Coupler Question

How is the dummy coupler fastened? In the catalog photo it looks like it's mounted in a coupler box (draft gear), so that some KD or other knuckle coupler should just drop in. Problem is the pilot, which will likely inetrefer with the coupler's trip pin. In that case, cut it off, and build a couple of footbaords hanging off the end beam. Another problem may be the coupler height, which means that you might have to use and underset or overset shank (on which the coupler head's center line lies above or below the shank's centre line.)
In real life, locos and tenders are connected with a draw bar -- a "cockeyed bar and pin" arrangement, actually. :-) The only reasons to replace what's there might be to decrease the gap between loco and tender, and/or to improve tracking when backing up.
HTH&HF

It looks like it's just glued in to the cow catcher, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm wondering if I can simply cut it off, hollow the square area out and us a KD style coupler. It's useless as a coupler now so I won't lose anything by trying that.
The height seems to be OK, it matches up to a 2nd loco just like it. Actually the locos are from that Thomas Kinkade Christmas collection I'm building toward setting up a wonderful Christmas display. Now mostly I would like to eliminate that bar & pin between the tender & loco. I have found that with to heavy a load it can pop off ...very annoying
Tim

Sound like that would work. I've found that sometimes it's easier to cut off the whole pilot beam + pilot, and fabricate a new one around the draft gear of the coupler. But if the existing hole is just about the right size already, just widening it enough to accept the coupler draft gear would be all that's needed.
If you can remove the pin, you may be able to tap the hole and insert a bolt of the appropriate size. A 1-72 or a 0-80 may work. The bolt head will keep the bar from dropping out. Walthers offers these in various lengths, but you'll have to buy a whole package to get just one bolt. Mind you, it won't be as easy to disconnect the two. Maybe a longer pin would work as well. A new pin could be bent slightly at the lower end, which should help keep the bar connected, too.
Good luck.

Geez so simple I don't know why I didn't think of that, just put a small nut & bolt in place of the pin! That's why it's so great to have forums like this ... thanks!
Tim

99% of my best ideas are, er, borrowed. :-)
just put a small nut [...]
You're welcome.

On Fri, 08 Apr 2005 11:42:01 -0400, Wolf Kirchmeir claims:
On one of my Backmann Spectrum 0N30 2-6-0s, I had to do a lot of cutting because the dummy draft gear box is way too low. On the one I converted to an 0-6-0 switcher, the new pilot and coupler box was easy to install after removing the pilot truck.
Agreed. Nothing need be done since we narrow minded railroaders usually have tight curves. The engine and tender gap is already pretty close to prototype.
Cordially, Ken (NY)
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