Start of a kit-bash project

[Puddlejumper]

Love that stock car! Looking great!

[AF350]

Thanks, have not even done much to the stock cars yet.

Still learning the ropes on my digital camera as far as getting a good shot .

[AF350]

More progress

Here is the first fully trucked and couplered boxcar, now it just needs weight and some sort railroad logo and doors put back on.

   

   

   

[AF350]

Well here is a small update and a question for others who model On30.

First an update, the couplers look good and I have ordered some more couplers and some extra springs(both centering and coupler springs) still need to order more trucks.

Now the question, is all On30 squipment compatible??? I ask because the mounted couplers match up well with the coupler height gauge but are way to high to mate with the loco I have(a Bachmann 2-6-0) it also seems that it has an HO coupler where I used an On3 coupler Has anyone ran in to this before? the way I see it is to modify the tender body or raise the height of the tender from the trucks neither of which sounds right.

[Russ Bellinis]

Model Railroad manufacturers have never been known to pay a lot of attention to coupler height, that is why Kadee has always offered under set and over set couplers as well as center set in addition to short, medium, and long shank couplers. On30 was not a recognized scale until Bachmann invented it to allow them to make O-scale equipment to run on HO scale track. The coupler mounting pads on Athearn blue box locomotives never matched a Kadee height gauge without modification, and as often as not, modelers would just cut the mounting off of the Athearn frame and make up a plastic mounting pad and glue it to the pilot of an Athearn locomotive.

[AF350]

[quote="Russ Bellinis"]Model Railroad manufacturers have never been known to pay a lot of attention to coupler height,
quote]

non-standard standards

I think I will scratch build a transition car as I do not want to modify the loco and its passenger cars. May be my GFC(generic flat car) would be a good car for that job.

Thanks for the info, now I know it is not just me

[AF350]

Second batch of On3 couplers and extra springs came today, now for some more trucks in On30. Why On3 couplers??? Because I like the size better than the Bachmann ho couplers on their On30 stuff.

I ordered extra springs after have to chase down a few during assembly of couplers

Was too busy today to do any real work on the On30 Kitbash project. Maybe tomorrow.

[Puddlejumper]

How bad is the difference between the Bachmann couplers and the coupler height gauge?

Are you using an HO or On30 height gauge?

Can you place both on a piece of track and snap a photo for us to see the difference?

I wonder if Kadee has some over or under set couplers that you could put into the stock Bachmann coupler boxes that will bring those rolling stock into compliance without having to modify the equipment.

[AF350]

How bad is the difference between the Bachmann couplers and the coupler height gauge?

Are you using an HO or On30 height gauge?

Can you place both on a piece of track and snap a photo for us to see the difference?

I wonder if Kadee has some over or under set couplers that you could put into the stock Bachmann coupler boxes that will bring those rolling stock into compliance without having to modify the equipment.

It is off by the whole knuckle its self, an over knuckle would do the trick but I do not think they make them in On3 an Ho one might couple. The On30 height gauge comes with an On3 coupler. Will post a pic showing the difference some time in the morning. Have had similar problems with S gauge trains but not this bad as they would at least mate up enough to stay coupled. Will be working on the kitbash project in the morning as I have 2 windows in my small work area that let in a lot of light in addition to the ceiling light from mid morning to just before sunset. Did not plan it that way it just was dumb luck.

[Puddlejumper]

It is just surprising to me that there is that much difference in the couplers. I knew that was a problem in large scale, where there are no real standards, but I figured On30 would have been pretty much standardized in regards to coupler height...

[Russ Bellinis]

It is just surprising to me that there is that much difference in the couplers. I knew that was a problem in large scale, where there are no real standards, but I figured On30 would have been pretty much standardized in regards to coupler height...

Dave, I think On30 has standard coupler heights, but his train started as a child's toy that was not built to any scale.

[Puddlejumper]

Right, but if I understand correctly the problem isn't the toy trains, it's that the Bachmann steam loco does not match the Kadee height gauge., and that Bachmann supplied it with standard HO knuckle couplers while he is using On30 Kadees on his other On30 stuff. Maybe I am missing something...

[AF350]

You are both right, A the box cars and stock cars are toys that are being kitbashed into On30 rolling stock. B the kitbashed cars mate up to the coupler gauge no problem it is the Bachmann tender that does not match up to the kadee gauge Here is some pics this may clear up the situation a bit.

   

   

   

   

[Russ Bellinis]

Wow! I know manufacturers are infamous for not paying attention to coupler heights, but I think that Bachmann is the worst case I've ever seen! I think it will require a rebuild of the back of the tender to get that coupler up where it belongs! It might even be easier to salvage the trucks from the tender and scratch build a new one!

[AF350]

Russ,

A third option is to make a transition car as I have a few flats that I cast from a scratch built made of all things corn dog sticks

I do have some tenders from the toy sets that might be an option as well.

In defence of Bachmann when they entered On30 they did so they could use existing ho track and couplers to minimise new tooling, I have no other On30 from other sources yet as this is just an experiment in narrow gauge for me. It makes for fun and challenge in the hobby.