Help Choosing a coupler for Kato pulling Con-Cor

[Tony]

Hi,

Ive been away from the hobby for a long time but am now starting to get the interest again. Anyway, I never really bothered to change the standard couplers on any of my stock. So I am a coupler newbie.

Now I have an N scale Kato Amtrack Phase IV GE P42 and some Con-Cor Superliner Coach Phase III cars to pull. The Con-Cor cars have the old standard coupler. Sorry, I am illerate concerning coupler terminology. The Kato has something much more realistic but of course not compatible the Con-Cor.

I'm not that picky how the couplers look, I just want to pull the cars. So should I change the rear coupler in the Kato, or the lead coupler in the first car?

Suggersions on what to buy would be appreciated. Would much prefer snap out-snap in kind of job ( as opposed to cutting and glueing )

Thanks,
Tony

 

[siderod]

Tony...

Change the couplers on the cars...i assume they look like a large, L-shaped hunk-a-plastic? They are "rapidos"...commonly called "Crapidos" by modelers. The KATO P42 has the stock KATO kunckle couplers on it, as you said, much better...

go to www.micro-trains.com and click conversions, scroll down until you find a heading that says "con-cor" and click on it, then find the cars you have and find out what conversion you need.

I'll go have a look and post back in a few minutes.

 

[siderod]

Just checked...it doesn't list con-cor as ever making superliner passenger cars in N-scale...however, for top-of-the-line couplers and trucks, use the Micro-trains 1130 truck and coupler conversion kit...it'll fit every passenger car con-cor ever did, according to Microtrains. If your going to go that route, i suggest replacing all the trucks, not just the first truck of the first car...it'll make the whole train roll better, and operate better.

Just a thought

 

[Tony]

Thanks!

Tony