Hello-- I have a set of N-Scale Con-Cor smoothside passenger cars with rapido couplers. I am thinking about swapping the rapido couplers with knuckle ones. As I see it, my choices include the following: ---Install MTL couplers in the Con-Cor trucks ---Install Unimate couplers in the Con-Cor trucks ---Replace the entire Con-Cor truck and a MTL truck/coupler set ---Keep the rapidos and install a knuckle coupler on the head car. Any thoughts? What has been your experience? Thanks, Steve Williams
Coupler Options I would agree with replacing the CC's with MT's truck, wheel sets and couplers. Here are two examples one for standard heavy weights and the other for streamline. The coupler length is adjustable. In the past when changing out couplers I've had to trim the body overhang just above the couplers. I captured the images off the Feather River Hobby Shop's website. I would highly recommend giving them a shout-out for help. You can find them under our vendor or sponsors list. I hope this helps.
This question comes up frequently. There are two ways to go here if you want a good rolling car. One is expensive the other is not. The expensive way is to remove the truck and replace with the Micro Train one. Cost is about $8-9 per car. You get a car that rolls good and has auto coupling and uncoupling. The other way is to keep the Concor truck but pitch the wheelsets and coupler. Use Intermountain 36" plastic wheels. They come in a bag of 100 for about $12.00 US. Be sure to use the 36" not the 33" wheelsets. The 36" wheels will make the car roll like it had MT trucks. I have had issues with the 33" wheels sets from IM as far as rolling ability. Now for the coupler. If you can find them get some Kato 11-702 couplers They are a two piece coupler and came in a package of ten for about $6.00 US. These have been discontinued by Kato but you may still find them in some hobby shops. These will auto couple but not uncouple. Usually this is not an issue for passenger cars. I have converted my entire fleet of passenger cars to this and I get a car that rolls very well, couples very close and couples by pushing two together. Cost for one car is less than $2.00 US. If the Kato 11-702 coupler cannot be found you could go with Unimates or even keep the Rapido as it is mostly hidden under the molded on diaphragm on the car.
Addendum to last post. I run on Ntrak layouts with broad curves. The above conversion will result in cars being coupled very close and may interfere with each other on sharp curves.
My two cents, keep the Rapidos if you cannot get the Kato 11-702. I tried the MTL coupler truck set at $10.00 per car a waste of money and nothing but problems. I eventually put the whole Con-Cor set up on Ebay, just too frustrating.
Same experience here, although I still have mine. I guess I'll stop by Wig-Wag's tomorrow and pick up the IM wheelsets.
Aw, shucks. I just run my Con-Cor's with the Rapido couplers - I removed the coupler from the observation car and I'm looking for a scale non-operational coupler to put in it's place. I guess I'm tired of MT conversion couplers that fall apart, Accumates that come uncoupled - and with my passenger trains, I don't need "operational" couplers because once I make up a passenger train, it generally stays in that configuration. I have a B&O set (nine cars) that I generally run with an E6 AB set or an F3 ABA set of engines for power. I'm looking at modifying the Life-Like E6 A unit to remove the dummy coupler on the front and enclose the pilot. My Kato F3 lead unit is waiting for an MT conversion - but I just might put the dummy coupler from the E6 on the lead F3... EDIT: I just did some MT conversions over the weekend - one in particular was modifying the MT 1111 to fit a couple Con-Cor bay window cabooses. I only did one end each on the cabooses because I run them on the end of coal drags that still have Rapido couplers - the Rapido on the end of these cabooses just didn't cut it any more. I almost went blind and crazy getting the MT adaptors to fit...
Although these have been discontinued by Kato USA they appear to still be available from stores selling Kato Japanese models. I bought a lifetime supply from M.G. Sharp in England. They still show them on their website, about 1/3 down this page: http://www.mgsharp.com/japanese_n_Spares.htm They do result in closer coupling so heed Inkaneer's caveat concerning sharp curves. Ben
From my experience, I have found that the coupler pocket on the Microtrain passenger trucks have way too much play because of the snap together plastic parts. Even with the new reverse draft angle knuckles, this caused unwanted uncoupling at random points, especially on long trains running on NTRAK layouts. The same split "T" shank coupler, installed in a different pocket using the metal clip like the one that comes in the MT 1129, seems to have fewer issues. Unfortunately there is no way to retrofit this part into the passenger truck coupler pocket. In the end I usually body mounted MT 1023 couplers, demobilized the the coupler by squirting the coupler pocket full of supper glue (this actually worked to some degree if you don't run on tight curves, however the coupler will no longer couple automatically) or go back to the Con Cor truck and swap out the wheels and couplers as described above. In many cases I want the specific prototype truck that the Con Cor truck is modeled after. These had disk brakes and did not have the visible brake cylinder mounted on the side of the truck frames.
Another solution, like the Kato coupler replacement, is to use the Red Caboose coupler replacement. They hold excellently, however, there are a couple issues that you might have to deal with. The couplers must be manually coupled and manually un-coupled. Basically, you cannot simply back into a car and have it connect. This isn't a big problem if you are only talking about passenger cars, since most people keep a passenger consist connected for extended periods of time. For freight this is more of a problem. I DO use the Red Cabose couplers for my european passenger and freight cars, but that's only because I don't have many other choices. The benefit of the Red Caboose couplers are that they are VERY simple to install. The are only a single piece...no "fiddly" installs like some other manufacturers require. The couple is very secure and doesn't break easily. The couplers are very easy to modify to fit various pockets. The price is about $2.50 to do 5 cars....the "price is right". Resp, John B
I say Unimate/Red Caboose--They snap in easily--never accidently uncouple--couple to other makes (except Rapido)--worry free. Tom Galbraith
Welcome aboard Tom. As you can see there are a number of us varnish fans that hang out here. I use many Unimate couplers on my cars. I have found that if you mount them rigidly in the coupler pockets with a shim glued in behind them instead of a spring, they snap together with a little pressure. You don't have to lift one car to hook it over the other. For broad radius curves such as those on NTRAK layouts, they don't have to move side to side if they are truck mounted. Makes setting up a train a snap......well a lot of snaps.
There are so many uses for Unimate/Red Caboose couplers - closer coupling for Kato and Intermountain F-units, a must for Life-Like locos such as the E6, Rapido replacement for Rivarossi and Con-Cor passenger. You'd think one of the operational coupler makers would take a hint. I'm not sure of the length difference in Kato's long and short shank knuckle couplers. The long has never been pictured plus it is temporarily out-of-stock. One or the other may be good substitute for some of the Unimate uses. Ben
I must be living under a rock - guess I didn't know about them (Red Caboose couplers). So I'll be looking through some on-line hobby shops and ordering some up - if I can find them in stock. So here's the question - it sounds like these are pretty much a drop in replacement for Rapidos. I have a passenger train ( B&O National Limited) that is made up of Con-Cor cars - which Red Caboose coupler is recommended? How about "typical" rolling stock from Atlas, Life-Like, Con-Cor etc. - long, medium, short? Or should I just order up a bunch of all three lengths and experiment? Seems that these will be the ticket for passenger trains, coal trains, etc. that normally are not ever disconnected. Thanks!
On Concor smooth side passenger cars, for me, the cars are coupled just about right with two medium length unimate/red caboose couplers. However one long and one short is exactly the same length and with one coupler projecting out a little further, it is easier to see what you are doing when you are coupling the cars. I usually use two short couplers on F units (the only way to get them any closer is to build draw bars). I always keep several of each coupler length on hand (they are cheap) so I can experiment to get things as close together as possible and still not bind up on curves.
Tim, I have no long shank Unimates at present but they must be close to the coupling length of Rapido couplers. A Rapido coupler measures about 4 N scale feet from mounting end to coupler face. By contrast, Unimate Medium is about 3 NSF and Short is about 2 NSF. I use the Short for close coupling of Kato F's and LL E6's. Hope this helps. Ben
Caution Something I might mention. Notice how Rapido couplers have a nipple that fits into the coupler pocket centering spring? A similar nipple needs to be left on the Unimate when you cut it from the sprue. Ben
