[rolltideram]

I got some freight cars off ebay for my sons train. These cars are from Life-Like and have the old horn type couplers. I talked to someone at Kadee and they said I have two choices to upgrade to something that matches my bachmann EZ couplers. I can trim off part of the box on my truck mounted couplers and use their #148 couplers of I think use a #28 replacement. Which would be easier and still work okay.
I would also like to swap to metal wheels, but don't know if these cars have 33 or 36 inch. How do you tell? Thanks from a newby. JC

 

[tkruger]

Freight cars generally have 33 inch and passenger have 36 inch. The problem with converting the life like is that by the time of investing in the wheels and the couplers you are to the cost of a Bachmann Silver Series car when it goes on sale. The Silver Series has the EZ Mate couplers with metal wheels for $11 - $14 depending on the car. The detail is better than the older Life Likes too.

The other option is to convert the front of one car and use it as a transition from one type to another. I have been doing this as I gradually convert my fleet.

 

[rolltideram]

I should have paid more attention to detail, but I'm just starting out. One of the cars is a crane on a flatbed, that my 5 year old had to have. The box car was something I had to have. It was a Union Carbide Linde car. I have never seen one of these and that is where my late father retired from. JC

 

[OldAthearn87]

I'm in the act of converting some of my old life like stuff. I say trim off the truck mounted boxes completely and rebuild and mount new kadee boxes on the body of the cars themselves, its really simple and quick to do. As far as the wheels go, I use 33" wheels on almost all of my older lifelike stuff. Note on this though that not all lifelike car trucks are created equal, meaning some will work well with steel wheel sets and others won't, its simply a try and see kinda thing. Good luck

OldAthearn87

 

[subwayaz]

To keep it simple and reasonable.
Kadee #78 coupler comes with it's own box pre assembled around $5.95pr

If trucks have a coupler mounted to them then you will have to cut them off.
But otherwise just remove old bodymount and re install the new #78