Atlas 40' wooden reefers -- long coupler shanks

[OldEastRR]

I don't know why these cars have couplers that stick out a half-scale foot too far. It's just how Accumates are made, I guess. No such thing as a short shank coupler, for them. Not only my Atlas boxcars, but the old Bowser PRR hoppers had long monstrous shanks too. MTL couplers, all body-mounted couplers (except Bachmann), even Atlas's, have the couplers where they're supposed to be. What, did Atlas buy a 20-year supply of long-shank Accumate trucks and has to use them all up first? Put a whole string of these Atlas FGEs together and on the next track a string of MTL 40' reefers and see the difference. Sheesh. I won't buy
"it's for small radii curves" because my MTL trucks have moved easily through all sorts of curves for 50 years now, thank you.

[cjm413]

I don't know why these cars have couplers that stick out a half-scale foot too far. It's just how Accumates are made, I guess. No such thing as a short shank coupler, for them. Not only my Atlas boxcars, but the old Bowser PRR hoppers had long monstrous shanks too. MTL couplers, all body-mounted couplers (except Bachmann), even Atlas's, have the couplers where they're supposed to be. What, did Atlas buy a 20-year supply of long-shank Accumate trucks and has to use them all up first? Put a whole string of these Atlas FGEs together and on the next track a string of MTL 40' reefers and see the difference. Sheesh. I won't buy
"it's for small radii curves" because my MTL trucks have moved easily through all sorts of curves for 50 years now, thank you.

The coupler boxes are the reason why the couplers stick out so far.

[nkalanaga]

The truck mounted couplers were designed so that they could use either Rapidos or Accumates, thus the coupler pivot point is closer to the end than it has to be for the Accumate.  They don't use the Rapidos anymore, but retooling is expensive, and they probably figure that anyone who's really worried about the distance will body-mount the coupler of their choice.

On a 40 ft car body-mounted 1025s will work on 7.5 inch curves, and 1015s might take even tighter ones.  For a closer to scale coupler, the Nn3/Z 903 will take 8 inch on a 2 coupled 50 ft N scale cars, and that's the smallest Z curve I have. 

If you're feeling adventuresome, the Accumates can be body mounted without a pocket, or with a scratchbuilt pocket, but I wouldn't recommend that except as a last resort, or if you're REALLY cheap!

[OldEastRR]

Oh, well! Problem solved ... I'll just convert all my cars to Rapido couplers! You know, Atlas commits to fidelity in its S-2s and PS-1s but using truck standards from 20+ years ago, well that's great. Maybe what Atlas should do is include 2 short-shank Accumates (do such things exist?) in the box with their Rapido-ready trucked cars. Hell, throw in some Rapido couplers, too. Satisfy everybody.

[cjm413]

Oh, well! Problem solved ... I'll just convert all my cars to Rapido couplers! You know, Atlas commits to fidelity in its S-2s and PS-1s but using truck standards from 20+ years ago, well that's great. Maybe what Atlas should do is include 2 short-shank Accumates (do such things exist?) in the box with their Rapido-ready trucked cars. Hell, throw in some Rapido couplers, too. Satisfy everybody.

What part of "it's not the couplers, it's the coupler boxes" are you refusing to acknowledge?

 

[nkalanaga]

As far as I know all Accumates have the same shank length.  And they used to include Rapidos for those who wanted to keep using them, until the demand dropped so low it wasn't worth the trouble.

They might still have some in their parts warehouse, if you want to call and ask.

[cjm413]

As far as I know all Accumates have the same shank length.  And they used to include Rapidos for those who wanted to keep using them, until the demand dropped so low it wasn't worth the trouble.

They might still have some in their parts warehouse, if you want to call and ask.

That sounds correct.

All of the Accumates that I've removed from any truck-mounted coupler boxes could be used as a direct replacement for either a MTL 1015 in the 1015 box or 1025 in a MTL truck-mounted coupler box (and presumably a 1025 coupler box, which I admittedly haven't tried yet)

[Nato]

                   :|Bachmann Locomotives and cars equipped with their no so great looking knuckle couplers, still come with retrofit replacement Crapido (Rapido) couplers, maybe for European modelers where these couplers are still in much wider spread use.       Nate Goodman (Nato).  " Never take sides if you know you will lose."

[nkalanaga]

They will go into a 1025 box, and will couple, but have almost no side play.  The box is a little too narrow for the centering springs, and doesn't leave much room between the springs for the shank to swivel.  I have no magnet, so didn't try magnetic uncoupling.