Athearn LPG tank car MTL coupler conversion

[Shaggy170]

Hey all,

I am trying to convert the couplers on my Athearn LPG cars from the McHenry's to MTL's. They are body mount couplers so I thought a 1025 coupler would work but it didn't (i also lost the spring for one of the couplers). Did I possibly do something wrong in my installation or is a different coupler needed for the cars? 

Any advice is helpful. Thanks all.

[ednadolski]

... or is a different coupler needed for the cars? 

Probably not a very useful answer, but I have converted these to use LEZs, and I believe @GaryHinshaw may have done something similar as well.

But nowadays many of us are (very eagerly!) waiting for the new @turbowhiz N-Possible coupler to go into production.

Ed

[GaryHinshaw]

The problem with converting the new body-mount LPG cars to MTL couplers is that Athearn did not tool the recesses in the coupler box to accommodate the nubs on the MTL coupler shank.   So the conversion is not easy (though I guess you could slice off those nubs - I haven't tried that).

I have converted several of the truck-mounted cars to LEZ body-mounts, but it is a niche project that requires new 3-d printed end-frames.

The much anticipated N-Possible couplers will retro-fit into the new LPG cars, but those couplers will not be compatible with any other N scale coupler, so it may not be an attractive option for you (to say nothing of the fact that they're not yet available).

Probably not what you were hoping to hear...

[peteski]

The problem with converting the new body-mount LPG cars to MTL couplers is that Athearn did not tool the recesses in the coupler box to accommodate the nubs on the MTL coupler shank.   So the conversion is not easy (though I guess you could slice off those nubs - I haven't tried that).

Those nubs are part of the centering mechanism. Without them the coupler will not self-center.

[jagged ben]

Accumates will work, if you have any lying around.  I find body mounted Accumates to work well most of the time.  I've found McHenry's to have gotten better over the years but older ones are bad for some reason.  (They decouple a lot.)

Also hoping for N-possible soon.

[nkalanaga]

I'll second the Accumates as a replacement for McHenry's.  No need to buy new ones, if you have some Atlas cars with Accumates.  The Atlas body-mount boxes take MT 1015s very nicely, giving you replacements for the McHenry's.  If you're using all body mounted couplers, Atlas truck-mounted Accumates are the same coupler, so can also be used.

Are Accumates even available separately?

[Mark5]

I also replace the McHuge couplers on Athearn rolling stock with Accumates.

They are (usually) available separately - Atlas Part # 23015.

Mark

[Shaggy170]

I'll second the Accumates as a replacement for McHenry's.  No need to buy new ones, if you have some Atlas cars with Accumates.  The Atlas body-mount boxes take MT 1015s very nicely, giving you replacements for the McHenry's.  If you're using all body mounted couplers, Atlas truck-mounted Accumates are the same coupler, so can also be used.

Are Accumates even available separately?

Well, I recently upgraded a bunch of cars from accumates to MTLs so i have plenty of spare trucks that I can steal the couplers from. I guess that will have to do for now.

Thanks all for the responses and advice.

[Ike the BN Freak]

The accumate and mchenry are similar to the 1015, not 1025, but as others said, you'd have to shave the centering nubs off

[JoeD]

Those nubs are part of the centering mechanism. Without them the coupler will not self-center.

I have that problem frequently   LOL

[turbowhiz]

If you remove the "nubs" from a MTL coupler, not only will they not center they won't reliably close either, as those functions are related in that design. So removing them is not a good solution for "non-slot" cars like the Athearn LPG's in question. Doesn't matter if its forward slinky (1025) or backwards slinky (1015). Those coupler outlines are the same in terms of main pivot post placement relative to the knuckle, its just where the spring lives along with its associated clearances and closures, and according nub placement.

My couplers will drop in these cars and work properly... These cars do ride a tad low coupler height wise. The unobtanium problem is close to being solved.

[GaryHinshaw]

Of course these should be shelf couplers.   

[peteski]

If you remove the "nubs" from a MTL coupler, not only will they not center they won't reliably close either, as those functions are related in that design. So removing them is not a good solution for "non-slot" cars like the Athearn LPG's in question. Doesn't matter if its forward slinky (1025) or backwards slinky (1015). Those coupler outlines are the same in terms of main pivot post placement relative to the knuckle, its just where the spring lives along with its associated clearances and closures, and according nub placement.

My couplers will drop in these cars and work properly... These cars do ride a tad low coupler height wise. The unobtanium problem is close to being solved.

That's awesome, and they look amazingly good, but which "standard" knuckle couplers will the mate with?  The OP wanted to convert McHenry to MTL, so I assume he has a fleet of cars with "standard" knuckle couplers. 

BTW, we had an earlier discussion (in another thread) about the MTL coupler design and what keeps them closed, but I was told that I didn't understand how they worked, so this time around I didn't not mention that those nubs are responsible for keeping the coupler closed while it swings to the side.  And now you mentioned that.  Go figure.