolster.  However, if you handed me a Tangent S-2 and a BLMA/Atlas ASF truck without telling me which was which, I'd be hard pressed to tell them apart: