Whichever knuckle coupler you choose, if you're going to use the original coupler pocket you'll need some Kadee #212 Talgo adapters.

The fill in the space between the small pin in the original coupler pocket and the large hole in the knuckle coupler.

Len

The fastest way to convert the cars is a pack of Kadee #212 Talgo adapters and some EZ-Mate MK-II couplers. The talgo adapters fill in the difference between the small pin in the coupler box and the large hole in the EZ-Mate couplers.

Len

Stephen,

With the Atlas #4's or the Peco Medium turnouts you should be able to get 6 yard tracks on your board. There will be about 1-1/2" from the board edges to the front and rear tracks.

If you can ever make the change, your 2-10-2's will be happier on the Peco mediums because of the curved diverging rails. And they don't take any more space than the #4's.

Take care,
Len

From the picture it appears you're using Cd100 rail track. In that case I would suggest using Peco SL-95 (RH) and SL-96 (LH) Medium switches. They are curved through the diverging track, similar to an Atlas "Snap-Switch", but with roughly a 36" radius (914mm) rather than 18". This should handle any of the locos you mentioned.

Using RR-Track to lay out a 10 track yard gives a switch ladder about 18" wide by 7' long vs Atlas Super #6 switches that take a space 20" wide by 9' long. The 2' difference in length translates into space for slightly longer yard tracks, giving more yard capacity, using the Peco Medium switches.

If you have locos you think even the 36" radius of the SL-95/96 Peco switches might not be large enough for, the SL-88/89 Peco switches have a 60" radius (1524mm) curve through the switch.

Using them gives a 10 track switch ladder that's 22" wide by 8-1/2' long, which is still a bit better than the Atlas Super #6 switches.

Len

Which goes back to something I asked about a looonnnnnnggggg time ago.

Why not a "Thomas" hook & Look coupler designed to fit a "standard" (e.g., Bachmann, Athearn, etc.) coupler box? You wouldn't think it would be all that hard to do.

Then, instead of all the cutting and fitting involved with mounting a coupler box to the Thomas cars, it would just be a drop in to put a "Thomas" coupler on the regular HO car.

Len

Use a dummy coupler on the front of the IHC. It doesn't need as big a hole in the pilot as a Kadee, and will mate with a Kadee or clone and look better when running the 'Mike' on it's own.

Len

Many of Tyco car bodies are no worse than the old Athean 'blue box' kits, so why waste them?

Get a pack of Kadee #212 Talgo Adapters and a pack of IHC "Magic-Mate" couplers. Use them to do make a few quick-and-dirty transition cars using the existing Tyco trucks. By putting a "Magic-Mate" on both ends you don't have to worry about which way the car is facing when coupling to knuckles or horn-hooks.

This will give you some breathing room while you convert your cars to better trucks and body mounted couplers.

To change the trucks just pop the Tyco trucks out. The hole in the body is too large for a small screw, so there are three options:

1. Fill the hole with '4-minute' epoxy, and when it sets up drill and tap it for a 2-56 screw.

2. Glue a piece of styrene plastic rod of the same diameter into the hole, cut it flush, and drill and tap for a 2-56 screw.

3. Easiest - glue some 5/32" OD styrene tubing into the truck hole, cut it flush, and tap for a 2-56 screw. No drilling required. I use Evergreen #225 styrene tubing, which has an inside diameter about half way between a close and loose fit for a 2-56 screw.

If you want to use a smaller screw for some reason, just glue a 3/32" OD tube inside the 5/32" tube.

Len

Quote from: rogertra on August 18, 2007, 01:45:36 AM
Before a 2-6-2, which was not a popular prototype loco, we need a Spectrum 2-6-0, a much more useful loco. 

2-6-2 Not popular? Bite 'yer tongue and check out the Wabash Class G-1 Prairies at:
http://www.wabash-railroad.com/px2-6-2.htm

Then there are the CB&Q Class R1 - R5 Prairies, NYC Class J40 & J41, Milw K-1's, and don't forget those Santa Fe units mentioned by others earlier in this thread.

At least IHC has been doing a reasonable 2-6-0 for a while. There hasn't been a decent 2-6-2 made in years.

Len

Quote from: Frisco_Manny on August 15, 2007, 11:40:22 PM
Hi Len,

Did know if you meant to actually have those engines made or if you thought they were Prarie's, but Frisco 1050 is a home built 4-6-2, and the 1060 is also a home built 4-6-4. Frisco did not own any Prarie's.

Frisco 1060 is a stream liner used in passenger service. That's why she has the skirts. Her colors were blue and silver.

Just an FYI....nice to be here.

Yes, Mr. Bachmann...it would be EXTREMELY nice to see a Spectrum Prarie roll off the lines.

Frisco_Manny

Manny,

The 'Fallen Flags' web page labels both as 2-6-2's, which is why I included them. The pilot truck is in shadow on the pic of 1050 and behind a steam cloud on the pic of 1060, so I just went with the picture labels.

And they have the look of the 2-6-2's I remember from my youth.

Len

Quote from: SteamGene on August 15, 2007, 03:50:58 PM
Who would have thought of a semi-streamlined Prarie?
Gene

The 'Frisco' had class! 

Len

Wabash 2005 would be nice:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/wab/wab-s2005ark.jpg

Or Frisco 1050:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/slsf/slsf-s1050abw.jpg

And for a small loco, Frisco 1060 is kind of pretty:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/slsf/slsf-s1060abw.jpg

There's even NYC 4658:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/nyc-s4658.jpg

I'd even settle for an 'Undec' at this point.

Len

The 9" length is the rails. It was designed to replace a 9" straight section of Snap-Track.

Len

Enough already with those big locos!

They're nice, but isn't it about time for a Spectrum level 2-6-2 "Prairie" for us folks with smaller layouts? The IHC 2-6-0 "Moguls" are okay, but they just don't have that 'hauling the freight' look "Prairie's"  have.

The prototypes had a ton of them. But, without getting into brass, the only HO 'Prairie' out there any more seems to be Bachmann's 20 year old technology "lights and smokes" toy in the white box. And the 'smoker' usually ends up melting the boiler after a while.

What does it take to get Bachmann interested in these smaller steamers?

Or Model Power for that matter. If Bachmann won't do a decent "Prairie" maybe MP can be convinced to bring out an updated version of the old Mantua 'Prairie'. I wish somebody would.

Bob,

You're right. IHC calls them "Magic-Mates". They look clunky, but they do what them claim to do. I used them on a couple of 'transition cars' when I first started switching from horn-hook to Kadee's. They also work okay with the Kadee #212 Talgo Adaptors for truck mounted coupler boxes.

Len

Stephen,

I agree totally that body mounting the couplers is best. But the talgo conversion works for those in a hurry, or that don't feel up to the body mount conversion.

Even with the talgo conversion, backing and switching moves are much more reliable than with horn-hook couplers.

One caveat I forgot to mention in my original answer. DO NOT couple longer cars with body mounted couplers to cars with truck mounted couplers. Even after the conversion, when the end of the long car swings out on curves the body mount coupler will pull the talgo mounted one with it. Result = derailment.

Len