IHC Passenger Cars

Carter Braxton wrote:

For taking the IHC cars apart, a couple of small common screwdrivers can be pushed up to unset the tabs. Start at one end of the car, work the end tabs past the locking notch, move to the next set of tabs, and so on. It's not as hard as you might think. I was unable to find direct replacements for the very long shank (like 1.5") of the original horn hook couplers. The LHS had a set that was close, but not close enough. I don't see anything in the 2007 Walther's book. I went with body mounted Kadee #5's. Mounted the coupler boxes with a couple of bits of styrene strip for shims, and a #2 self tapping screw. Dispite the length of the cars, they would make it round 18" curves staying on the track and coupled. I run them with a Proto 2k E8 for power, the long engine mates up the the long cars. Dunno how well they would do with a short 40' engine coupled to the 80' cars. I weighted my cars up to NMRA recommendations (1 oz + 0.5 oz per inch of length) and that improved tracking and staying on the track. The light kit sold for the new Walthers passenger cars will fit the IHC's. I was able to get nice molded plastic interior kits and metal wheels to fit from IHC. Home made axle wipers brought juice up to the light kits from the metal wheels. Don't try wheel wipers, the drag is just too much, axle wipers have much less drag. The somewhat loose and floppy plastic truck retaining pins can be replaced with 6-32 pan head machine screws, 3/8" long.

David Starr

Wow, what a great answer! Thank you for all the detailed information. It looks like body mounted couplers are what I will wind up using... I was just looking for an alternative.

As for the weight, yes, I agree... and that is why I was asking about the best way to remove the body.

Thanks for the quick resonse Carter

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McHenry makes knuckle couplers (#53, 54 & 55) specifically for IHC passenger cars. You just pull the original coupler straight out from the end, then push the McHenry coupler straight in until it snaps into place.

Len

Found a website

lists 4 McHenry couplers (52,53,54,56) with shank lengths running from 1.24" down to 0.48". The right length replacement coupler would be an easier installation. The body mount #5 have superior backing performance and will handle

18" curves, at least my cars, coupled to a long locomotive do. If you want to, say, put a 40 foot milk car or express car at the head end, the long McHenry's might be a better deal.

David Starr

Thanks guys... I think I'll go with the McHenrys

Carter

If the cars are current production, McHenry MHC-53 will fit most of the cars. For Baggage/RPO use MHC-54. They have a split shank that clicks into place. If the cars are older, then the coupler mounting is different, and you will have to fudge a new one.

NB that these are full length cars and should not be run on less than

24" radius, even though they will negotiate 18". If you run them on 24" or larger radius, you can body-mount the couplers. Use the longest available KD couplers, I can't recall whether they should be centered or under/overset heads.

HTH&GL