Atlas O Trainman Couplers

what diameter curves do you run on?

@Dave Koehler posted:

what diameter curves do you run on?

How would curvature affect coupler height, i.e. "drooping coupler assembly"?

Here's the fix for Atlas freight cars, hopefully the passenger cars are the same.

1. Remove the truck from the car.  It can dangle by the pickup wires, you just need to be able to get to the top of the truck.

2. From the bottom of the truck, loosen the screw holding the coupler coil spring.  Loosen it about 2 or 3 turns of the screwdriver.

3. From the top of the truck, use a very small screwdriver (usually a Phillips) to tighten the screw where the coupler mounts to the truck and pivots.  Tighten it until the coupler won't swing, then loosen it about 1/4 turn so the coupler will swing and self-center.  The coupler droop should be gone.

4. Tighten the screw on the bottom of the truck that holds the coupler coil spring.  Tighten it all the way and check that the coupler still swings and doesn't droop.  Adjust the screws as necessary to achieve this.

Wow.....Bob......thank you.....I've had this problem ever since these 60' heavyweights came out......2011, maybe. I called Atlas and they had no idea what to do.

Curvature is important.....they are so low, that when the cars turn through Atlas O45 switches, the steps on the cars dragged the switch bar on the Atlas switch machine along with it, throwing the switch.

Since that time, they have been consigned to an O54 or greater loop with the switch straight. However, any minor imperfection in track work, especially on "throw together" group modular layouts is problematic.

I will try this fix this summer and report back.

Peter

Wow is right!  Thanks and a tip o' the hat, Bob. I followed your instructions, and the couplers now mate perfectly with other cars. It took me longer to find the right size screwdriver than it did to fix the car.

On a related note, I have O-72 curves, but I did notice that the steps do swing out a bit.

Thanks again,

Jim

Quick update. I've been running the car for about an hour and had to re-tighten one of the couplers as it again drooped and separated from the consist. It was an easy fix, but the couplers require watching.

Jim

It's the wedging of the two screws against each other that keeps them tight.  Sometimes you need to hold a screwdriver on each one and tighten them against each other to get them to hold tight.

Glad this fix works on the passenger cars!

@Hot Water posted:

How would curvature affect coupler height, i.e. "drooping coupler assembly"?

I was going to suggest KDs  Couplers that are body mounted DONT DROOP!   They Just don't like tight curves.

@Jim Brenner posted:

Quick update. I've been running the car for about an hour and had to re-tighten one of the couplers as it again drooped and separated from the consist. It was an easy fix, but the couplers require watching.

Jim

Maybe try some lock tight to prevent the loosening?