Body-Mount Options for Athearn Coalporters?

[cbroughton67]

I'm looking for suggestions for body-mounting couplers on Athearn Coalporters. So far, I've tried Z-scale 905 couplers, but they don't seem to want to stay reliably coupled. I've tried Red Caboose Unimate couplers. Not bad... might be what I end up going with. Lastly, I've tried MT "True-Scale" couplers, but the coupler box is too large and either interferes with the truck bolster or the screw interferes with the outer-most axle, depending on how the box is positioned. I'd love an option like the the MT TS coupler with a smaller box, or a Z coupler that remains coupled. Unimates are looking like the most reliable option. What are your experiences / suggestions?


Thanks in advance,
Chris

[wcfn100]

FWIW, that is one one the cars on my short list for True Scale Coupler pockets. But I can't make any promises right now on when I can get to it.

Jason

[nkalanaga]

If you're willing to use Unimates, then you probably don't mind dummy couplers.  If that's the case, I "fixed" a few of my narrow gauge 905s by putting a very small piece of wood and some white glue in the trip pin slot of lip portion.  You'll have a dummy coupler, much smaller than the Unimate, and if you ever want to make it operable, just soak it in water for a while and remove the wood and glue.

Another option might be Accumate or McHenry couplers in a homemade draft gear.  All either really need are a center post, a retainer on the post, and two pieces to trap the ends of the springs.  I've done the same on flatcars, where the underside of the floor was too low for a standard coupler.  There the spring retainers are also the end sills, but you could use two side pieces and a cross piece under them, to make the visible end of the draft gear. 

I assume these have McHenrys, so you might be able to use part of the truck-mounted draft gear as the center post and retainer, drilling out the center of the post for a screw or pin.

[wmcbride]

FWIW, that is one one the cars on my short list for True Scale Coupler pockets. But I can't make any promises right now on when I can get to it.

Jason

You might be able to retire on that one given the number of Athearn Bethgons in service (or at least adorning layout shelves)... 

[cjm413]

I'm looking for suggestions for body-mounting couplers on Athearn Coalporters. So far, I've tried Z-scale 905 couplers, but they don't seem to want to stay reliably coupled. I've tried Red Caboose Unimate couplers. Not bad... might be what I end up going with. Lastly, I've tried MT "True-Scale" couplers, but the coupler box is too large and either interferes with the truck bolster or the screw interferes with the outer-most axle, depending on how the box is positioned. I'd love an option like the the MT TS coupler with a smaller box, or a Z coupler that remains coupled. Unimates are looking like the most reliable option. What are your experiences / suggestions?


Thanks in advance,
Chris

Unimates are also the most economical option.

[nkalanaga]

True, Unimates are the most economical, and the most reliable.  They're also about the ugliest of the options listed.  if performance is the main consideration, I'd also go with them, and have them on all of my Kato B units, and the rears of most of the As, where they won't likely be coupling to a train.

I have working 905s on a train of Atlas ore cars, and they stay coupled well.  On the other hand, they're not the best rollers, having Precision Masters wheels in old Atlas trucks, so there's no slack action, even if the locos hesitate a little.  That keeps the couplers together.

On my narrow gauge ore train I have MT body mount couplers for Marklin boxes, and those cars roll very nicely.  Some of them have had to be "dummied", but the train runs as a unit train, so it doesn't make any difference.

[cjm413]

True, Unimates are the most economical, and the most reliable.  They're also about the ugliest of the options listed.  if performance is the main consideration, I'd also go with them, and have them on all of my Kato B units, and the rears of most of the As, where they won't likely be coupling to a train.

I have working 905s on a train of Atlas ore cars, and they stay coupled well.  On the other hand, they're not the best rollers, having Precision Masters wheels in old Atlas trucks, so there's no slack action, even if the locos hesitate a little.  That keeps the couplers together.

On my narrow gauge ore train I have MT body mount couplers for Marklin boxes, and those cars roll very nicely.  Some of them have had to be "dummied", but the train runs as a unit train, so it doesn't make any difference.

The biggest problem with the Athearn Coalporters is the truck-mounted coupler boxes.  Even for those that don't have any objections to truck-mounted couolers, they stick out like cushioned coupler pockets.

[nkalanaga]

Ouch!  That would be ugly...

[cbroughton67]

FWIW, that is one one the cars on my short list for True Scale Coupler pockets. But I can't make any promises right now on when I can get to it.

Jason

Keep me posted, Jason. I'd definitely be interested in these. Body-mounted, close-coupled, scale coupler... it hits all the marks.

Chris

[genemaddox]

If you want a dummy twist in type coupler that is reliable and close coupling although these are NOT body mount, the Kato Bethgon coupler (923090) work very good.I ran a long train on our layout here in the Dallas area (236 cars) and I did not have any problems with reliability. I only ran this many cars just to see how long of a coal train I could pull and then I ran out of Coal Porters and track space.
gene maddox