Body mounting IM cars

[sirenwerks]

Anyone know of or interested in providing a primer on body mounting IM boxcars and reefers with MTs? I'm starting to collect a bunch and feel I should get the jump on mounting them now rather than wait until the layout magically appears.

Bryan B.

[christoph]

I built a couple of their 40' box cars from kits, and used 1025 couplers.  The cars have pre-cast mounting holes in the floor, just tap.  Cut off the couplers from the IM trucks.

[sirenwerks]

What size screw did you use?

[BN1970]

Micro Trains body mount couplers use 00-90 screws and they are included in the packaging from MT.  From doing hundreds of coupler conversions I found that its much easier if you have a few tools as follows.
1) a pin vise with a #62 drill bit, this is the correct size for 00-90 screws.
2) a pin vise with about a #75 drill bit, to drill a smaller starter hole which is easier when dealing with metal bottomed cars.
3) a pin vise with Micro Trains 00-90 Tap, not needed for plastic bottomed cars like IM, but for metal bottomed cars from MT & Athearn.
4) Micro Trains coupler jig.
5) Small slot jewellers screw driver.
6) At times you may need to use 00-90 counter sunk screws when the trucks axel is directly above the couplers screw.  These are available from a number of different sources including Walthers.
7) Lubricating oil for the 00-90 Tap when working on metal bottom cars.
8 ) Graphite to burnish new couplers.
9) Styrene of different thickness .005, .010 & .020 for shimming heights as needed.

But as posted earlier IMs cars come already for body mounting Micro Train 1025 couplers. --Brian

[eja]

That's gotta hurt !   And where on one's body do you mount a IM car?

Oh, you are talking about body mounting couplers ..... never mind  ;D

[bbussey]

I prefer the MTL 1015 over the 1025 because the spring is in front of the pivot post which eliminates oscillation when the car is being pulled.  The original 1023/1025 design has the spring behind the post, so you get oscillation.

I use 00-90 screws.  I also shave around .020" off the bolsters so that the boxcars and ice reefers stand at a more prototypical height.

 

[James Costello]

Has anyone tackled the 4650 or 4750 covered hoppers yet?

[BCR 570]

A timely thread as I have spent the afternoon and evening body mounting couplers on some recently acquired freight cars including two Intermountain boxcars.  I tapped the existing holes and installed 1023s using the supplied 00-90 screws, but the knuckles were at the wrong height.  I didnt want to get into shimming, so I plugged the holes on one car and drilled new holes for 1027s which solved the height problem.  The other one will be done tomorrow.

If you are body mounting, try to use the most recent 00=90 screws from Micro-Trains as they have a lower and flatter head on them, providing additional clearance from the axles when that situation arises.


Tim

[milw156]

Has anyone tackled the 4650 or 4750 covered hoppers yet?

I just got a pair of 4427's & used 1015's on them. not enough vertical or lengthwise clearance to use 1025's & use the "suggested" drilling location. Did the same on the 4000's too.
Rick

[Ken G Price]

That's gotta hurt !   And where on one's body do you mount a IM car?

Oh, you are talking about body mounting couplers ..... never mind  ;D

Well, at least I found it funny. ;D

[James Costello]

I just got a pair of 4427's & used 1015's on them. not enough vertical or lengthwise clearance to use 1025's & use the "suggested" drilling location. Did the same on the 4000's too.
Rick

Thanks, but they're not Intermountain cars....

[eja]

Thanks Ken !

[Mark5]

A timely thread as I have spent the afternoon and evening body mounting couplers on some recently acquired freight cars including two Intermountain boxcars.  I tapped the existing holes and installed 1023s using the supplied 00-90 screws, but the knuckles were at the wrong height.  

Were the 1023 knuckles too high? I'm thinking the IM box cars could stand a bit of lowering too.

Here's a MTL box sandwiched by two IM boxes:



Been thinking about the body mount project so I've been following this thread a bit.

Mark

[bbussey]

A 1015 coupler can be attached directly to the floor of the IM boxcar, then lower the car so that the coupler is at the correct operating height.  I don't remember the distance off the top of my head, but .020" sounds right.

Here is one of the 1937 AAR boxcars lowered and in a comparison pic with the first pilot sample of the XIH from a couple of years ago:

[ArtinCA]

Micro Trains body mount couplers use 00-90 screws and they are included in the packaging from MT.  From doing hundreds of coupler conversions I found that its much easier if you have a few tools as follows.

One thing I'd like to suggest to your list Brian is some light oil. It makes the tap run in easier.

I tap holes on my MDC/Athearn cars by running the tap in part way, run it back out, clean the tap and then finish the hole. Then all I need to do is wipe off the oil and I'm done.