Best Of Lowering Fox Valley Models Boxcars

[wm3798]

Now hold on there, Bobba Louie...  What about the little centering nubs on the couplers?  The lid has a little guide hole that helps keep everything where it's supposed to be...  In your close ups...


The "fixed" coupler on the left looks a little... shall we say... flaccid.  Is that the result of the centering nubs?  Do the couplers swing freely?

Concerned in Cambridge.

[bbussey]

100 ton trucks are right?

I wasn't absolutely sure, but after looking at the ones I removed, they looked like 100 tonners too, so I think I made the right call.

Should be 75t based on the CAPY data in the photo.  It also seems the original wheels are 33" diameter.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I can go swap them out.

And Lee, you're correct, I forgot the part where I mentioned you have to shave those nubs down. That could be why there's the bit of droop, or it could be that there's a bit more clearance in the pocket now. I'm not sure which.

Also, good spot on the trucks. I'll go swap out the 70T ones.

[wm3798]

How hard would it be to drill a slot to let you keep the nub and lose the droop?
Lee

[unittrain]

Thanks for the article! I got a decent number of FVM's lower including my favorite Soo Line's.

[bbussey]

How hard would it be to drill a slot to let you keep the nub and lose the droop?
Lee

Agreed.  You need a slot around the centering pin, from 3:00 to 6:00, as those nubs are what keeps the coupler centered.

[Brakie]

Ed,Could a file be pass over the boster to lower it?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ed,Could a file be pass over the boster to lower it?

Definitely, but it'd take a while. I'm impatient, and the drill and knives are quicker. Much quicker.

[wcfn100]

Definitely, but it'd take a while. I'm impatient, and the drill and knives are quicker. Much quicker.

You're using the wrong files. 

Jason

[davefoxx]

With regard to the MTL 1015 coupler box, if I recall correctly, the lid actually snugs down inside of the box.  So, you should remove that part of the box (shave the height of the box) down to where the lid would sit.  That should remove any coupler droop.  That may also require you to lose the "nubs," but if you snug the screw down properly, the box shouldn't pivot on the screw.

Disclaimer: I'm sitting at the office and miles away from a 1015 box, so I'm only going off memory of the 1015 coupler box construction at this time.

DFF

[bbussey]

I haven't seen the latest FVM modern boxcar releases, but the coupler box on the Wagontop is FVM's and similar to the MTL 1015 box.  Most likely, these are the coupler boxes used on the modern boxcars as well.

[SkipGear]

Correct,
 Those are 1015 couplers but the box is not from MTL. MTL uses the center pin/screw hole in the box as the snap to hold the cover on the box. These use the two clips on each side of the box to lock the lid on. Trimming the locking tabs on the box and the locating pin on the coupler should be all you need to do.

The ultimate fix is to have the top of the coupler box molded into the floor of the car. You can include the limiting pin pocket then and have one less part to deal with.

[Nato]

     Nice work ed. A very useful article, even if these cars are mostly too new for my modeling era.                  Nate Goodman (Nato).

[wm3798]

...The ultimate fix is to have the top of the coupler box molded into the floor of the car. You can include the limiting pin pocket then and have one less part to deal with...

Let's see if Matt puts this into play.  We've seen Craig fix BLMA cars on the fly based on feedback (coupler length on the gondolas)  This is an obvious solution that shouldn't be that hard to employ.

Lee

[SkipGear]

Let's see if Matt puts this into play.  We've seen Craig fix BLMA cars on the fly based on feedback (coupler length on the gondolas)  This is an obvious solution that shouldn't be that hard to employ.

Lee

I've been working with another modeler on decals for a resin car he is producing and the floor is done that way. A normal MT 1015 bottom half of the box simply clips into the floor of the car. It makes a very neat and clean install with no screw. When the car is closer to release, I will post pictures.