Micro-Trains 1027 coupler long-shank kludge

[nickelplate759]

I've been adding MT 1027 body mount couplers to old Micro-Trains/Kadee cars that came with truck-mounted couplers.  These are the ones with the alignment pin on the box top that mates with a cast-in hole in Micro-Trains/Kadee the car floor.   I like them 'cause they're dead-simple to install correctly on those cars, and don't get out of alignment.

I'm cutting the truck-mounted coupler boxes off of the Micro-Trains trucks on the cars I'm converting, so now I have lots of those couplers as scrap.  I recall someone mentioning that the coupler itself fits in an MT 1025 box, but I suspect that I can no longer call up MT and ask to buy 100 MT 1025 coupler boxes without the rest of the parts...    ...so what else might I do with them?

On a whim I tore the guts out of one of the old truck-mounted coupler boxes and grabbed a 1027 box.  Put them together, an you have what's essentially a long-shank 1027.    I don't need a LOT of long-shank 1027s, but at least I can use up some of what would otherwise be scrap.


I know many folks are excited about the N-Possible couplers - I am too - but as a practical matter I'm not ready to convert at this time.    Here's hoping that Atlas is able to maintain a good supply of the various MicroTrains couplers.

[cjm413]

They'll also work in a backwards 1015 coupler box

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[nkalanaga]

And, if you have short cars or wide enough curves, you can use the truck-mount box as-is as a 1025.  Just screw it to the bottom of the car.

Once it's screwed on, you could probably cut the sides off and narrow it, but I never tried that.

[nickelplate759]

And, if you have short cars or wide enough curves, you can use the truck-mount box as-is as a 1025.  Just screw it to the bottom of the car.

Once it's screwed on, you could probably cut the sides off and narrow it, but I never tried that.

Now why didn't I think of that?   Based on @nkalanaga 's suggestion I just put some on an Intermountain 40' boxcar.   Hey presto - it works!
As he notes, it does restrict the truck swing more than an actual 1025 would, but with a minimum radius of 13" I think I'll be OK.  Cutting the sides off the box would be tricky, as that's what holds this version of Micro-Trains coupler box together.  He suggests screwing it in place first, but that would make trimming the sides a real challenge without trashing the car the coupler is on.   It might be possible just to notch the sides where the wheel flanges hit the box.

[cjm413]

Now why didn't I think of that?   Based on @nkalanaga 's suggestion I just put some on an Intermountain 40' boxcar.   Hey presto - it works!
As he notes, it does restrict the truck swing more than an actual 1025 would, but with a minimum radius of 13" I think I'll be OK.  Cutting the sides off the box would be tricky, as that's what holds this version of Micro-Trains coupler box together.  He suggests screwing it in place first, but that would make trimming the sides a real challenge without trashing the car the coupler is on.   It might be possible just to notch the sides where the wheel flanges hit the box.

I'm guessing you didn't bother using the truck-mount box based on the fact that it only cost $1 per car to buy MTL 1023/1025 coupler boxes that they fit in.  That is also the reason why I didn't experiment with some spare 1015 boxes that I had from either broken coupler shanks or times where I needed the thinner 2001 coupler box until recently.  Now that I'm thinking about it, a "backwards" 2001 box should also work.

I'll also have to try out the truck-mount box since I only have a few more empty 1015 boxes to work with...

[cjm413]

And, if you have short cars or wide enough curves, you can use the truck-mount box as-is as a 1025.  Just screw it to the bottom of the car.

Once it's screwed on, you could probably cut the sides off and narrow it, but I never tried that.

The larger truck-mount box would also be less of an issue on something like a 60' auto parts car where the bolsters aren't as close to the ends

[nkalanaga]

cjm413:  Very true.  The first place I tried it, many, many, years ago, was a Model Power TOFC car, the plastic version of the ancient Arnold/Rapido metal flat.  No problem at all there.

I used a few recycled couplers years ago, before I though of buying just the boxes, and before I had enough money to simply buy couplers.  Cutting the sides, or ends, of a MT box on the car isn't that hard, if one is careful.  I've cut the rear off many 1025s, usually because it was just a little too long to clear the body bolster.  My usual technique is multiple light passes with a sharp knife, which doesn't stress the box or the car much.  On these, I'd start by removing the clips holding everything together with flush cutters, then carve from there.

Of course, buying the boxes was a LOT easier - hopefully Atlas will make them available again.  In fact, since it's a single casting for each box, they could offer them as a stock item, for people wanting to body mount couplers.  Actually listed, I'd imagine they'd sell well enough to be worthwhile.