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Post by boxcarwilly on Jul 19, 2017 11:01:38 GMT -5
Yesterday I was experimenting with my AZL engines and heavyweight passenger cars. Now normally I would not run engines typically designed for freight pulling with passenger cars, using only F3's or 7's as it should be, but on my layout, passenger cars are kept on a storage tracks when not in use and the F3's and 7's are, or will be kept on separate tracks or in the roundhouse. They are moved about by the yard engines which is what I'm endeavouring to recreate. Here is what I discovered. When I hooked up a GP38, to a few of the passenger cars, I noticed that the coupler on the 38 was substantially higher. In fact, the passenger coupler was barely hanging on, and when going over some turnouts, they become uncoupled. Out of curiosity I tried my 70's and 75's and the result is the same. Is this supposed to be this way? is there a way to compensate for the height differential? Like I said, I would not normally pull these cars with freight engines, but in my yard, as they do on most railroads, passenger trains are built the same way as freights, using yard engines to move cars to the assembly track so that F3's or 7's can hook up.
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Post by rvn2001 on Jul 19, 2017 12:39:08 GMT -5
I put a thin spacer on the rear coupler of my AZL Mikado to lower it so the heavyweight passenger cars would stay coupled to it.
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Post by rvn2001 on Jul 19, 2017 12:48:32 GMT -5
That's how I determined which coupler was wrong.
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Post by boxcarwilly on Jul 20, 2017 9:34:27 GMT -5
Thanks.
Will do.
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Post by boxcarwilly on Jul 21, 2017 11:12:02 GMT -5
I discovered that my MTL Geeps, seem to do the job in this regard that I am looked to do. The couplers on the GP 9's and 35's are more aligned with the AZL heavyweight passenger car couplers so I think I'll be using them when needed and leave the 39's for moving freight cars from place to place.
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Post by markm on Jul 21, 2017 11:36:18 GMT -5
Glad to read you have a solution. If you don't have the MTL coupler gauge, it's something worth owning. Aside from the coupler height it can also be used as a decent wheel gauge and track gauge and a couple of other things I don't remember. I use one for incoming inspection of all my rolling stock, both coupler and wheel gauge.
In general I find that the AZL locomotive couplers run a bit high, up to about 1/4 coupler height difference, except for the P42 which runs a bit low. I can't suggest a quick fix. Sometimes I find a bit of flash needs to be removed, and occasionally a malformed coupler.
Mark
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