Scale milk car replacement couplers

You might have to buy the entire truck, part cs-6107360051-p.  There were two types but this is the only one available at Lionel.  Maybe wait till the parts sale.  RICH

I had a milk car with a coupler that was DOA.  Bought another milk car for $ 30 for the trucks.

Are these the scale milk cars that were delayed for years and then showed up with the bad couplers and trucks?  If so, Lionel will send you new couplers for the asking. I recently emailed them and they sent replacements without cost to me. Note: the replacements appear to be an attempt to fix the knuckles, but they are still not articulated if derailing is your problem.

EDIT: These are indeed the long delayed milk cars. I would try the free replacement couplers from Lionel and see if they fix your problems. Otherwise, follow the advice above and use donor trucks. Don’t buy replacements of the OEM trucks. They are complete junk. There are a number of threads on the forum about the problems with these cars. I have two of them still in the wrapper. I’ve dragged them to numerous train shows (including York twice) and can’t unload them at 50% of the original dealer discounted price - the word is out on them. One other side note: do NOT open the doors or the paint will chip.

I have a number of milk cars. All mine are converted to Kadee’s. Michael it’s not a bad route to go if you have probably 054 and above radius and they run as sort  of a unit train. Nor is it that expensive. It may become addictive though. Mounts are available and there’s a few how to videos around. For my purposes I like the new trucks. They roll well and I have a few brass cars and they are more easily adaptable than the older ones.

I do have a new pair of trucks. Recent purchase. You are welcome to the couplers. But I just tried coupling them to an older car. It didn’t go well. When I was looking to buy the older trucks. It was cheaper to sometimes buy a whole car as mentioned. Graphics play a role in the pricing. Find a damaged one, without a box at a show with no shipping involved. The difference in the truck quality from the early ones to the present. Are night and day.

Look on Lionel’s parts site. The older trucks are available. With one minor issue. They came with letters and numbers on the truck frames. R ,1 through 4 and L 1 through 4. Same truck. Each with different lettering. Only one truck is available. No one would probably ever notice you have 2 the same. The new ones have nothing as far as lettering. Probably a cost saving move. Priced at $32 for a pair plus shipping. Hit some shows and you can probably score a whole car just for the trucks and be money ahead as mentioned above.

Thanks for all of your replies. I will contact Lionel to order the couplers. I have purchased multiple original cars with the articulating trucks intending to use them as donors but each time find that the cars are a like new version that I don’t already have and can’t bring myself to breaking them up. Oh well.

Atlas also used a coupler that flex-ed in the middle.

@MICHAEL464 posted:

Thanks for all of your replies. I will contact Lionel to order the couplers. I have purchased multiple original cars with the articulating trucks intending to use them as donors but each time find that the cars are a like new version that I don’t already have and can’t bring myself to breaking them up. Oh well.

The milk cars from the 00s and early 10s are awesome.  They are so much nicer than the new ones. I wouldn’t make them donors unless they are damaged.  I can’t remember if the milk cars use the same trucks as scale boxcars, but if so that significantly opens up the donor possibilities for finding a scrapped car.

The best plan might be to dump your new car and find the road name in a nice car from the earlier releases.

Good luck.