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 Posted - December 18 2013 : 5:50:47 PM
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I have very early Tyco Red Box made in America trains and rolling stock. The problem I'm having is the coupler box, on the trains, where the coupler hole fits over the pin is to short for this coupler. The couple box is shorter in the earlier Tycos it seems.
Are there other couplers that are available for theses trains?
Thanks
Engines: TYCO HO
Rio Grande Diesel F9A
New Haven Diesel F9A
Burlington Diesel F9A
LIONEL HO
Lionel Rock Island 140 FA1 Diesel
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 Posted - December 18 2013 : 6:56:58 PM
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The smaller coupler boxes take the same type of coupler as the later ones, you just need to trim the springy tail off the coupler and rig up some sort of spring. The smaller coupler boxes used a small piece of wire as a spring. Unfortunately there are no drop-in couplers (to my knowledge) that will fit these pockets AND provide the spring action... 
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 Posted - December 18 2013 : 9:33:15 PM
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It's a nightmare when you have several cars and they won't stay together cause your couplers don't have a spring in the coupler box  
Engines: TYCO HO
Rio Grande Diesel F9A
New Haven Diesel F9A
Burlington Diesel F9A
LIONEL HO
Lionel Rock Island 140 FA1 Diesel
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Posted - December 18 2013 : 10:03:45 PM
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quote:The smaller coupler boxes take the same type of coupler as the later ones, you just need to trim the springy tail off the coupler and rig up some sort of spring. The smaller coupler boxes used a small piece of wire as a spring. Unfortunately there are no drop-in couplers (to my knowledge) that will fit these pockets AND provide the spring action...
Originally posted by DaCheez - December 18 2013 : 6:56:58 PM
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I wonder if you could find a horn hook coupler that had a spring similar to a McHenry or Bachmann EZ Mate...and fit one of those circular spacers from a Kadee conversion coupler in the hole to keep it secure on the pin....
I did that on a red box F7B unit to make a transition car - knuckle coupler on one end, Tyco horn hook on the other. I'll look through my horn hooks and see if that might work.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - December 19 2013 : 5:57:23 PM
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Thanks Jerry!
Engines: TYCO HO
Rio Grande Diesel F9A
New Haven Diesel F9A
Burlington Diesel F9A
LIONEL HO
Lionel Rock Island 140 FA1 Diesel
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 Posted - December 19 2013 : 6:08:06 PM
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THESE TYCO'S ARE THE OLD NARROW AND SHORT RED BOXES. I BELIEVE THEY HAD METAL COUPLERS. ACTUAL NONE OF THESE TYCO COUPLERS ARE STILL IN PRODUCTION AS NO ONE MAKES THEM ANY MORE. TYCO ONLY USED ONE STYLE OF PLASTIC COUPLER AND THEY WON'T FIT THIS ENGINE OR THREE CARS. PERHAPS I NEED TO HAVE THE OLD PARTS REPLACED BY AT A TRAIN SERVICE STATION SO THE PLASTIC 2601 COUPLER CAN BE USED ON THEM? I'M HOPING I DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT $$$$
Engines: TYCO HO
Rio Grande Diesel F9A
New Haven Diesel F9A
Burlington Diesel F9A
LIONEL HO
Lionel Rock Island 140 FA1 Diesel
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Posted - December 19 2013 : 8:27:28 PM
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As far as I know, Tyco used three main styles of couplers. The only metal couplers were the loop and hook style which were phased out before the Red Box era started. In the earlier stages of the Red Box era Tyco used plastic horn hook couplers that were put under tension in the coupler pocket by a piece of wire. Later on they switched to a plastic horn hook which used the spring-tail. Other than the addition of the tail, these couplers were identical to the earlier ones and remained the same throughout the Brown Box era.
Here's an example of the two different Red Box era pockets. The top example is the earlier, small pocket.
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Posted - December 19 2013 : 11:03:47 PM
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quote:THESE TYCO'S ARE THE OLD NARROW AND SHORT RED BOXES. I BELIEVE THEY HAD METAL COUPLERS. ACTUAL NONE OF THESE TYCO COUPLERS ARE STILL IN PRODUCTION AS NO ONE MAKES THEM ANY MORE. TYCO ONLY USED ONE STYLE OF PLASTIC COUPLER AND THEY WON'T FIT THIS ENGINE OR THREE CARS. PERHAPS I NEED TO HAVE THE OLD PARTS REPLACED BY AT A TRAIN SERVICE STATION SO THE PLASTIC 2601 COUPLER CAN BE USED ON THEM? I'M HOPING I DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT $$$$
Originally posted by RioGrandeF9AÂ -Â December 19 2013Â :Â 6:08:06 PM
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Well, I looked through my collection of horn-hooks. All are plastic and have the integral spring, and most all have the larger, modern-type hole. Some have a small hole that I believe would work as is without those Kadee circular spacers. And the thing is, these couplers with the smaller hole - like the ones used in your Tycos - are also SHORTER. God only knows what I pulled them from
Looking at them and comparing them to the coupler box I have, and then using the photo Cheez posted of the smaller older boxes - I see no reason why they would not work.
I wish I could remember the Kadee number of the couplers that include these circular spacers...they are the ones intended as conversions for talgo trucks, and have that "H" shaped adaptor that clips into the talgo and holds a standard Kadee coupler with the circular spacer to narrow down the hole so it fits the talgo pin.
So you have two options I think that will solve your problem. Heck I will send you these short, small hole couplers if you PM me your address - but do it by tomorrow morning because I'm flying out of here tomorrow for Christmas holidays at noon tomorrow! or if you can wait I'll be back the 28th
http://tycodepot.com/
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 Posted - December 20 2013 : 09:56:11 AM
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That smaller coupler box that DaCheez pictured is it. Someone told me those where metal.
Engines: TYCO HO
Rio Grande Diesel F9A
New Haven Diesel F9A
Burlington Diesel F9A
LIONEL HO
Lionel Rock Island 140 FA1 Diesel
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 Posted - December 20 2013 : 1:28:43 PM
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DaCheez,
Do I have permission to save that photo :) It tells all!
Engines: TYCO HO
Rio Grande Diesel F9A
New Haven Diesel F9A
Burlington Diesel F9A
LIONEL HO
Lionel Rock Island 140 FA1 Diesel
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Posts: 79 ~
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Posted - December 20 2013 : 1:45:09 PM
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Be my guest! 
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Posted - December 20 2013 : 2:09:06 PM
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One advantage of the metal spring is that it allowed for closer coupling.
The Tyco Depot
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 Posted - December 22 2013 : 11:22:53 AM
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Tell me about it Nelson. I can't keep these lighted cars together.
Engines: TYCO HO
Rio Grande Diesel F9A
New Haven Diesel F9A
Burlington Diesel F9A
LIONEL HO
Lionel Rock Island 140 FA1 Diesel
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Posts: 79 ~
Member Since: November 20 2013 ~
Last Visit: November 02 2019
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