Coupler mounting on US style boxcars

  • Thread starter Thread starter GAP
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GAP

GAP

G Scale Model Trains, 1:1 Sugar Cane Trains
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I am scratch building some 1:20.3 US boxcars and I am building the bogies/trucks as well.

I am after some feedback or opinions from people about whether to mount the couplers on the bogie or the boxcar body.

Any experience using either method i.e. pros and cons will be welcome.
 
IMO it very much depends on your minimum curve radius and whether or not you've got tight S bends. With minimum LGB R3 on my line I stuck with bogie mounted couplers. Whilst they don't look prototypical they're reliable.
 
deffo mount on the body,,, that way it will run with other 1 20 stock

and look so much better
 
Body mounted couplers are prototypical and do look good, however you need very generous curves and turnouts to ensure trouble free running. For tight radii and turnouts bogie mounted couplers are the way to go.
 
Body mounted is OK, but in order to handle the curves well, all the stock needs to have body mounted couplers, and as Casey says, you can't go for small radii - 8ft is about it, and anything with a long overhang - like the front end of a steam loco might give problems.

Body mounted is good, and prototypical, and is also a bit higher than bogie mounted couplers (which is why Bachmann do a straight shank and cranked shank coupler)

You can couple body mounted to bogie mounted, but make sure the body mounted coupler has a long shank, to give it a bit of swing. That doesn't mean it has to stick out a long way, you can always move the pivot point back into the body, but remember such things as step irons etc...
 
I think you will find some more info on George Schreyer's and Greg Elmassian's web sites.
 
Thomas Lambo said:
I'm also in the process of building several scratch cars myself....so I'm pondering on the coupler question as well. Needless to say, I appreciate the sage advise :)

And thanks for the heads up about George and Greg's websites :)
Click to expand...


I eventually went with bogie mounted couplers that way I can operate through smaller radius curves. My 2 wagons go through LGB R1 points with no trouble.
 
I'll have two large loops on my new layout, one has a couple of R2 radius turns and the other has R3 and larger so I think I can run both types of mounts. I've already done major detailing on the trucks and wheels for the two cars I'm almost finished with, so I'm somewhat committed to using body mounted couplers. I'll do some tests with the extension on the coupler mounts to be sure they can handle the R3 turns.

I think I'll order another set of trucks with bogie mounts on them...I probably need to set a standard moving forward?

I'm glad I found this thread because this issue wasn't even on my radar....live and learn :)
 
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