I have some stock from from the 80's from Con-Cor, Atlas, Model Power, Mintrix and Bauchmann. I want to convert the couplers to the type that are used today. I just converted my HO using Kadee but they don't deal in N scale. Is there a way to covert these or do I have to do the whole truck? Is there a business like Kadee for N-Scale?
Welcome to TrainBoard! Check out this thread. It should help you out. http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/knuckle-coupler.136104/
Some information here too: https://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/couplers.135852/#post-1166026
FYI: Kadee and Micro Trains used to be one company. Kadee Quality Products was established in 1940 by identical twin brothers Keith and Dale Edwards. They named their company using their own initials, K and D. In 1956, they developed an improved version of the knuckle coupler named the no.5 with a metal knuckle spring and magnetic action to open and delay the coupler to un-couple and park cars anywhere on a layout. In 1972, they took the next logical step and introduced a complete freight car to the N scale line. In the early 1990s, the Edwards brothers had a falling out and parted ways. Dale took Kadee which is based in White City, Oregon and Keith established Micro-Trains Line in Talent, Oregon, about 30 mi from White City. Micro-Trains specialized in N scale products. Keith died on July 26, 2012, and Dale died on September 19, 2014.
That's an interesting and well written capsule history Jeff -- thank you. Being an older N Scaler that remembers when Kadee entered N Scale in '72, I still call all of their N Scale cars "Kadee" cars. This causes much confusion at train shows until I correct myself and say Micro-Trains. I recall that sometime in the early '80s, it was strongly rumored that Kadee was planning to exit their manufacture of N Scale freight cars because their price allowed little or no profit. I reacted by placing an order for perhaps a dozen cars (all with Rapido couplers!), draining my hobby budget. Kadee soon decided to instead raise prices and found that modelers were indeed willing to pay more for their excellent models. It's a tribute to their leadership and employees that their N Scale products have remained first-rate throughout nearly a half century of production.
Not to be pedantic but Kadee first entered N scale in 1968 with the release of the MT-5 (later 1015) coupler and, shortly after, the MT-3, assembled version. Doug
