What to do with couplers cut off of MT trucks?

[jpwisc]

I toss the pizza cutters in the trash. The couplers I save. The internals are worth more than the boxes to me. I just used a bunch of MT guts to convert my ScaleTrains cars with. The swap took some time, but the ST boxes are designed to accept MT couplers and springs, so no cutting was required.

[djconway]

Do they have to be brass?  Look on eBay for stainless steel 00-90 in lots of 100 or more.  They are much cheaper.  100 are typically around $20 or less.  That's a lot cheaper than the hobby sources that sell 5 or 10 in a bag.

They don't have to be brass but they do have to be flat heads to clear the axel.
I found them in lots of 100 at boltdepot.com a few years ago at a reasonable price, but alas boltdepot.com no longer lists 1/4" or longer screws.

[Ike the BN Freak]

I've bought a few lots of these over the years.  They are flat heads and the head of the screw fits perfectly into the countersink in the box.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/790250291.html

They take a bit of time to get here from China, however they are cheaper than most other sources I've found

[jhjonesarch]

On my n-scale CNJ Broad Street Terminal switching layout, I cut the boxes off when they come that way with a car that I've bought.  I have been able to re-use the boxes on 72 and 78-foot passenger cars.  These cars have the trucks set back far enough that they wont interfere with the coupler boxes.  This arrangement for body mounting and re-using the large coupler boxes has worked very well for me.  I can run a 5-car passenger train through #6 double slips with no problems.

Jonathan Jones

[djconway]

I've bought a few lots of these over the years.  They are flat heads and the head of the screw fits perfectly into the countersink in the box.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/790250291.html

They take a bit of time to get here from China, however they are cheaper than most other sources I've found

Good find!!

[cjm413]

I toss the pizza cutters in the trash. The couplers I save. The internals are worth more than the boxes to me. I just used a bunch of MT guts to convert my ScaleTrains cars with. The swap took some time, but the ST boxes are designed to accept MT couplers and springs, so no cutting was required.

I recall they were designed for 1015's - do they also accept 1023/1025?

[mmagliaro]

I've bought a few lots of these over the years.  They are flat heads and the head of the screw fits perfectly into the countersink in the box.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/790250291.html

They take a bit of time to get here from China, however they are cheaper than most other sources I've found

This is a great price.  There is a similar item on eBay (in fact, it may be the same source, since it is in China), but it's 50 screws for about $9.  Still a good deal, but not as cheap as what you found.  It irks me that there is no US source that is even in the ballpark price-wise for something like this.  Sure, I don't expect 100 screws for $5 from a US source.  But how about 100 screws for... $15?   Can't even find that.

[Ike the BN Freak]

I recall they were designed for 1015's - do they also accept 1023/1025?

I was under the impression the PS 4785s were designed for the 1023/1025

[cjm413]

I was under the impression the PS 4785s were designed for the 1023/1025

As someone with a crapload of extra 1023/1025 guts, I thank you for the excuse to buy one to confirm this