An N-Possible journal

[basementcalling]

@turbowhiz , are you publishing a glossary of your couplers acronyms? There seem to be a large number of them? Does the packaging have a full name to help a new convert know which style to buy?

[Sokramiketes]

The car end profile is considerably improved!

That should make Bryan happy to see!  What an improved end sill appearance.

[thumpernickle]

Deluxe Innovations 1944 AAR Riveted 40' Boxcar.

Another simple conversion using the SBX-101 (short shank). I clipped off the truck mounted coupler, drilled a mounting hole, and installed.

[GaryHinshaw]

Scale Trains P-S 5820 covered hopper

The Scale Trains P-S 5820 hopper on the left and the very similar Rapido Procor 5820 hopper (covered elsewhere) on the right:



This ended up being a pretty simple scale box install.  I started off trying a urs installation, but the box was a bit tight (vertically and horizontally) and the coupler height was too low:





Happily, it turned out to be pretty easy to slice the draft gear off with a chisel blade and use a scale box with a medium shank in its place:





As a side benefit, the coupler height is perfect:



I opted for a medium shank because I wanted to place the box far enough back to make sure the screw hole didn't impinge on the end of the floor casting.   If you're more adventurous than me, you could try mounting the box a bit further out and using a short shank.

[turbowhiz]

@turbowhiz , are you publishing a glossary of your couplers acronyms? There seem to be a large number of them? Does the packaging have a full name to help a new convert know which style to buy?

N-Possible Acronym Decoder List

Because I have an IT background, the acronyms are probably coming from there. That said, I think they’re more indicative than just assigning part numbers.

Launch Boxes
SBX (Scale BoX) -> The original short length scale sized box
URS (Universal Retrofit Shim) -> Conversion of existing boxes by means of the supplied Universal Retrofit Shim

New Boxes
LBX (Locomotive BoX) -> 1015 type box, appropriate for box replacement conversions in locomotives where the SBX doesn’t make sense. Supplied with two lids, one of which is thin and ideal for many Kato locomotives and the other is for direct 1015 replacements, i.e. Atlas. Also very useful for passenger car conversions or other long cars where additional coupler swing is beneficial.
TBX (Topless BoX) -> Similar to the LBX, but designed with no top at all, meant for flush to floor installs but also other Kato locomotives as well. Meant to be used where offset shank (2001/2004) MTL couplers are used.
SBM (Scale Box Medium) -> Scalebox lengthened to match the length of 200 series couplers
SBL (Scale Box Long) -> Scalebox lengthened to match the length of 300 series couplers
All of the new boxes use identical coupler parts to the SBX line.

Couplers:
100 Series Short
(101) short shank Type E

200 Series Medium
(201) Medium Shank Type E

300 Series Long shank
(301) Long Shank Type E

Yes, one can infer that different head styles are being accounted for.

The kit supplied URS couplers have extension posts on the retainer shank, but are otherwise identical.

The kits then combine the coupler and box code to make up the kit number, a combination of the supplied coupler and the supplied box/shim. The packages have a brief description spelled out.
I.e.
101-SBX (Short shank type E coupler, short length Scalebox)
201-URS (Medium Shank type E coupler, universal retrofit shim)
301-SBX (Long shank type E coupler, short length Scalebox)
301-SBL (Long Shank type E coupler, long length Scalebox)
101-LBX (Short Shank type E coupler, Locomotive Box)

I’m not planning on packaging the TBX and LBX with all of the shank lengths. If you need a longer shank coupler with the TBX or LBX then a standard 101 short shank, purchase a 201-SBX or 301-SBX and use the coupler there. You can use the TBX/LBX supplied short shank in the SBX box readily for another use case, as the 101-SBX has been the most commonly purchase part by a fair margin. Logically the SBM and SBL will be only supplied with the appropriate length couplers.

The future will bring about couplers and boxes being sold separately. The possible combinations are getting out of control very quickly as the product line expands, and with larger quantity packaging also in the works it’s just going to make way more sense to offer the parts separately. You can then easily mix/match to whatever use case makes the most sense for a given install.

[turbowhiz]

Scale Trains P-S 5820 covered hopper


I opted for a medium shank because I wanted to place the box far enough back to make sure the screw hole didn't impinge on the end of the floor casting.   If you're more adventurous than me, you could try mounting the box a bit further out and using a short shank.

A good use case for the forthcoming SBM I'm thinking here. Don't need to drill the mounting right at the edge, but the box aligns to the end of the medium shank coupler so you get the prototypical look.

[GaryHinshaw]

^Great.  I look forward to trying those out.

I added your glossary to the beginning of the index in the original post.   And for those of you going whole hog on these couplers, I highly recommend a small parts box to keep your inventory organized - especially as new items are added to the line:

[mu26aeh]

That picture is enough to scare someone 

[garethashenden]

I don't see what all the fuss is about. 

The Red Caboose X29 takes a Short Scalebox with no hat.

[garethashenden]

I will take a picture, sometime when the cat is not trying to play with the train, but the Bachmann GE 70 tonner is the easiest Universal Retrofit yet! Short shank, kept the lid from the Bachmann box, about 5 minutes total.

Short URS for the Bachmann GE 70 tonner:

[Sokramiketes]

We’re gonna need a bigger box!

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

By the way, I really like Allit Europlus boxes. Trays are rearrangeable and stay in place in the box even if some are removed. Small parts stay in bins.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Maletrain]

Gary and Andrew,

As the number of types of boxes grows, it would be helpful if the CAD drawings for the different types of boxes, hats, etc. were collected and made available at the beginning of this thread.

I am trying to figure out how to make some conversions for steam loco pilots, which seem to involve a lot of height and clearance problems.

One thing that might be useful is a box that has a threaded center post that accepts a screw for retaining the lid, after the box is glued to the car frame.  I would not expect the threads in the center post would be printed or tapped into the piece - just make the center post walls thick enough so that the hole can be tapped with a M1.2 tap and let the buyer do the tapping.  (Might not be a good idea to just force the screw into the untapped hole - might get swelling or splitting of the print resin.)

[Jimbo]

I am trying to figure out how to make some conversions for steam loco pilots, which seem to involve a lot of height and clearance problems.

Hmm…. I’m curious about which steam locomotive pilot conversions have been challenging for height and clearance?

I’ve been very successful with conversions on several steamers.  Whatever problems I’ve had never involved height or clearance.

Are you converting locos that have dummy couplers over to operating couplers?  I haven’t done any of those.  The others I’ve done are documented in this thread.

Eager to see the results of this work!  (And I like your suggestion on the center post!)

Jim

[robert3985]

Hmm…. I’m curious about which steam locomotive pilot conversions have been challenging for height and clearance?

I’ve been very successful with conversions on several steamers.  Whatever problems I’ve had never involved height or clearance.

Are you converting locos that have dummy couplers over to operating couplers?  I haven’t done any of those.  The others I’ve done are documented in this thread.

Eager to see the results of this work!  (And I like your suggestion on the center post!)

Jim

I'll be doing that with several of my brass locomotives, which may involve major surgery in some cases.  I've been ill with the latest iteration of COVID since the weekend after Thankgiving (2.5 months) so, my unpacking and setting up my workshops and layout have been drastically slowed.  Feeling better however!    And, I can't wait to get started on my coupler conversions.  My box full of N-Possibles still in their packaging reminds me daily that there are some fun times ahead!

By the way, this thread is absolutely invaluable, and I take a peek every day!  I've recommended it to several friends and associates who have discovered N-Possibles and needed installation advice.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Maletrain]

The steamers I am trying to figure out how to convert are the Bachmann 2-8-0 and 4-6-0.  The both have dummy couplers (that are at least a bit oversized).

The 2-8-0 has one that simply clips onto the back of a slot in the pilot.  That slot is about 0.03" high, while the Npossible shank is about 0.05" and the scale box opening is about 0.06" high.  Plus the center of the slot in the pilot is low compared to the center of the Npossible coupler in the height gauge.  There is some detail on the front face of the pilot around the coupler pocket opening that is going to get remove at the top, so probably needs to be removed all around to not look hinky.  Haven't had the time to work out an approach to mounting this one high enough without putting a hole through the top of the pilot deck.

The 4-6-0 has a larger dummy coupler that is mounted with a screw behind the pilot's cow catcher.  That looks more accessible for mounting, but the clearance of the back of the Npossible coupler spring vs the pilot truck looks to be an issue.  Thinking about trying a True Scale coupler there.  (Wish those TSCs looked as good as the Npossibles.)

These projects are on hold, awaiting Andrew's new box designs. 

I have been contemplating doing something like a brass plate with a mounting hole in it that is tapped for M1.2, which I could glue to the pilot and then mount a plastic Npossible box with a center post, spring splitter and sides, using the screw.  That would help with the issue of fishing the coupler through the slot in the pilot and past the center post - the post would not need to be there when the coupler is slid through the pilot face.

The real issue for that is whether I can make the brass plate thin enough to fit under the pilot deck without replacing the whole deck, and still make it thick enough to hold more than 3 threads of the M1.2 screw.  There is some detail on the surface of the pilot deck for the 2-8-0, but not the 4-6-0.

I would much rather read about the solutions here than figure them out for myself.  But, if I get to them first, I will post the results of my efforts here.