An N-Possible journal

[turbowhiz]

I like to mount the spring to one shank. Then stack the shanks into the assembly, and then drag the spring over the opposing shanks post with my fingernail. You typically do need to drag on more then one point to get it fully attached.

This method (most of the time) avoids the spring torsion problem and you get flat assembly right off the get go.

I demonstrate this in this video:

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I will also mention DON'T use a lot of force to mount the spring... The mounts are intentionally thin to accommodate a wide variety of boxes, but they can be easily broken if you apply a lot of force on them. You shouldn't need much force to get the spring mounted, so keep that in mind.

[Sokramiketes]

Wow, that sliding box thing is a feature for centering (or recentering) a coupler!  Probably hard to implement on a scale box design.  But a cool conversion option for those not bodymounting. 

[crrcoal]

Any recommendations for:

ST Autorack

IM Autorack

Scale or retro? Size shank?

[Jimbo]

I will also mention DON'T use a lot of force to mount the spring... The mounts are intentionally thin to accommodate a wide variety of boxes, but they can be easily broken if you apply a lot of force on them.

Yeah… I learned that the HARD way!!!

(Only once, thankfully.)

Jim

[turbowhiz]

Any recommendations for:

ST Autorack

IM Autorack

Scale or retro? Size shank?

Not up to Gary's standards here in documentation I'm afraid....

ST Rack stock box with sides milled out for good lateral clearance, long shank URS: (you could use a medium shank too...)



RC (IM) rack, remove entire truck coupler contraption including ugly support member, medium shank SBX without the top installed (and the post filed down to the top of coupler) screwed straight to the floor:



(I found these to variable in height. This example was fine, but I measured some IM to be a bit low (factory coupler height it low too). Shim them with washers as the easy fix)

[learmoia]

... As for the spring torsion issue.. I had a hard time putting the halfs together with the spring locked into on one side.

So I put the coupler halfs together first and held them with self closing tweezers..  then put the spring in an xatco blade.. placed it on one side, then slid it over the other side.. then made sure both sides were locked in place.

I spent 2 hours on video struggling with one car (mostly with one coupler binding once it was installed..
https://www.youtube.com/live/O74FHPmSP3Y

The next night, I took what I learned and did a car in 15 minutes with no issues..
The tolerances are so tight, everything needs to be perfect to get a good install... (Gary's suggestion with running a file through the inside of the pivot hole is a MUST...)

~Ian

[James Costello]

An additional suggestion for us documenting things here, would be to include whether we're re-using the stock, or replacing, the trucks and/or wheels to improve ride height or prototype fidelity.

For some of these conversions, it would be handy to refer to the post and understand whether we also need to swap out the stock with BLMA (Atlas) / ESM / Trainworx trucks (offset or centered bolsters) and wheel diameters rather than piecing that all together at the same time.

[crrcoal]

Thank you!

Not up to Gary's standards here in documentation I'm afraid....

ST Rack stock box with sides milled out for good lateral clearance, long shank URS: (you could use a medium shank too...)

RC (IM) rack, remove entire truck coupler contraption including ugly support member, medium shank SBX without the top installed (and the post filed down to the top of coupler) screwed straight to the floor:

(I found these to variable in height. This example was fine, but I measured some IM to be a bit low (factory coupler height it low too). Shim them with washers as the easy fix)

[learmoia]

The biggest take-away I had from a couple of installs over the weekend, was for anyone starting out with this, watch the assembly video that Andrew has done for the spring installation - it's a game changer for the assembly process and really does make it a simple, mult-step process.
https://youtu.be/uf2zLnapeQA?si=RvVFbM-Vuq8BR1SX

Ohhh Crap.. I just watched the video and realized..
Instead of rolling the spring to release the torsion.. he's attaches the spring to the bottom half as it sits above the top half then and once he assembles the coupler, the spring torsion holds the coupler halves together.   

[Maletrain]

For attaching the springs, I use the shortened tooth pick method, but put a slight shoulder on the tooth pick to avoid having the spring stick to the tooth pick better than the mounting nub on the knuckle.  I just put a tooth pick in a drill and ran it at low speed, pinching it against a small flat file to slightly reduce the tooth pick diameter in a step where I want the end of the spring to be.  The spring then does not slide up the toothpick past that shoulder.

That allows me to seat the first end of the spring on the knuckle half nub with good force and not dislodge it getting it off the tooth pick.

I then put the retainer section on the knuckle section with the spring sticking out, unattached to the retainer section.

I then insert an Xacto blade about the middle of the spring and use that to align it with the nub on the retainer section, and the press it on with the blade to get a tight connection.

Easy and fast.

[crrcoal]

Thought on converting the Trainworx body mount kits? I would imagine they would have to be converted prior to installation?

[peteski]

Thought on converting the Trainworx body mount kits? I would imagine they would have to be converted prior to installation?

I'm not sure I understand.  those flat cars have body-mounted MTL couplers with underslung shanks.  The coupler box is standard MTL bottom half and part of the metal floor's casting on the top half.  The mounting screw is inaccessible unless you manage to split the metal underframe and metal deck which are glued together.

You would have to mill off the existing coupler box to get the N-possible coupler mounted at the correct height. I guess a "kit" would have to include a milling machine.

[mu26aeh]

I'm not sure I understand.  those flat cars have body-mounted MTL couplers with underslung shanks.  The coupler box is standard MTL bottom half and part of the metal floor's casting on the top half.  The mounting screw is inaccessible unless you manage to split the metal underframe and metal deck which are glued together.

You would have to mill off the existing coupler box to get the N-possible coupler mounted at the correct height. I guess a "kit" would have to include a milling machine.

I think he is talking about the body mount conversion kits Trainworx made for various coal hoppers

https://www.train-worx.com/?product=622

[peteski]

I think he is talking about the body mount conversion kits Trainworx made for various coal hoppers

https://www.train-worx.com/?product=622

Oops!  I thought we were still on the TWX 89' flats.

[GaryHinshaw]

Thought on converting the Trainworx body mount kits? I would imagine they would have to be converted prior to installation?

These should be straightforward to convert with a URS kit prior to installation.  However, if you need to service the coupler after installation, it will be challenging unless you make the whole assembly removable.   The TWX quad hoppers follow a similar (but non-removable) design.  It was not too hard to convert them to a scale box model screwed in from below.  The same approach could be used on the conversion parts in question.