Need help with a minor problem

Maybe a dummy knuckle coupler like these from Scale City Designs would work?

Hey Will, thanks for the help, I’ll investigate, I thought everybody went to sleep. 

How is the truck mounted? Can you post a photo of the bottom of caboose? 

If you want a moving coupler it will have to attach at the truck pivot. A fixed coupler with a box on the body floor could be something like a Kadee.

Passenger cars have long arm couplers - the non-scale trucks on the Polar express cars have a bolster that fits between the side plates to hold the coupler - plastic snap in piece

Just some ideas to get you started

Are you running traditional three rail? ....perhaps swap out the entire truck for the 3 rail style you need.....I have these long reach trucks with third rail pick up if you want to light up your caboose......info is in my profile.......Pat

I have and continue to apply a variety of trucks and couplers to a variety of brass cabooses, converting them to three rail operation.  It can take imagination and creativity.  In the glory days of Weaver, l used a lot of their no longer available 7XX series trucks and Lionel compatible couplers.  Available trucks now seem much more expensive.  Occasionally you have to remove part of underframe to mount three rail couplers and trucks, and caboose's steps may limit swing for tight radius curves.  Most brass cabooses are made for two rail operation and not engineered for tight tinplate radii.  This sends you into "model railroading", beyond out-of-the-box three rail train running.

As Carl says, a Kaydee coupler should work (unless you have tight radius curves) for you. It will save you the hassle of messing around attempting to get various trucks to function.

Good Evening, it seems that I have a tendency for late night texting, and I apologize again.  In response to Moonman’s request for a photo of the bottom of my caboose, I submit this photo. As seen, I’ve already changed the chrome scale wheels to black hi-rail wheels. Overall, I hope this photo helps. Thanks again everyone. — MARSHELANGELO 

<looks at the scale city designs site>

If I were in your position, I'd try the SCD dummy couplers pictured above first. Since they don't come with coupler boxes, I imagine a set of Kadee 805's (also available on their site) would provide that hardware, assuming these couplers were desgned to fit the Kadee boxes. At this point, you're only in for $11-ish, which is probably the cheapest solution. Assuming everything fits, and the caboose in question being fairly short, you may be able to get away with body mounted couplers (I imagine if you've bought a brass caboose, you're not running less than say, 054 curves).

---PCJ

marshelangelo posted:

Good Evening, it seems that I have a tendency for late night texting, and I apologize again.  In response to Moonman’s request for a photo of the bottom of my caboose, I submit this photo. As seen, I’ve already changed the chrome scale wheels to black hi-rail wheels. Overall, I hope this photo helps. Thanks again everyone. — MARSHELANGELO 

No problem with activity gaps - we know there is various schedules

Thanks for the photo. 

It does look like you could use railride's idea as there appears to be a plate for a coupler box. 

Whether you can use body-mounted couplers depends on your minimum curve radius. With the overhang created by end platforms I'm guessing O48 would be the minimum (based on the experience of High Railers who convert to body-mounted Kadees). Some searching of these forums can turn up more info on this subject.

Lew

The state of your caboose purchase and the difficulty  of mounting three rail trucks and couplers are all S.O.P.  Can be done but you really have to want to do it.  Maybe the refund offer is the way to go.

Probably at this point, a refund would have seemed better but I’m probably past the refund period, I’m determined to make it work, and I’m in need of Lionel type couplers, not Kadee’s. My smallest radius is O-36 on the 2nd & 3rd levels and O-72 & O-81 on the 1st level.  I’ll probably take the train over to Nassau Hobby or Trainland and see what I can rig up. I have to get this done, I won’t be beaten. Thanks everyone for your help. Any other ideas and I would still appreciate it.—-  MARSHELANGELO

Greg, a Kadee #805 should fit those mounting plates, and it will mate to a Lionel knuckle coupler. Operationally, the caboose is a short-wheelbase car and should run OK if mated to another car of short-to-average wheelbase, i.e. 40 scale feet (10 inches) or less.  Are the holes tapped? If not, use a 2-56 tap and screws just long enough to accomplish the mounting. 

Another option is Atlas caboose trucks. Malcolm Byrd uses these on his custom-built cabooses and they look pretty good.  

marshelangelo posted:

"I’m in need of Lionel type couplers, not Kadee’s. My smallest radius is O-36 on the 2nd & 3rd levels and O-72 & O-81 on the 1st level.  I’ll probably take the train over to Nassau Hobby or Trainland and see what I can rig up. I have to get this done, I won’t be beaten. Thanks everyone for your help. Any other ideas and I would still appreciate it.—-  MARSHELANGELO"

If you are really hooked on Lionel style knuckle coupler you can always get a non operating one that goes for a cheaper piece of rolling stock and mount it with a screw through the hole. The mentioned Kaydee should get you by for now, and will look nice on the back end when your done. 

Hey Guys, (BOBBYD & THE GN MAN) Thanks a million for the x-tra info, I feel better about the situation and I will certainly look into that info deeply and bring this project to a conclusion.  Thanks again, all of you who got involved, I can always count on the forum guys to clear the fog around a situation before I act incorrectly.  Your help and expertise are deeply appreciated. - MARSHELANGELO

Greg

Maybe you can get a cheap Lionel Scout plastic car (or any junker cheap car) and take those trucks off and mount on your car.

Charlie

Hey fellas, after checking my page again after a couple of days, I’m gonna try several options, I’ll try the Kadee’s and see what happens. Hopefully everything will work out, again your expertise is well appreciated. I’m indebted to you guys and the forum members forever, I don’t ponder too long on what the outcome will bring to any situation I have. Much thanks - MARSHELANGELO