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Mutato
Switcher
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 Posted - January 07 2008 : 2:41:37 PM
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Hi all, I'm new to the forum!
I recently inherited my father's old HO scale collection which I fondly remember running when we had a large table back in the mid Seventies. His stuff was a mix of stuff from the Sixties and some newer Seventies era Tyco etc... My brother has the other half of the collection.
Most of the trains work, but I have about eight cars that either have broken couplers, or completely missing trucks/couplers. I'd like to get them working again and have been searching all over the place for these type trucks. They are the horn-hook type, but unlike the snap on replacements, these have a hole so you can attach via screws. (Please see first top picture). My father had converted some older cars to the horn hook style (see the red car in the rear of the cars picture).
I know I can take the currently available type trucks (Lifelike 1413 trucks), snap off the plastic pin, add some washers and attach (see my enclosed photo at bottom). But I'd like to see if there is any other alternatives.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks,
Martin
  
Edited by - Mutato on January 07 2008 4:52:28 PM
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Posted - January 07 2008 : 3:00:22 PM
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Hi There:
They appear to be Bachmann trucks and use a plastic push pin to connect to the car base... I think. More knowledgable rolling stock guys on the forum though...
Welcome aboard,
Gareth
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Posted - January 07 2008 : 5:50:18 PM
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Hi Martin,
The trucks in your first photo do look to me like plastic Tyco trucks. They are the good version with thin metal axles. The kingpin holes are for attaching them to the legacy (blue/redbox) era cars (think pre-1965) with screws... or the post-1965 tooling using scarce adapter pins. In the brownbox era, when these trucks were sold new on blister cards, the pins were included. In the early 70's they began using the molded-in kingpins.
A Tyco truck can be identified by the long, narrow coupler centering pin that extends from the back of the coupler pocket. Most other makes had a short stubby pin that extended from the front (Life-Like), or used a separate cap to hold the coupler in (AHM / early Bachmann / Lionel HO / Model Power / etc). Most Bachmanns used tiny, hard-to-find screws to retain the couplers.
Not all of these variants are interchangeable. In fact, few of them are. Your best bet is trial and error. Most other makes will NOT fit into Tyco cars... but sometimes LifeLikes will.... there's no hard and fast rule.
Of the cars in your second pic, the only one that looks like Tyco is the 4-wheel caboose... but this is a model that I'm not aware to ever use talgo (couplers attached) trucks. There should be some very narrow pockets for the coupler... you will need to find the cover and special spring that was used, which might be tough.
The other cars look to be a combo of Marx (now sold by Model Power) and possibly Life-Like, but I am not 100% sure.
You can try a few things to attach the trucks without kingpins: fill the bolster holes with putty... Or melted plastic styrene.... Or glue on some sheet styrene covers....THEN use a screw that fits.
Or look for a screw or pin or other scavenged parts that's an otherwise lucky fit without modifying the car.
Or once you identify who made the cars, you can also look for other inexpensive secondhand ones with donor parts.
The rescue and re-use of older cars missing parts is one of the most frustrating things that newcomers sometimes must overcome. Identifying them is half the beginner's battle. But if you stick around the hobby long enough, eventually you get more parts than you know what to do with sometimes ;)
Hope that helps...!
Edited by - GoingInCirclez on January 07 2008 5:54:33 PM
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Posted - January 08 2008 : 09:17:11 AM
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| As far as just the couplers are concerned, short of finding Tyco couplers, in a pinch, I've used Athearn couplers. True, the pivot hole is much larger than the Tyco, but installed in the coupler box, they actually work for me until I can find something better.
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Posted - January 08 2008 : 11:06:02 AM
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I have used Athearn couplers in the Tyco coupler boxes also.
I have also used the KD talgo adapter (the T shaped thing that comes with a set of #27 KD couplers) and the Athearn coupler on trucks that have broken coupler boxes.
I've cut off the tabs on L/L and other trucks, filled in the hole(s) in the truck, then drilled a new hole in the truck and then fit them to the car. It is a little bit of work but will get the car going.
Ray
Edited by - Ray Marinaccio on January 08 2008 11:22:09 AM
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Posted - January 20 2008 : 6:56:24 PM
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[). But I'd like to see if there is any other alternatives.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks,
Martin
Originally posted by Mutato - January 07 2008 : 1:41:37 PM
[/quote] A company called Perfect still sells the trucks with hole in center with a push pin to snap into car body--Romcat posted a link in earlier post and i can't remember where he posted it
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Posted - January 21 2008 : 04:30:43 AM
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Hi Mutato,
I have many styles of couplings on my list of rolling stock...
Some time back, I felt that the horn-hook couplers (also known as the NMRA X-2F's) and figured that, some day I will convert all my cars to knuckle couplers. Kadee's to be exact.
Well, that never happened. I now have a couple dozen cars with those hornhooks and convert a few of my body mounted coupler cars with knuckles at one end and horn-hooks at the other. Cabooses included.
I am not much for the talgo type of truck/coupler combinations for the fact that in backing up a string of these, horn-hook or knuckle couplers, on most any place on a layout is going to get your cars derailed... and that isn't something you want when the general public are present.
I see that there is one cure that isn't mentioned, for that you are asking.
You may have to do a little carving with my trick:
Body-Mount the couplers you have.
1. If your results are a coupler being too high, add shims between the coupler and body.
2. If your results are that the coupler is too low, add shims between the body and trucks. Also known as washers... no washers? Got a hole punch?
Obtain a paper hole punch. The paper that is removed is your washer/shim. Then nip the centers of these to get your screws in them. If you make the holes too small or big, don't worry. Make more paper washers. (A note from the Cheepo-depot.)
If you get the 10 packs, or 20 packs of Kadees, they do not include the coupler draft gear boxes.
Still no problem... you can buy these.
Please take note of your new body-mounted couplers... You may have to remove the coupler mounts on your Talgo-Trucks.
But hey... remove the coupler mounts on these talgo trucks, carve and mount these to the body, eh?
Give it a shot. Let me us know how it went.
John
Oh, as a p.s.: you may be lucky to obtain IHC's "Magic Mates" couplers. These couple to both horn-hooks and knuckle type couplers.
Remember, Body-Mount the couplers, especially on freight cars.
AND: Upon last check on the X-2F coupler packages sold today... $5.50 for FOUR HH COUPLERS??? That's more than a standard pack of Kadee's #5's.
I don't have a one track mind. It depends on the turn-out.
"I love your catenary!"
Is that a power-trip or just another pick-up line?
Edited by - zebrails on January 21 2008 04:42:14 AM
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Mutato
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Posted - January 21 2008 : 12:44:29 PM
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Hi all. Well the solution is....Ebay! I searched and found a lot of these exact type of older trucks with the hole for mounting. Just like in my top picture.
Last night, I repaired most of the cars. Some I screwed on with some screws and washers I got from the local hardware store. Some of the cars which had the metal posts were even easier! I added a nylon washer as a small shim and snapped on the replacement truck. Done!
I have a couple that used to have the metal posts but are now missing. I will fill those holes and get some more little washers and screws, now that I know that this method is working.
The only thing left to do is repair three locomotives that are missing couplers. They have the metal coupler boxes (Tyco Mantua type locos from 60's, 70's). Any thoughts on those would be appreciated.
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Posted - January 21 2008 : 12:54:49 PM
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Hi:
The cover just prys off with a tiny screw driver, and is pressed back in place.
You don't need to grind off the retaining pins head.
Hope that helps.
-Gareth
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