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Post by runamuckchuck on Mar 13, 2024 13:23:57 GMT
As you can see from the photo, someone in the history of these three Rich Art O gauge cars decided the way to uncouple them was to twist them off. Perhaps an early version of twerking? Photos do not convey the damage done to these CP-7S* couplers which are now more like a pretzel. Not surprisingly one of the latches/springs were broken off. I am surprised that there was only minimal damage to the end of one car. The question that I have is how do I replace these damaged couplers w/o dismantling the cars? And no I am not going to use a chain saw. This is not that kind of box opening. I am trying to rehabilitate these beautiful cars. * not the easy screw on type the one with the half moon flange that fits into a slotted hole in the car floor in the first photo. Attachments:
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Post by Adam on Mar 13, 2024 22:45:30 GMT
Two pliers to bend it without damaging the car itself.
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Post by runamuckchuck on Mar 13, 2024 23:28:01 GMT
Two pliers to bend it without damaging the car itself. Thanks Adam, but I have to replace at least one of the couplers as they broke it apart. Any ideas on that aspect of the repair.
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Post by Adam on Mar 14, 2024 0:44:59 GMT
I bought a bag of something like 10 of these couplers on eBay for cheap.
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Post by healey36 on Mar 14, 2024 18:45:06 GMT
I bought a bag of something like 10 of these couplers on eBay for cheap. Yup, get a few new repro couplers, then reach in after taking the roof off and judiciously twist the old coupler-end so you can drop it out of the slot in the bottom and the car-end. Installation of a new coupler is the reverse sequence. What am I missing?
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Post by Adam on Mar 14, 2024 22:04:28 GMT
Ahh, OK, now I see what you are talking about. Nope, no bueno. Probably fixable but it was avoidable in the first place.
I am a bit slow on the draw sometimes.
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Post by runamuckchuck on Mar 14, 2024 23:58:41 GMT
Ahh, OK, now I see what you are talking about. Nope, no bueno. Probably fixable but it was avoidable in the first place. I am a bit slow on the draw sometimes. Me too. If these weren't so nice otherwise they would be on their way back to Trainz.
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Post by healey36 on Mar 15, 2024 2:13:40 GMT
Again, I think this repair is pretty straight-forward. Get yourself replacement “twist” type latch couplers. Bend the twist-tab on the end on a 90-degree angle, then fish the bent end through the slot on the car-end, then into the slot in the car floor. Grab the twist end with a pair of long-nosed pliers and, while holding the latch end with your fingers, twist the tab on the end of the coupler where it is coming through the hole in the floor. You should be able to twist the tab on the end by reaching in from the top (car roof removed).
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Post by Adam on Mar 15, 2024 12:02:33 GMT
Not justifying the previous owners work, I will say that these couplers confused the heck out of me when I first encountered then. I didn't even understand how they would couple; never mind how they were attached to the car. It took some research and head scratching before I figured them out.
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Post by runamuckchuck on Mar 15, 2024 12:14:39 GMT
Again, I think this repair is pretty straight-forward. Get yourself replacement “twist” type latch couplers. Bend the twist-tab on the end on a 90-degree angle, then fish the bent end through the slot on the car-end, then into the slot in the car floor. Grab the twist end with a pair of long-nosed pliers and, while holding the latch end with your fingers, twist the tab on the end of the coupler where it is coming through the hole in the floor. You should be able to twist the tab on the end by reaching in from the top (car roof removed). Being totally unfamiliar with this type of coupler I did not contemplate a little manual manipulation as you describe. Now that I understand the concept your comments make perfect sense. Thanks!
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Post by healey36 on Mar 16, 2024 2:02:15 GMT
I’m getting ready to rehab some 610/612 O-gauge coaches, which includes replacing the latch twist couplers. Here's a couple pics of the 612 that needs a number of repairs.
I asked a friend of mine, a solder zen-master, to repair the car's platform railing where it had detached from the car body. The railing on these early cars was soldered in place; later they used sheet brass and tabs. A master-modeler, his solder skills are light years ahead of mine...if I'd done this it would likely have been a mess. This should touch up fine.
On the right is a pic of the twist-type coupler that requires replacement (after nearly a hundred years, it's busted). Looking through the car doorway, you can see the twist end of the coupler sticking up through the floor. To remove it, I'm going to twist the tab sticking up through the floor so it will fit through the slotted hole in the floor; once out of the car floor, it can be maneuvered out through the slot at the bottom of the car-end. Easy-peazy. Installing the new on will be the reverse of the extraction. Your process should be similar.
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Post by healey36 on Mar 22, 2024 20:35:01 GMT
Executed the twist-tab coupler replacement drill on the old 612. Here's a photo-sequence... When you start, the old coupler's tab is twisted to be perpendicular to the slot in the car's floor: Reach in with a pair of pliers and twist the tab so that it's parallel to the slot in the car's floor: At this point you can wiggle the coupler end out of the slot in the floor and withdraw it through the slot at the bottom of the car-end. Be careful not to scratch the paint while you're doing this. Here's a new coupler (on right) next to the old coupler: Bend the tab on the end of the new coupler to roughly 90 degrees: Then you can insert it through the slot in the car-end, turning it slightly so that the tab can be pushed up through the floor slot. Once it's in position, reach in with you pliers and twist the tab 90 degrees (so that it's perpendicular to the slot in the floor). Should look like this when you're done: Sometimes it can be a bit fiddly getting the new coupler into the slot in the floor. You might have to bend the shank very slightly, but that's rare. Just be careful that you (1) don't mess up the new coupler's latch when your holding it to bend the twist into it's final shape, and (2) be careful not to bark up the paint around the slot on the car-end when you're working the old one out and the new one in. That's it...you're now a qualified latch-style coupler-replacer.
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Post by healey36 on Apr 9, 2024 13:08:56 GMT
I've spent way too much time working on this 612, stripping, painting, touching up, polishing. It's a first-gen with the New York Central markings, so despite its battered condition and the faintness of the paint detail, I really don't want to repaint it. The roof was in really rough shape, so I stripped that, bead-blasted the corrosion, then tried repainting it a few times with a number of different paints that seemed to approximate the original dark green, but it's just slightly off. Last gasp effort - I'll try to pick up some Train Enamel #428 at York, hopeful that it will be very close. If not, I might paint the roof black or something...not sure yet. Fingers crossed for a paint-match. Most would probably not notice the difference in color, just the fact that it's been repainted. Probably shouldn't worry about it as the paint used on the 253 is totally wrong, lol.
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Post by Adam on Apr 9, 2024 15:39:33 GMT
I can’t tell the difference in the photo. Looks good to me.
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Post by healey36 on Apr 9, 2024 16:18:29 GMT
I can’t tell the difference in the photo. Looks good to me. Yup, probably symptomatic of my anal-retentiveness. The lighting is terrible...in brighter light it's more noticeable, I guess. Did you put glazing in the windows of the ones you're refurbishing? I'm wondering if I should do that.
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