Anyone have experience using Unimate couplers on Con Cor Heavyweight passenger cars? My seem to constantly uncouple and since I always run them together I thought Unimate Couplers might be a good solution. I don't know which shank length to get. Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Con Cor Heavyweights & Unimate Couplers
- Thread starter JonfromElmCity
- Start date
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I would suggest microtrains truck and coupler if you are having trubble with it uncoupling. The total cost for one car should be about 5-6$ because one pack can cover only one car unless you buy the bulk pack wich you can do about 20 cars...but it cost around 35-45$. I would recomend going to the hobby shop with best deals around your location.
Thanks
Thanks for the information Cadillac. If anyone else has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.
Cadillac_SD9 said:I would suggest microtrains truck and coupler if you are having trubble with it uncoupling. The total cost for one car should be about 5-6$ because one pack can cover only one car unless you buy the bulk pack wich you can do about 20 cars...but it cost around 35-45$. I would recomend going to the hobby shop with best deals around your location.
Thanks for the information Cadillac. If anyone else has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.
JonfromElmCity said:Thanks for the information Cadillac. If anyone else has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.
This question comes up quite frequently. There are two answers here. The first is to use the MicroTrains replacement wheelsets and couplers. That is very expensive. MT passenger trucks go for $8-10 per car. The second method is to keep the Concor trucks but pitch the wheelsets. Purchase Intermountain 36 inch wheelsets [about $12 for a bag of 100 (plastic)] . Get the 36" not the 33". That will make the car roll a lot easier. Next, for the couplers and this is the hard part, try to locate Kato 11-702 couplers. A package of 20 couplers [enough to do 10 cars] cost about $6. These couplers will allow you to couple cars together by merely pushing them together but do not have auto uncoupling like the MT's. Total cost is about $1.00 per car. Locating the 11-702 coupler may be a problem, however. In addition to better rolling and auto coupling the cars couple very close together. I run three passenger trains on Ntrak layouts so the broad curves present no problem with close coupling. If you have minimum radius curves the close coupling may pose some problems.
John/Cadillac: I also have the same problem with my Con Cor Amtrak Heavy Weight. I switched my couplings to MTL and their trucks but continue to uncouple all the time and using Kato tracks. I searched the web and found them at N Scale Supply for $7.95 / 12 Wheel Set. Could be a little high so I will continue my search. I also found with the MTL Trucks and Couplings the Heavy Weights swayed a lot. I worked with MTL and we decide to place a bushing between the car and truck. That stopped the swaying but not the uncoupling.
I hate to switch to the Kato coupling as I already invested in the MTL stuff. So much to buy with very little money!
I hate to switch to the Kato coupling as I already invested in the MTL stuff. So much to buy with very little money!
Weights
Steve,
I have gotten a few suggestions from members of my N-Trak club. They have had some luck adding weights (1/4 oz. or 7 gram) to the cars and this has stopped the uncoupling. I have not tried it yet, but thought I would pass the suggestion along.
Jon
HPRL said:John/Cadillac: I also have the same problem with my Con Cor Amtrak Heavy Weight. I switched my couplings to MTL and their trucks but continue to uncouple all the time and using Kato tracks. I searched the web and found them at N Scale Supply for $7.95 / 12 Wheel Set. Could be a little high so I will continue my search. I also found with the MTL Trucks and Couplings the Heavy Weights swayed a lot. I worked with MTL and we decide to place a bushing between the car and truck. That stopped the swaying but not the uncoupling.
I hate to switch to the Kato coupling as I already invested in the MTL stuff. So much to buy with very little money!
Steve,
I have gotten a few suggestions from members of my N-Trak club. They have had some luck adding weights (1/4 oz. or 7 gram) to the cars and this has stopped the uncoupling. I have not tried it yet, but thought I would pass the suggestion along.
Jon
Hookup!!!
Steve,
I probably won't get to the weights for the bit so let me know how you make out.
Thanks,
JOn
HPRL said:Jon: I will give the 1/4 oz weights a try first. Good thing I checked back here, was going to buy tomorrow.
Thanks for hooking me up (Get it).
Steve,
I probably won't get to the weights for the bit so let me know how you make out.
Thanks,
JOn
Jon: I did apply the weights to my Con Cor Amtrak Heavyweights as you suggested. I have found that the cars run a lot smoother but they still uncouple at curves and swithches. I am using Kato Track and Kato #6 Switches. The curve track are pretty wide (purchased the wide curves just for my amtrak collection). I have order the Intermountain 36" wheels but they have not come in yet. (think I will call my LHS and inquirer about my order). :curse:
Since I am using MTL trucks and couplers 1017-S, I have emailed MTL and asked for their advise. I will cut & paste their response.
Until next post......I remain frustrated.
Since I am using MTL trucks and couplers 1017-S, I have emailed MTL and asked for their advise. I will cut & paste their response.
Until next post......I remain frustrated.
Nuts
Steve,
Thanks for the update. I have gotten all kinds of suggestions from the members of my N-Trak club, including the ones I posted. I think something is getting lost in translation and I am hoping to figure this out at our next show where some members claim to have the problem solved. I will post what I find out.
I am torn because I paid enough for these cars that they should run out of the box. I can't understand why they don't, but my previous dealings with Con Cor don't raise any hope that I can get any help from there.
Jon
Steve,
Thanks for the update. I have gotten all kinds of suggestions from the members of my N-Trak club, including the ones I posted. I think something is getting lost in translation and I am hoping to figure this out at our next show where some members claim to have the problem solved. I will post what I find out.
I am torn because I paid enough for these cars that they should run out of the box. I can't understand why they don't, but my previous dealings with Con Cor don't raise any hope that I can get any help from there.
Jon
Jon: Below is the reponse from Micro Trains regarding their conversions for the Con Cor Heavyweights. Obviously, they have heard from others based on the response. I will have to look at the coupler itself to see where this V cut should be and best find a modeling file to cut the V. More work to be done.
Quote from Micro Train
"I hear your pain! You can do some X-Acto Engineering and cut a slight V on the face of the knuckle...sort of recreating our RDA we have on the body mounts. This will help hold it. The problem with that conversion is the fact that you have a T shank wagging way out in front of the truck and it can cause problems. I haven't experienced it here, but have fielded a few calls the same as yours."
Quote from Micro Train
"I hear your pain! You can do some X-Acto Engineering and cut a slight V on the face of the knuckle...sort of recreating our RDA we have on the body mounts. This will help hold it. The problem with that conversion is the fact that you have a T shank wagging way out in front of the truck and it can cause problems. I haven't experienced it here, but have fielded a few calls the same as yours."
Seeing as how your question has not been answered.
I've used Unimates on anything that is a unit train, which for me are passenger cars and A/B or A/A engine sets, and as front couplers on A units. There are 3 shank lengths; short, medium, long. I have all 3 lengths (its pretty inexpensive), I select the shank length based on how close I want the coupling to be be and how it functions. I normally put the short ones in, however you need to test which one works best for you. The problem with passenger cars is the couplers are on the truck and a long way from the pivot pin. If you go thru an S curve you may need the medium or long shanks to simply be able to pivot the coupler so you don't derail, the short shank does not pivot much.
On some lightweight cars, I put a short shank on one side and a medium shank on the other. Short are too close and the cars hit on tight curves, and medium are too far apart, the combo give me the spacing I need to run on my layout.
They also come in brown/rust and black.
gud luk
Gary
I've used Unimates on anything that is a unit train, which for me are passenger cars and A/B or A/A engine sets, and as front couplers on A units. There are 3 shank lengths; short, medium, long. I have all 3 lengths (its pretty inexpensive), I select the shank length based on how close I want the coupling to be be and how it functions. I normally put the short ones in, however you need to test which one works best for you. The problem with passenger cars is the couplers are on the truck and a long way from the pivot pin. If you go thru an S curve you may need the medium or long shanks to simply be able to pivot the coupler so you don't derail, the short shank does not pivot much.
On some lightweight cars, I put a short shank on one side and a medium shank on the other. Short are too close and the cars hit on tight curves, and medium are too far apart, the combo give me the spacing I need to run on my layout.
They also come in brown/rust and black.
gud luk
Gary