I have quite a few hopper cars that I want to convert to body mounted couplers. The problem is, on most model hopper cars, there is just a big open space at the end of the car, which leaves no place to mount a coupler. I assume you could build up an area to attached a coupler too...maybe with styrene. Has anyone done this before, and if so...perhaps you could share your construction method. Thanks Jeff
On MT cars I have found there is just enough material to hold a 00-90 screw, but you have to drill the hole in the right place. On the end with the brake cylinder, the screw must be carefully ground down so that it doesn't interfere with the cylinder. I also add a tiny drop of super glue behind the coupler box to stop it from rotating. You cannot tighten the mounting screws like you can in thicker parts. I sure wish they would make these easier to convert to body mounts - it is certainly a delicate operation!
Use BMCA. Body Mount Coupler Adapter. Heard of that? The BMCA was a real product by some manufacturer and I think N Scale of Nevada. It was specifically made for this purpose. As you have probably guessed, it is no longer available. Always glad to be of help. Heh, heh, heh... Anyone remember these? I am not sure how they worked as I never used them. They fit into that opening you refer to and provided a place to mount MT 1025's. Seems you could fit a piece of sheet styrene in there. The size you need would probably be repetitive. Search for "body" in titles only in the N scale forum. I found this and several more.
I use a piece of styrene a little wider than the coupler box. One end has a notch cut out to fit against the bolster. The other end is trimmed flush with the end of the car. The coupler and styrene are attached with a gel CA. I usually paint them black before installation, so they disappear in the shadows. Picture is of an Atlas 90 ton hopper.
Ya, I have looked at converting Atlas ore cars to make a unit train out of them. Arggg! Oh well, maybe some day someone will make a unit train something coupler.
Precision Masters made a M/T coupler adaptor for body mounting to hoppers, which I have a few hoarded away somewhere on the work bench- PM was acquired by Red Caboose. About all you can do, is to try emailing Red Caboose and see what's happening with their N scale parts. I can try to find these if a part number might be helpful. Boxcab E50
I did 44 of those Atlas ore cars with strip styrene and Red Caboose #1065 rust body mounted couplers. Looked awesome, but the train was 44 cars and I was rather tired of the project and it never grew, it can be done, and the results were awesome, but it is a LOT of tedious work.
It might be a worthwhile project for some "company" to market conversion pieces for some of the common N scale hoppers such as the Atlas "90 ton" hopper. Perhaps those that have considered such a product have concluded it is'nt a viable product - I have no idea. It is something I have considered as I have close to one hundred cars that could some body mounted enhancement! Eventually I plan to body mount all my cars but this will be several years down the road, as other priorities are higher on my list at the moment.
