Large Scale Central

body mount USA's couplers?

Modeling Rolling stock
#1

Has anyone body mounted the stock metal USA couplers??
The tank car’s shelf type couplers look great and lock together well. I’m thinking they would be tough so not to come un-coupled.

#2

Joe

Nothing that I’m aware of couples nicely or at all with USA couplers except USA. As for body mounting couplers you use the plates that came with the cars and add Kadee 830’s. I don’t have any of the smaller tanks but on the 55 series the wheels do rub the draft boxes on 9’ diameter and do require shaving the sides. USA’s video shows you mounting instructions.

http://www.usatrains.com/usatrainsbeercantank.html

#3

Burl Rice recently printed off some shelf couplers from Shapeways as direct replacements that work with Kadees. That’s an option as well.

http://www.shapeways.com/model/2041168/aar-type-e-double-shelf-coupler-1-29.html?modelId=2041168&materialId=23

#4

$50 the pair… :slight_smile:

#5

I didn’t say they were cheap, I just said they were an option! :slight_smile:

#6

I think anything that Burl does is worth the cash. I imagine that those are for making molds of anyways?? and printed in higher quality?
As modern 3d printing develops, we’ll see the prices come down eventually.

#7

David Russell said:

Joe

Nothing that I’m aware of couples nicely or at all with USA couplers except USA. As for body mounting couplers you use the plates that came with the cars and add Kadee 830’s. I don’t have any of the smaller tanks but on the 55 series the wheels do rub the draft boxes on 9’ diameter and do require shaving the sides. USA’s video shows you mounting instructions.

http://www.usatrains.com/usatrainsbeercantank.html

Thanks Boss!
I have a couple of the modern larger ones and shaved the 830 box sides off at an angle to allow for smaller turns. I have since went to 15’ curves. It just seems a shame to waste these couplers. If they won’t play nice, they’ve got to go! My RR has to get along!!

#8

Joe Paonessa said:

I think anything that Burl does is worth the cash. I imagine that those are for making molds of anyways?? and printed in higher quality?
As modern 3d printing develops, we’ll see the prices come down eventually.

These couplers were printed in stainless steel, not intended for casting. Burl said in the thread about it that the nylon ones broke when he was trying to assemble them.

#9

The stainless “printing” takes an extra process after printing, AFAIK, thus a lot more expensive. Won’t be putting too many $50 coupler sets on my $35 tank cars!

Greg