[T-Man]

Bar End Truck Postwar Era

Shoe contact needing the fourth and fifth rail.It operated the coupler or a coil.

Coil coupler

Staple end that predated the Bar End

Scout Coupler from the late 40's,not compatible with the standard coupler.

Bottom plate became the adapter for the Scout truck by reversing the truck and attachinig it to the axles.

Roller plate for interior lighting.

A Prewar coupler frame mounted. Hook and Bow or Hook and Butterfly.

The Box End and Hook replaced the Bow and was attached to the truck. The journals were black or nickel. The earlier trucks had none.

Both the box and bow had trucks with journals.

 

[Reckers]

Nice overview, T-Man. I always learn a lot from your stuff. Thanks for sharing!

 

[T-Man]

I don't have a picture of the modern American Flyer Knuckle truck, that replaced the bar and hook.

 

[T-Man]

Coupler Conversion

All scales have different brands and over time may not be compatible. You could take out a second mortgage and buy new, or improvise. With Lionel you want to keep them original but you also want to pull them too.
What to do?
For steam engines you just need a tender with a particular coupler. An advantage over diesels. Swtich tenders switch era.
Then the next step is making a conversion car. With this idea, it has a different coupler on each end, so it would sit between two types of cars. Reckers, you can do this with the old and new AF trucks.
Another option is to make an adapter. Lionel did make two. They may still be available from independant part dealers. They do extend the distance between cars. Nothing beats a handy piece of wire.

 

[Reckers]

T-Man, you've touched on a sort of moral dilemma I have, and I admit it's probably silly. I just hate the idea of altering a car that's survived 50-60 years and is of increasingly-dwindling supply. That said, I have no problem with swapping the couplers to standardize my fleet, as they can easily be swapped right back. Since my girlfriend thought a passenger train would be cool to have (I lean toward freight), I looked into them. $100 or so for three cars was too much for my frugal soul. My solution is my current search for parts; I can alter and repaint without moral pangs. I'm also bidding on a replacement shell for that Game Train locomotive I got from Big Ed. The idea is to take the new shell and all of my constructed cars and give them matching paint jobs so she'll have her own outfit with a matched (by color) set of cars and engine. Once I get started, I'll do a "how to" with photos on swapping the old link coupler for the knuckle coupler.

 

[T-Man]

That where Lionel has an advantage, there is plenty of used cars in all types of condition. If I can do a refurb tuneup, I can save it.
I would use a junk car as an adapter with two different trucks. I hate the idea of removing riveted trucks that's why I am offering suggestions.

 

[Reckers]

T-Man, that's a point I hadn't considered, and by the way, I do appreciate the suggestions. Since I plan (parts willing!) to scratch-build two cars from truckless Lionel/AF frames I've ordered, there's no issue with drilling out the rivets. I've acquired 2 sets of powered-car trucks with the link couplers; since these are brand-new, I have no problem with reworking the couplers to knuckles. However, if I get additional passenger cars from ebay, they might be link or knuckles, so building two transition cars might be a good idea. It would leave the old cars with their original couplers. Now, I have to figure out how I'm going to make some of those copper pickup springs for the trucks and keep them insulated from the frames; on the ones i want to build, I want to find some very small led's for overhead illumination, inside the cars.

 

[Reckers]

PS: this will end up being my fiance's train, so it has to be showy. *L* The junk car has to look as good as the rest! It's already looking like it will have a candy-apple red engine and cars.

 

[Big Ed]

Lionel Truck Study 101 it should have been titled.:thumbsup:


T.....................have you ever found a place that sells those replacement shoes complete?

Have you replaced many? Did you ever replace any?
I haven't yet.

How critical is the measurement where the shoe rides the rail do you think?

 

[T-Man]

I haven't done any shoes. They have parts though. SHoe ,rivet, and insulator. The shoe rides a spring so no much is critical. I have more I have to post. I just install two 6019's and a ucs track section so I am getting there.

 

[T-Man]

An early O scale truck, Lionel, about 1920 to 1925.

An old American Flyer latch.

From the 1920's, a Dorfan O scale gondola.

 

[T-Man]

Coil Couplers

I was checking my 3451 dump car when I noticed one truck was turning hard. WHen I first got the car the knuckles were drooping so I squared them off. This worked for one side but the other had problems.

The knuckle sits on a thin brackett the coil is tied to the coupler and parrallel to the brackett. My problem was that the coil was sitting high and rubbed against the frame. So to fix Ihad to bend down the brackett and then bend the coil parrallel to the brackett to lower it and fix the problem.

Just in case any one of you every has the same problem.

If you noticed I did not have the problem until I straightened the couplers the first time. A point to remember is , what you mess with, when you start to troubleshoot.

 

[tjcruiser]

T-Man,

EXCELLENT thread / synopsis. Two points ...

1. You might want to post a pic of your "new" 1668 tender coupler here. If I recall, that was a somwhat "unique" prewar box coupler with an automatic coil device, right?

2. Please confirm / correct my terminology ... "Hook and Bow or Hook and Butterfly" is the same as "Latch" style???

Thanks a bunch!

TJ

 

[Stillakid]

T-Man, great info!
I've had to replace several coils on some of my older cars. I wanted to take them off the 2460, but there was no replacement coupler that would extend that far. If I had it to do over, I would have just replaced all the coil couplers, with electro-magnetic couplers(coil in track section) Then I would have eliminated the need for 2 different styles of uncouplers.

Jim

 

[T-Man]

T-Man,
1. You might want to post a pic of your "new" 1668 tender coupler here. If I recall, that was a somewhat "unique" prewar box coupler with an automatic coil device, right?

2. Please confirm / correct my terminology ... "Hook and Bow or Hook and Butterfly" is the same as "Latch" style???
TJ

OK, I recently discovered that these couplers are the 2000 series. These are found on all prewar four digit rolling stock that begins with 2. I was outbid on ebay on two frames with these complete trucks. I lost interest after my first bid did not exceed the first bidder. You can't get everything, or you would have to call me a poor student. Right B&M!

Also I use the terms, Bow, Latch, and Butterfly interchangeably. Note A box style will work and connect with these.

Jim, One thing I have not gotten to is working the automatic couplers. Some of mine are so bad I need twistie wire to hold them shut. I installed the track, but I have to make sure that is working right. Now, I am finding a need for an electrical diagram of the table.

 

[tjcruiser]

Thanks for the details, T-Man ... much appreciated!

TJ

 

[Big Ed]

T what do you mean when you said this?


I installed the track, but I have to make sure that is working right. Now, I am finding a need for an electrical diagram of the table.

Your table? What track?

You mean to tell me that your putting in a S line?:laugh:

 

[Stillakid]

big ed, he said something about duplicating the one that you have in your private, hidden room!

 

[Big Ed]

big ed, he said something about duplicating the one that you have in your private, hidden room!

So far I have only talked about my basement here.

I never said anything about my attic:laugh:

Don't let reckers know please. I told him that I gave him my only S engine I had.:smokin:

 

[imatt88]

T-man,

Thanks for the info. Stuff like this helps me out a lot. I have much to learn about trains