Trouble with coupler conversion...

TrainNut

Ditat Deus
I have an older N scale Life Like Amtrak F40PH that I am trying to turn into a dummy but instead, I think I'm the dummy as I am having problems with the coupler conversion. (Bear with my lingo here as it seems the names I have for the couplers is different from what everybody seems to be using now!) The Life Like has Rapido couplers and I am trying to change it over to Micro Trains Kadee's. I am using the 1128 MT-7 couplers with adapters kit and have spent darn near all day arguing with the adapter, spring and top and bottom halves of the coupler. I finally gave up and decided it was not going to happen and combined the two (old parts and new parts). I used the spring from the Rapido (as it was bigger and stronger) and the original box cover (the little plastic piece that holds it all in), and then the flange and coupler from the Micro Train kit. While I was at least able to get this bunch of stuff assembled, my coupler does not have the holding strength to pull but maybe five or six cars before it just decides to drop down and "turn loose." Any ideas? This should have taken 10 minutes, not all day. Maybe I can just whack off the original plastic stuff sticking out from the truck and try and figure out how to attach some shell mounted couplers instead?
 

Herc Driver

Active Member
TrainNut I feel your pain...I did the same thing to a LifeLike GP38, spending a few hours trying to get all the little parts together. I finally succeeded but am not happy with the coupler holding strength and angle. There's just too much play in the new MT coupler once it is mounted. I read and re-read the directions...did it as accurately as I could...but still there's too much movement of the whole modified coupler. Sorry I have nothing like a fix for you...just shared misery. I too might try cutting off the whole coupler and glue in a different type of MT coupler aleady assembled. (BTW...I modified a Bachmann Spectrum Dash-8CW and Bachmann GP50 with MT couplers and both went very well with great results so I thought the LifeLike would go as well...boy was I wrong.)
 

Ray Marinaccio

Active Member
I have installed a few of the 1128 MT-7 couplers with adapters, yes they are a pain.
One trick is to tie the 2 coupler halves together with thread.
Then make sure the adapter fits the pocket (trim and file if needed).
After it fits the pocket remove it, carefully put a little super glue on the back of the adapter to hold the spring in place, put the adapter with spring part way into the pocket, slip the tied coupler halves into the adapter and push the whole assembly into place.
Put the original box cover on and cut the thread.
If most of your locos and rollingstock have body mounted couplers Then body mounting may be a better way to go.
The pre assembled couplers and boxes sure make life easier.
With a little filing and adding a styrene block, I installed a pilot conversion kit on a LifeLike GP38. I can't remember which kit it was though.
 
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