Hi all, while waiting for material to ballasting my track I make a coupler conversion to MT-coupler at my coach as first modification in z scale. Perhaps someone is interested. I used 2 short shank body mount couplers (905). After opening of coupler box I removed the red marked areas on sides and top, remaining the rear wall and lowered the box height, now fitting for MT-box. There has to be some space on coupler box sides to allow swinging of MT-coupler parts, see photos. On top of truck is no room for a cover. So I glued the new coupler box with its rear side to the truck and glued the old AZL-box cover from below. Using the coach as last car of my mixed train, I finally mounted a restraining spring on one axle to eliminate the slick. I also did this with my MT-caboose. Be careful to choose the correct - unisolated! -side of axle to avoid short-circuit. This modification works, and performance of locomotives is better due to higher power (= track voltage) for pulling a train. But now the spring loaded axle slides more than it rotates . As a German I hope, this report is written lucidly... Steffen
Thanks, for another way to convert and, the photos. Help's a lot. And yes, your English writing as 'clear'. ((lucid means 'state of mind, not confused', we use 'clearly' to mean 'without confusion'). For the end-of-train drag, either cut the spring in half or use a brass, stainless steel, or music wire from the bolster pin (drill a hole, bend 110 degrees) and place some tension on top of the axle center. Brass wire (.005"/.125mm) was enough for me, to keep the wheel rolling.
Hi Jeff, thanks for your correction and your version of end-of-train drag. I will try the music wire verison. Steffen
Hi Steffen, thank you for sharing. Could you just show here a pic of what that car's coupling system looks like prior to modification (if you have a pic of that)? Indeed I don't have any passenger car but I guess work should be the same for 89' autoracks. In my own case, I'll have to remove my autoracks' AZL couplers and I plan MTL #905 to be put in place body-mounted. And furthermore, could you add a pic that shows how you set in place the spring that prevents slack action? Dom
Dom, The passenger trucks have the steps attached to each side of the coupler housing (cleaver idea to get them to work on 195 mm track). It would look like the 1st photo. So essentially the same coupling point (IMO, a bit closer). The spring is shown in many of the MTL packages. It simply goes on the axle point, before you place it in the truck
