Upgrading a Life-Like box car . New coupler and wheel sets

Model Railroad, Trains, Operations, Layout, HO Scale, Rail Fanning, Scenery, Kit Building, Scratch Building, Kit Bashing, Running Trains, Eagle Valley Model Railroad I created this video with the KZbin Video Editor ( / editor )

[@MMRails]

Great how to video. Well explained. What do you do if the coupler is too high or too low? How would you adjust that? -Mark

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

Thanks Mark. Because this particular car didn't need adjustment, I didn't even think about covering that in the video. Thanks for asking. A round spacer is used to adjust the coupler height and is placed against the coupler around the mounting screw. If the coupler is to high put the spacer between the coupler and the top of the coupler box , and if the coupler is to low put the spacer between the coupler and the bottom of the coupler box. The spacers come in different thicknesses, and in some cases some of the coupler box material can be removed to achieve the desired coupler height. Be sure the coupler moves freely after any adjustments.

[@pacbeltrr38]

Mark, you'd also want to check the heith *before* you permanently ceement the coupler box to the underframe. That way, if the heith was off, it could easily be adjusted by shimming (Kadee sells a shim kit. Cheap, and it comes in 4 different thicknesses. They're rectangular, and have the same holes as the coupler box), or sanding the floor a little more, if too low. THEN cement the box to the underframe! 😉 ...... Technically, BOTH couplers on this car were just slightly too high. Since they're glued in, there's a second option. Remove the trucks. Carefully sand down the truck mounted on the underframe. Sand a little, check a lot! The coupler body should be dead center (or really close), when *pulling* the car away, putting tension on the coupler gauge. This does make a difference on longer trains, or track that's even slightly uneven. 😎

[@twiztedmowers2]

M&M Rails I will just add spacers or washers between the frame and truck. This way I know for sure the coupler will move freely in the box. And the height from the car it hardly noticable.

[@twiztedmowers2]

M&M Rails also I put a washer under almost all of my rolling stock so if I need to lower one end to match another car I can. Even on my home made cars I do the same thing as they are usually lower to begin with.

[@w.rustylane5650]

I spent nearly $400.00 on changing out wheel sets and couplers on about 100 pieces of rolling stock. I changed the wheels from plastic to metal (after all, trains have metal wheels) & body mounted Kaydee couplers. I also took the time to weather each piece of rolling stock. Took me several months to complete the project. I also changed out all the incandescent lighting on coaches to LED lighting and changed out the headlamps of locomotives to LED's as well along with proper ballast resistors. I used mini full wave bridge rectifiers, LED strip lighting (the ones that can be cut apart at every 3rd LED & have the ballast - current limiting resistors - already on the LED strips). I also used 3200uF capacitors for flicker free lighting. I even lit up an old REA (Railway Express Agency) coach by making my own wheel pickups out of some scrap copper I salvaged from an old computer. The LED strip lighting is 12 volt DC and I think I used about 12 LED's per coach. I used bright white LED's but they turned out to be too bright, so I painted each LED with yellow acrylic paint and now they look period correct with yellow lighting. I also changed out all coal loads to real coal. I had a big lump of bituminous coal I went after with a hammer (outside of course) and smashed it into HO scale. I also brought each piece of rolling stock up to NMRA standard weight for each piece of rolling stock. Cheers from eastern TN

[@pacbeltrr38]

That's great that you're sharing this trick! We did it back in the 70's, but by the 80's, better cars were available... Nowadays, the newer cars cost SO MUCH, that this is an excellent idea, again. For better running, while you had that underframe off, I would have definitely added more weight!!! Those cars were ridiculously light! 😣😩 Literally any metal thing would work.... Nuts and bolts, scrap lead, old 1:1 scale car wheel weights, even fishing sinkers! I'd reckon each car should weigh between 3 and 5 ounces, depending on length. I always liked mine about 1 full ounce *above* the NMRA Standards. (*TOO* light for today's much more powerful Locomotives!) Carmine 🚂

[@wolfchacer0139]

True but that reduces the amount of cars your engine can pull if you want to run a very large consist.

[@elsdp-4560]

Thank you for sharing. Have to love those Kadees, very nice "How to" video.👍

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

Thank you much, and thanks for watching-Ed.

[@w.rustylane5650]

Oh, and the truck mounted couplers are called Talgo trucks. The glue action is called capillary action of the glue. I used screws to hold the coupler boxes on my models. I just don't trust plastic glue. I even had to drill through some of the metal when it had a metal weight attached to the floor of the car.

[@steamier7755]

Good video, there are some things I’d like to point out. Kadee have a variety of couplers, the one you use is the centreset shank, Kadee have an underset shank and an overset shank that can help with getting the coupler height correct without needing too much adjustment in most cases. So simply if your coupler is too high or too low, you need a different numbered coupler. Good ol no. 5 Kadees will work as well as the 148s since they are the same size, only difference being the no. 5 using a bronze centreing spring and the 148 whisker spring. Kadee have a coupler conversions list for those that want to utilise the truck mounted coupler box and Kadee have also provided a talgo truck adapter for those that are intending to use the truck mounted coupler box for their Kadees, very useful for those with Lifelike and Tyco rolling stock. Kadee also supply trip pin pliers for bending the trip pins to clear the track without too much adjustment.

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

Thanks for the info and thanks for watching.-Ed

[@twiztedmowers2]

One thing I did for the screw on trucks is buy washers that fit inside the truck where the truck screw goes thru to help with wobbling from older cars.

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

Good tip, thanks for sharing.-Ed

[@FarlandHowe]

Well explained. I have done it on my N scale layout when I had mine. Rob

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

Thanks Rob..

[@stewsstructures83]

Another thing that helps the wheels to roll better is a truck tuner that micro mark also carries. Its amazing how much more free the wheels turn after using it. It cuts down on drag greatly.

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

Thanks for the tip, I'll look into it for sure...Ed

[@JoeG-firehousewhiskey]

Awesome tutorial, doing all that work brings that lifelike back to life.

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

I couldn't let the very first cars I ever had sit on the side line. They run great on the layout too. -Ed

[@robschwartz3215]

Excellent video! Thank you for pointing out ALL of the equipment you need at the beginning of the video, especially the size of the drill and tap.

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

Thank you Rob, and thanks for watching. Glad I could be of some help. -Ed.

[@Mercatoyd]

Appears to work just fine.. that is a nice variable speed drill you have too.. thanks for sharing ..Tom

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

This video has been ready to post for about a month or so, and I've had zero issues with the 5 cars I upgraded. Love my Dewalt.......Thanks for watching.. Ed

[@wolfchacer0139]

My go to is the kaydee trucks then just add styrene round stock into the hole, drill then screw them in new metal wheels and all. Very good upgrade to the lifelike though anythings better than those plastic wheels.

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

The extra weight and metal wheels make a world of difference. Thanks for watching-Ed

[@nssherwoodsub]

Liked the video a lot. I was going to make a similar video but, now, you have done it for me. One thing that I might add is to weigh the car and add weights to bring the car up to the weight in NMRA Recommended Practice 20.1. I've also used the MicroMark Truck Tuner that Stew's Structures mentioned in his comment.

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

Thanks for watching, good suggestions....... Ed.

[@csxbaltimoresubdivision7746]

great instructional video, I aways like watching your videos, you are so great on explaining, thanks for sharing.

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

Thanks for the compliment, I'm just saying what makes sense to me. Ed.

[@sparky107107]

very nice video.. made that look easy and I might even try that. have a box full of them old cars.

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

Money is my motivator, I couldn't see not using them just because they were Life-Like cars. Put less than half the $$ it would cost to buy new and they work great. Thanks for watching.. Ed.

[@TheLocutus70]

Thanks, man. I have a lot of old trains cars i need to do this too. Or just get rid of them, but I don't really want to do that.

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

This absolutely was worth the effort, my plan was to only do a select few of the ones I have. They worked so much better I decided to swap the wheels on all my life -like cars. Thanks for watching-Ed.

[@NortheasternRailPhotography]

the tool you were using sounded like a GG1 Horn lol

[@CONTAINERMAN68]

A good how to video. Now, Xuron makes a trip pin pliers for bending your TRIP PINS(decoupling wires).

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

Thanks, I've seen those in use on other videos and just haven't ordered any. So far the ole needle nose are doing the trick. Thanks for watching..

[@pacbeltrr38]

Kadee has one too. I don't know if it's more or less expensive.... It's been around since the mid 1960's, like me! 😛 Carmine 🚂

[@twiztedmowers2]

CONTAINERMAN68 I don't cut my trip pin all the way off. I cut even with the end of the coupler and it looks more like air hose on the real thing. It also helps to not catch on switches and crossing.

[@michaelmorgan7893]

Ive never had the greatest of luck mounting those coupler boxes in place without first building up some kind of a pad, about 3/32" x 1/4" or so, for the new coupler box to attach to. Ive discovered that failure to do so, leaves the coupler way too high. Sometimes that can be corrected by shims, but that's a lot of fiddling around for something that should be a more straightforward procedure.

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

So far the majority of the ones I have done this way lined up well enough, I've had a few that I've had to do exactly what your talking about. Thanks for watching-Ed

[@twiztedmowers2]

I do this too alot of old stock and some more weight sometimes.

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

I've noticed that some of those older car run better to me with a little bit of weight. It's neat how you can do the simplest things to your rolling stock and make huge improvements.

[@twiztedmowers2]

Yes it does

[@tazsnuts99]

You put all the time into converting the old car why not just fill the truck holes tap and drill out as use a screw in truck. The screw in style trucks are much better then old snap in style

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

In the time since I posted this video I have been using the screw in truck. I do like the way they ride better. Great suggestion and thanks for watching-Ed.

[@disturbed1954]

I have really enjoyed this video but think you need to one step father, I couldn't help but notice that you had broken stirrups on the car, can you show us what you do in this case, do you make them or buy them ?

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

I was hoping no one would notice, lol. But you guys are all about the details, which I like... I hadn't planned on addressing it, and i'm not sure what I would do to fix it. Look for that video in the near future. Thanks for the nudge to go the next step.....Ed.

[@NortheasternRailPhotography]

Have any cars you don't want?

[@EagleValleyModelRailroad]

Not at the moment, Once I get my inventory up I plan on replacing some of my older equipment. But for now I just have enough to do operations. Ed.

[@tazsnuts99]

Taymia extra thin cement dries in 40 seconds 😊