Talgo or not to Talgo

[twilight]

I have about 30 pieces of Mantua rolling stock(old, with metal floors, descent wieght, mostly 40ft boxcars) that I'm not quite sure what to do with. My original idea was to install new metal wheelsets and remove the Talgo coupler pocket and in stall new Kadee couplers with kadee draftgear box. But a trip to my local hobbystore has discouraged me of this. I was told at the hobby shop to use the talgo pocket with the kadee coupler(offset shank) and talgo adaptor. If I installed new kadee coupler and draftgear box I would really need to shim the box for proper coupler hieght. I am not really interested in using the talgo pockets due to the derailment problems I've read about here on this site.

I'm interested to know some of your ideas on this, or if anyone has ran into the same delema. After reading some of the posts here last night I'm more inclined to continue with my original thought, but I couldn't really find anything that applied to Mantua.


Thanks for you help,

Mark

 

[Bill Nelson]

definately not talgo

Talgo (truck mounted couplers) work fine as long as the train is going forward.. When you go backwards the knuckle to knuckle pressure skews one truck in one direction and the next in the other. if the cut of cars is of any size a derailment will occur.


Back in the 1960's I modeled in the 1880's, and all of my equipment was Mantua and AHM with talgo couplers. ditch them, and go with body mounted couplers. no mater how nice a tlago adapter looks, you are still left with a talgo set up, and the laws of physics are stacked against you as soon as you back up. These problems will be exacerbated by the fact that a lot of these old trucks don't roll well. sadly I know of no replacement wood beam trucks. as me time period crept forward I replaced the bood beam truck with good rolling archbars.

It seems like a lot of trouble to go to body mounted couplers, but it is worth it. Talgo couplers are problems waiting to happen


Bill Nelson