Con-Cor autorack bodymount coupler questions

[Super_G]

I have a few Con-Cor autoracks that I am wanting to upgrade with etched sides, and eventually N scale kits conversion. I would like to bodymount the couplers on the cars, but I am unsure of how they would do on a layout with mixed freight. My layout has a minimum of 16 in radius on the main line, with smaller radii for industries/yards. Would that be too small of a radius to do that or not?

[ednadolski]

The 16"r. sounds pretty tight, esp. if you try to mix them with cars that have substantially different overhang.  IDK what bodymounts on that kind of car would do to the ride height.... depends somewhat on what kind of couplers and pockets.

Ed

[Missaberoad]

N scale magazine had an excellent article about lowering and body mounting Con-Cor Autoracks in the late 90s early 2000s. Might be well worth tracking down...


Edit: The 11-1994 Raimodel Journal has another article based on the N Scale of Nevada upgrade kits.
http://magazine.trainlife.com/rmj_1994_11/

[learmoia]

As long as your not expecting them to couple on a curve.. you should be fine at 16".. and maybe down to about 12"

One trick that may help is to use 1015s or even 1016s for your body mount.. to get the extra swing motion..

Remember.. the prototype has rules for coupling long and short cars for the same reason.. As I recall.. Anything under 45' can not be coupled to anything over 70'..



 

[ednadolski]

Edit: The 11-1994 Raimodel Journal has another article based on the N Scale of Nevada upgrade kits.
http://magazine.trainlife.com/rmj_1994_11/

Wow, how long-gone are those NSN parts?    (i do recall using his signal bridge on my old Tehachapi Loop)

Ed

[cjm413]

If you could find them, Sunrise made a conversion kit to move the bolsters further inward (and also lower the ride height, IIRC), also new end sills that had an opening for either MTL 2001 or 2004 couplers.

[Super_G]

If you could find them, Sunrise made a conversion kit to move the bolsters further inward (and also lower the ride height, IIRC), also new end sills that had an opening for either MTL 2001 or 2004 couplers.

The N scale kits conversion does exactly that, moves the bolsters inward for a more realistic placement, and adds more weight for a better COG for the car.

http://www.nscalekits.co.uk/autorack.html

As for running them in a consist, I was planning on either them being coupled to the locomotive, or a car that is 60ft or so long, so that shouldn't be a problem. I may try with some 1015's before doing to N scale kits conversion.

fixed some micro-fonts -gfh

[Missaberoad]

I found the specific issue of N Scale, May/June 2000. It even shows a car representing a Trilevel with the frame cutouts around the trucks.
The author recommends 18inch radius curves and uses underslung couplers (he used cut apart 1019s but 2004 should also work)

Wow, how long-gone are those NSN parts?    (i do recall using his signal bridge on my old Tehachapi Loop)
Ed

I wish I could find a list of all of John Coots stuff! I was too young to really pay attention at the time but I loved his layout and jump whenever I see his kits for sale!

[sd75i]

 I'm not finished yet but should be in next 5 years.  It ways the same as a Micro-Trains autorack.

[cjm413]

The N scale kits conversion does exactly that, moves the bolsters inward for a more realistic placement, and adds more weight for a better COG for the car.

http://www.nscalekits.co.uk/autorack.html

As for running them in a consist, I was planning on either them being coupled to the locomotive, or a car that is 60ft or so long, so that shouldn't be a problem. I may try with some 1015's before doing to N scale kits conversion.

fixed some micro-fonts -gfh

I forgot about the N Scale Kits conversions, weight should not be a problem with those

[nkalanaga]

I lowered a couple, and used 1025 couplers.  They ran fine on 16 inch curves, but as others said, they had to be coupled to 50+ foot cars.

In my case, being cheap and lazy, I lowered them the easy way.  The interior isn't easily visible, so I cut a hole in the floor, put a piece of plastic on top of that, and built a new bolster.  For the coupler, the same trick, and the 1025 worked fine.

Today, since they're easily available, I'd probably use a 1016 instead of a 1025, for my method.  The 2004 would be good choice, and wouldn't require cutting the floor.