Coupler for a caboose.

Hi Everyone,

I want to change out a coupler in an old caboose. I want to use MLT couplers. The cabooses I have now have the repido couplers. It is a body mount coupler. It might be a life like or Atlas. I looked at the conversion chart at the MLT web site. The one I see for this is #1135 but when I look that up it says its for a loco. So not sure what one to get. Also when I took out the old coupler and then tried to put it back had trouble with the clip, its hard going back in and bent some. Any ideas and what kind to get.

Thanks, Robert

 

If it is a Atlas Caboose, I use 1129 T-shanks.

 

Not sure if its an Atlas, what about the metal retainer clip, why is it going back in so hard? Thanks

 

Doing some looking around, will get back to you.

 

Thanks, I also have one that is a Life Like caboose that looks to be the same. I have the case for that one so maybe they are the same kind. When I look up on the conversion chart they say to use # 1135. But I look that up and it says its for loco's.

 

Can you send a photo of the suspect part

 

Here is a pic of the caboose and parts.

 

Looks to be a Life-Like; I've got the same caboose in my junk drawer. My tab appears to be plastic instead of metal, with a locking notch on the inside edge. It's got to be straightened to fit back in the slot, but until you get the right MT coupler adapter to fit in the box you'll just risk breaking it off entirely. If it is metal, straighten it out with tweezers or longnose until it fits in the hole properly.

There's a bunch of MT conversion couplers that fit inside a Rapido-style box hole. Here's the right conversion chart for Life-Like with the part numbers: http://www.micro-trains.com/conversions/sheet008.pdf

 

I tried doing that with the tweezer and the metal tab is almost ready to break off, not very good quality, just trying to save some money and not have to buy so many new cars. thanks

 

If you don't mind modifing the coupler box. You could remove the box and install an assembled coupler.

 

My go to coupler for my caboose fleet has been the MT 1015/16 back when I started converting my remaining cars from the old Rapidos. Beats trying to hold together the two pieces of the T shank, get the spring into the metal clip, and then the coupler in that, and then insert the whole shooting match into the coupler box and get it closed, only to have the sometimes flimsy retaining clip decide then and there to break a leg. Usually when trying to bend the clip tabs back in place.

What I have done in the past is to sand off the old coupler box to get a level pad. Then often I have had to glue a small strip of thin styrene, the appropriate thickness to get the coupler to hang from the bottom of the platform the required height, using a MT coupler gauge to determine that. I then use the assembled coupler to determine the proper location on the new pad and drill a hole for the mounting screw. Most of the time the screw needs to be cut flush with the top of the rear platform and a small dab of paint covers the shiny end of the screw.

On a few of the truck mounted couplers with Rapidos I have simply cut off the coupler extension when I wanted to re-use the truck. On a few rare occasions when I did that I have had to sand down the pad area for the 1015 box where it rode to low.

 

My thought is to use an MT-1129 T-Shank kit, it comes with a coupler box that you put into the back of the coupler box, use the MT spring that comes with it, put it all together, straighten the tab if it breaks off it break off. When you put the coupler cover back on and it breaks use a small dab of clear silicon towards the back of the coupler box and very sparingly around the front of the coupler let it dry over night should be as good as new. I have used this before on this type of setup and it works great.