Large Scale Central

Thinking about body mounted couplers for my Aristo/Delton cars

Modeling Rolling stock
#1

I am woefully short of box cars for the 1:20 operations I’ve set up, I don’t have the budget to buy more RTR cars, nor the time or part resources to build the basic kits I already own. What I have are several 1:24 scale Aristo/Delton boxcars. They are tiny compared to an AMS or Bachman 1:20 box car. I hadn’t considered using them as-is until I saw this picture…

That inspired me to try one in a 1:20 train. The stock truck mounted couplers don’t line up with my 1:20 body mounts, so for a road test I cobbled up a Bachman 1:20 coupler on top of the truck mount tang. It worked well enough to tow the car but looked horrible. I already know from my up-scale project that it’s pretty simple to body mount an Accucraft coupler under the Delton frame using a PVC mounting block…

So this leaves me at a decision point. Unless I make one a transition car, once modified these cars will no longer couple with my 1:24/1:29 trains. The modification will be reversible since I wont be using the side beams like in the above picture. If the coupler is removed, I can swing the truck back around and put the truck mount coupler back on. Only the mounting pad would remain. I just need to bite the bullet and start gluing and screwing :smiley: Technically, I should also up-size all of the hardware, but when I put the Delton car next to the 1:20 car I built last winter, the difference in hardware isn’t noticeable to me. This could be because the Delton details are a bit clunky to begin with.

#2

Cool picture Jon. I have the HLW/kalamazoo boxcars and a 1.22 scale bachmann. From time to time I will hook tem up together. There is another picture floating around that shows different size boxcars running together. I think Kevin has it.

#3

There used to be a photo on Shorpy that showed a yard with many different size boxcars.
We’ve discussed it here before. I couldn’t find it on Shorpy anymore.
Ralph

#4

Here’s one of the Shorpy images Ralph, Jon. http://www.shorpy.com/node/6924?size=_original

1 Like
#5

Thanks Dave - I have that one to. Duluth I think.

#6

Jon,
I set all my couplers to the Kadee G scale coupler height gauge. Using the KISS method keeps it simple. 1/20.3 or whatever still keep the height gauge to the Kadee height.

#7

That’s good advice Ric, but I’m not sure I could get the couplers on my 1:29 locos up as high as the standard I use without major surgery. I decided a while back to go with Accucraft couplers on my 1:20 trains. Most AMS and Bachman 1:20 cars are all set at the factory to the same height. I chose this stock height as my standard and built my own gauge. I match up pretty good with Bob and Bruce’s stuff when we run at Bob’s in September.

For 1:22/1:24/1:29 stuff I standardized long ago on the Aristo/Delton coupler. I find it easier to use and more realistic looking than the Kadees. I’m not knocking Kadeee; I just decided not to modify everything and since I had lots of Delton cars at one time, that one won by default :slight_smile:

So - Today I did the first conversion. Pictures to follow!

#8

I completed the conversion of the first car today. Step one was to laminate strips of 3mm PVC with .040 Styrene. This works out to the perfect thickness to bring the frame down to the bottom edge of the body. A sample glue-up. You need to look closely at the top to see the styrene…

I then cut the laminated strips on my chop saw. I lost a few to the blade, but ended up with enough to do 18 cars which is more than I have. The next step after cutting was paint…

The painted side will be visible with the car upside down…

I didn’t paint the styrene side as this will be the gluing surface…

The frame was removed from the car to avoid gluing the block to the body…

Then a block glued in place using Weldon-16…

After the glue dried…

The frame with new pads in place is re-installed under the car…

The coupler and trucks (less couplers) are installed…

Note that I didn’t cut the coupler tangs off the truck, just spun then around 180 degrees. The steel colored screw goes through the pad into the frame reinforcing the glue joint. The black screw penetrates only the new pad. Doesn’t look too bad with only the fake draft gear box molded on the body…

On the track ready for operational testing…

Matches my home-brew height gauge perfectly…

The whole process took about 4 hours. Now that I have a batch of pre-made pads, I should be able to convert a car in a little over an hour including glue drying time.

#9

That worked good. I have the 44 tonner and NW2 with the same height as the Kadee gauge. I’ve not had a problem with putting the 1:20.3 stuff to the same height.

Its another case of your railroad, your rules. That always works for me.

#10

Nice fix Jon

#11

Here are pictures of the upgraded car in my 1:20 train. During a short run today I took a few comparison shots… Here is an AMS Car coupled to the Aristo/Delton car…

The siding, step size and bolt detail are not much different. The Delton grabs are actually too thick. Some paint might help with the look. Next to Shorty, my Up-Scaled Aristo/Delton car…

Sitting at the dock at the Walk Trans-Load facility as M-10/M-11 pas through the diamond…

Near an AMS Caboose…

An overhead shot at Wall Station…

All of my roof-walks (except 152) need paint or replacement with wood. Between the AMS box and a Bachman hopper…

And finally, a roof line shot of the entire train…

I think with a little bit of paint to make it fit in better with the more detailed 1:20 cars it will work nicely as an example of a first generation wood car. Next up, a B&O box :slight_smile:

#12

Jon,
I think you pulled it off. Certainly looks good to my eye.

#13

I think it looks great. I think the various heights of the boxcars add character to the train. Also adds some age to the train.

#14

Jon:

Very nice job of ‘upscaling!’

It matches your lead pix very well, & provides an interesting contrast in the consist.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

#15

Ya know Jon…if you didn’t point it out…its not noticeable…

#16

It’s not @Hines fault this time! I dragged this thread back up to fix the pictures and answer an inquiry on Facebook.

#17

Wow Jon,

Thanks for that.

I’ve been a bit concerned that I have a couple of different scales that I’d have to use the looks good @ 10 foot rule.