Speaking of couplers, it's a shame that David K Smith's NZT ProtoMate never got off the ground. Looked real promising. Wonder if the IP could be transferred to someone who could see it through.
That it did! I was holding off for quite a while on converting the freight car fleet, hoping they would be released and be exactly what we all wanted. What happened to NTZ \ David K. Smith? Mike
As I recall, essentially some issues of life got in the way. Maybe someone else recalls better details?
He has advanced Lyme disease that is resisting treatment. He still has the coupler patent and doesn't know what he is going to do with it.
Trainworx part #620 for the Precision Masters/Red Caboose Ortner RD car is a perfect fit for the Precision Masters/Red Caboose FMC 4700 and Greenville 3000 cuft covered hoppers. I suspect they'd also work on the original Precision Masters Richmond Tank Car 4750 (which was later modified into the Precision Masters/Red Caboose PS 4750), but I haven't tried it yet to confirm. Trainworx should be releasing a part that would work on all of their covered hoppers, including the PS 4740 and 4750, but I haven't heard when it should be available.
These look really nice! Can you also use a flat head screw? The reason I ask is that sometimes when I body mount a coupler the top of the pan head will hit the axle going over some track and will derail the car. This is probably why I have never gone to 100% body mount. I have had really good luck with MTL truck mounted couplers over the past 7 years.
Yes, the lids of the box are designed with a inset, countersunk flange to accept flat head screws. You can also just use a little bit of glue to keep the box together if you need every last bit of clearance as the material glues easily unlike the slippery plastic of the original MTL coupler boxes.
"N scale short coupler boxes for rolling stock, perfect fit for Accumates and McHenry couplers, modifications in progress for Micro-Trains coupler compatibility" Okay so I use MT couplers, this quote is off the Shapeways site, will these work with MT couplers??? I so need them to......Or am I just to stupid to breath and should order them anyway???
Okay so Wuttermelon has informed me that the boxes are all ready for MT couplers and he is updating the Shapeways website....Gonna get some this week.....Will be the answer to my problem with the MDC/Athearn 40 foot hopper issue I dragged on for so long....
I haven't been doing anything in N for a few years, the last time around I got frustrated with the available body mount coupler choices and walked away. (I usually work in Proto:48 but my roots are N back in the late 60s and early 70s.) This year at Trainfest I looked at N again as a way of doing a little modern prototype modeling as a change of pace from my 50s stuff. I was really happy to see the new M-T True-Scale couplers, which led to picking up a few of the better modern cars that would be appropriate for an industrial park switching layout. Searching for body mount techniques led me to this thread. I just ordered Alvin's new True-Scale sized draft gear and will be using them initially on Atlas 5701s and 17,600 corn syrup tanks when I convert them to BLMA trucks. Now, where did I put that 00-90 tap and drill?
For anybody looking to use the new Micro Trains True Scale Couplers, I have just uploaded a short and extended coupler box made specifically for the TSC: The main difference is the addition of the front pin where the shanks engage the box. http://shpws.me/MPUE http://shpws.me/MZ74 Also don't forget 25% off EVERYTHING on Shapeways this weekend (until November 27th, 2016 at 11:59pm PST) using the code: SMALLBIZ Code is valid 3 uses per customer with a maximum discount of $100 USD per order before taxes and VAT.
