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Couplers for Aristo-Craft trucks

6K views 44 replies 10 participants last post by  chuck n 
#1 ·
This is for a display only USA 1:24 express box car (REA).
I'm want to change the USA factory plastic trucks with Aristo-Craft 2 axle (4 wheel) passenger trucks.
I would like to use some realistic couplers on these Aristo-Craft trucks.
Will someone suggest the part #l for a Kadee (or other brand) that might be a good choice?
 
#3 · (Edited)
There seem to be so many choices.
Again, this is for a display only so there are no 'coupling issues' to consider .. just appearance.
I read that 1 scale may be more realistic looking than the G scale options.
The 1 scale equivalent looks to be item# 1831.
I see what you mean by the offset and it looks pretty good to me.
 
#4 ·
1:24 is a narrow gauge scale. Gauge 1 is correct for 1:32 standard gauge.

The D&RGW used standard gauge couplers on their narrow gauge cars and engines. In my mind gauge 1 would look small on that car. Others may disagree.

What cars are your passenger car trucks from?

Based on car length it is correct for a 30' Narrow gauge car in 1:24 scale. The length is also very close to a 40' freight car in 1:32. While the length is good for 1:32, the height and width are too wide and too tall for 1:32.

If your static display is intended to,be a narrow gauge car, I'd go with the larger "G" size. If you want to represent a 1:32 car, go for the smaller gauge 1.

Chuck
 
#5 ·
My car is a USA reefer (Southern Pacific Lines logo & REA logo – Wood side/Green in color)
USA say it’s an Express Refrigerator (model@ R-16096)
I don’t know if there was a prototype?
I purchased the 4 wheel Aristo-Craft trucks on Ebay. Trucks only so I don’t know much about them.
They were just listed as passenger trucks.
I found a photo online of a green wood reefer with the REA marking and it had trucks that look pretty much like the one I bought. That’s the reason I bought them.
The tang to the couplers on my trucks are probably too long, so I plan to cut some of it off too get the new couplers to appear more realistic.
 
#6 ·
In addition to the suggestions above, have you considered that prototype cars have the couplers attached to the car frame, not the trucks. The main reason some models use truck mounted couplers is to allow operation on the very sharp curves found on our layouts.

Just my opinion, but if this car is only for display, it would look much better with a frame mounted coupler.

Happy RRing,
Jerry
 
#14 ·
I'm a bit bewildered by what is really wanted here. Please explain by answering these questions.
Are you trying to create an "Express Reefer" ?
Is it just for display purposes ?

This can easily be accomplished by mounting B'mann or LGB American style passenger trucks on an LGB, or USTrains wood reefer....the ones that have a simulated wood underframe, and truss rods. Both are about the same scale, whatever that scale is.....The trucks fit very well, without any problem, except that they do not work with the truck mounted coupler arm, that is easily removed.
..After removing the coupler arm from the trucks, a Kaydee 1906, or 820 body mount coupler is easily mounted on the car, using Styrene shims. You might have to cut a bit on the ends of the car to get the couplers to fit at the correct height, but does not in any way destroy the car's appearance.

I have modified a number of these cars, in this way, and all of them operate very well in passenger consists.
If the person that is trying to make this car into a static model, for display use, doesn't have the will or skills to do the job; I'm willing to do it for him/her....free of charge. Just send the car to me, and pay for the couplers, and shipping.

Although I don't know of any Narrow Gauge express reefers, riding/equipped with passenger/high speed trucks, the cars when modified, look very good in a standard gauge 1:29 heavy weight passenger car consist, and resemble early wood framed exoress reefers.
I don't do pictures, or I would show the ones we use in our operations on the IPP&W, here in Ottawa Canada.

I wish people on this web page would use their real names, and could easily be contacted off line......

Fred Mills. millsf@sympatico.ca
 
#15 ·
The B'mann passenger trucks are available from B'mann. I have never used the Aristo passenger trucks, and I'd expect that they would be rather hard to find. They also might not fit very well unless they are the ones from the Aristo Narrow Gauge line. The B'mann or LGB trucks do fit very well, and clear the truss rods on a USTrains wood reefer.

Body mounting the couplers, does make the car look more prototype, but NOT if you use the offset style couplers.
 
#16 ·
Couplers for my 1:24 USA Box Car

My car is a USA Wood reefer (Southern Pacific/ REA – bright Green in color)
USA say it’s an 1:24 Express Refrigerator (model # R-16096) and they call it G scale.
However, most people seem to refer to 1:29 as G scale.

I have Aristo-Craft 4 wheel passenger trucks and I plan to just cut the tang/coupler off and use Kadee body mounted couplers with standard draft gear boxes.
Question is-- what scale to use for this 1:24 box car…. Kadee #1 or G

Someone mentioned that #1 scale is closer to 1:32, so that may be too small for my 1:24 car, and the larger Kadee G scale couplers would be better?
 
#17 ·
There is no G scale, there is G gauge.
We have ratios that run on one track, however only one ratio 1:32 is correct for standard ga. on it and one for 3' narrow ga. 1:20.3
Your 1:24 is an odd duck for a US prototype. It should have 3'6" ga so a smaller coupler would be fine.
The Rio Grande (and a few others) was known for using full size couplers (standard ga) on the narrow gauge equipment. They also had Standard ga equipment and standardized the couplers. Other narrow gauge railroads used a 3/4 size coupler.

LGB makes mostly European models based on Meter gauge track, American prototype trains,1:29 standard ga models are close in size to those.
Bachmann and others bucked 1:24 and chose 1:22.5 for narrow ga trains to blend in with the LGB.

Finescale modelers wanted a true 45mm = 3' scale and 1:20.3 was introduced. This size is noticeably larger than your 1:24.

SP ran narrow ga in the Owens Valley.


As you can see the couplers are smaller. 1:32 should be fine.
John
 

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#18 ·
If this is indeed display only as stated in the original post, you can get couplers much more realistic, and add the coupler lifting pin and the brake hoses. I would not go Kadee.

Look into the couplers the narrow gaugers use, cast from metal.

Greg
 
#20 ·
coh2000As you stated:
"My car is a USA reefer (Southern Pacific Lines logo & REA logo – Wood side/Green in color)
USA say it’s an Express Refrigerator (model@ R-16096) I don’t know if there was a prototype?
I have Aristo-Craft 4 wheel passenger trucks.... what scale to use for this 1:24 box car…. Kadee #1 or G"

As to a prototype SP narrow gauge express car, I could not find one in my books that describes or shows that a narrow gauge Southern Pacific Express car existed; it could be for a slow narrow gauge train this would seem to be a contradiction! However, that should not detract from what you want to model, so please don't let this affect you.

As to the Aristo passenger type truck you purchased,I wonder if it is from an Aristo Delton car. If from an Aristo "Heavy Weight" or streamliner car, it would be awfully big.

FYI, As to the Kadee couplers:

Compared to the Kadee 907 "G" type coupler, the coupler from the Kadee 1907 "#1" type coupler does not appear to be a truly centerset as it has a notable downward offset. So this affects mount shimming if you are concerned with matching with the Kadee coupler height gauge or other cars. However, since your car is only for display by itself this should not be much of a concern.



That said, there is another Kadee #1 type coupler that appears to be centerset (no vertical offset.)
Compare the #1 gauge Kadee 1907 with a Kadee 1917 - shown below.
Unlike the Kadee 1907, the Kadee 1917 coupler appears to look like it is truly centerset!



-Ted
 
#21 ·
coh2000, As you stated:
"My car is a USA reefer (Southern Pacific Lines logo & REA logo – Wood side/Green in color)
USA say it’s an Express Refrigerator (model@ R-16096) I don’t know if there was a prototype?
I have Aristo-Craft 4 wheel passenger trucks.... what scale to use for this 1:24 box car…. Kadee #1 or G"

As to a prototype SP narrow gauge express car, I could not find one in my books that describes or shows that a narrow gauge Southern Pacific Express car existed; it could be for a slow narrow gauge train this would seem to be a contradiction! However, that should not detract from what you want to model, so please don't let this affect you.

As to the Aristo passenger type truck you purchased,I wonder if it is from an Aristo Delton car. If from an Aristo "Heavy Weight" or streamliner car, it would be awfully big.

FYI, As to the Kadee couplers:

Compared to the Kadee 907 "G" type coupler, the coupler from the Kadee 1907 "#1" type coupler does not appear to be a truly centerset as it has a notable downward offset. So this affects mount shimming if you are concerned with matching with the Kadee coupler height gauge or other cars. However, since your car is only for display by itself this should not be much of a concern.



That said, there is another Kadee #1 type coupler that appears to be centerset (no vertical offset.)
Compare the #1 gauge Kadee 1907 with a Kadee 1917 - shown below.
Unlike the Kadee 1907, the Kadee 1917 coupler appears to look like it is truly centerset!



-Ted
 
#23 ·
Ted,
Thanks for the comparison photos.
I’ve been trying to find comparison (side by side) photos on the web but couldn’t find any side by side comparison photos anywhere I looked.
It is a great help to me.
Thanks too for pointing out the differences… I greatly appreciate your reply.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I doubt that there was never enough "express" shipped on any narrow gauge trains to warrant the expense of a dedicated car owned or leased by REA. Many pictures I have of headend cars in Narrow Gauge passenger service say baggage and express on the side.

Chuck

Here are some examples of decals that I have used on a Bachmann baggage car and combine, lettered for the Colorado & Southern narrow gauge. Note that "Railway Express Agency" appears on the right side of the car. I think that this would have been more typical of Narrow Gauge "express" cars. There is nothing wrong with making the car into whatever your want it to be. We all do it, it is part of the hobby. Make the car look good to you and that is all that matters.





Here is a link to a picture of a typical mail/baggage/REA car on the D&RGW narrow gauge it is car #60 at the Colorado Railway Museum. You will have to scroll down the page to see the picture.

http://coloradorailroadmuseum.org/business-and-passenger-cars/
 
#25 ·
Thanks Chuck,
I’m pretty sure from all the comments that this is somewhat of a ‘fantasy car’.
It was another forum member who suggested that my 1:24 was narrow gauge I suppose because it is 1:24?.
My grandfather and my mother both worked in the SP freight office here in Houston, so I wanted to build something to remind me of them and their jobs with SP, and I wanted to do a good job on it.
 
#26 ·
As I said earlier, the cars as made by USAT in that series are based on 30' narrow gauge freight cars in 1:24 scale. That car scales out in length to a 40' standard gauge car in 1:32. It is a little fatter and taller than 1:32 cars, but for your purposes, by itself it would be fine as a standard gauge car in 1:32. It would stand out in a train of 1:32 freight cars, as an odd duck.

There is a much greater likelihood that a similar car ran on SP standard gauge, than SP narrow gauge. Since the SP narrow gauge ran in Nevada and California, a standard gauge representation would be better for a Houston connection.

Based on that, I'd recommend gauge one body mounted couplers with a shim of appropriate thickness.

Chuck
 
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