Fred Klein, 2010, 2013
Two storage box ideas
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A method I use for storing cars in their plastic jewel cases is to make clam-shell boxes out of fast food trays. I buy the large size (14� x 18�) trays at a restaurant supply store. They are sold in a dozen or so different colors. Then I tape two long sides together with duct tape to make a hinge. Wash the trays with soap and water first to remove the mold release and tape both the inside and outside with 2� duct tape. You can use color coding for different cars or railroads. The trays are very sturdy and they can stack at least 6 high if you tape them carefully so the top and bottom line up. The trays themselves are made by Cambro: there are other types of trays, but Cambro fast food trays have the right amount of space for most N scale boxes. A chain of restaurant supply stores that sells them in the west is Cresco, but there are stores in the whole country.
I use a thin tackle box made by Plano for cars without their own boxes. One tackle box holds 10 passenger cars. Use fine bubble wrap to cushion the cars. The box is type 3700
http://www.planomolding.com/product.php?BCCID=138&PID=749 You might find it a well-stocked sporting goods store but you can order from the Plano company.
Coupler changes
I use most brands of passenger cars, and these are the changes I make to couple them together interchangeably. I�m sure many modelers have a system, but this is what I have tried and it works for me. My philosophy is to use as much of the original truck as possible to keep costs down. If I�m keeping the original truck, I don�t replace a Rapido coupler with a Microtrains coupler (like Microtrains part 1128) in the same truck and coupler pocket, because I have found that this is too time consuming and it is hard for me to get a reliable coupler. One solution to getting a good running train is to put Microtrains trucks and couplers on every car, but this too expensive and laborious for me. If you want magnetic uncoupling, or want as little rolling friction as possible, just use Microtrains trucks, spend money and don�t worry. The goal is to get every car equipped with knuckle couplers compatible with Microtrains trucks and couplers (part MT-1017 for 4-wheel and MT-1018 for 6-wheel).
Pay particular attention to: 1) Coupler height above the rails. I use a Microtrains guage MT-1055 to be sure the height is right. 2) Be sure there is no vertical play in the coupler, and use shims to keep vertical swinging from happening. 3) Be sure each car meets or is heavier than the NMRA weight standard, which is 0.50 ounce plus 0.15 ounce per inch of car length. This is 1.4 ounce for a 6 inch passenger car. A little extra weight is good, especially if you have old, dirty or dented wheels and trucks, or less than perfect track and turnouts.
I do not change trucks or couplers on Microtrains, Walthers, Rapido or the newer Intermountain passenger cars. Check the magnetic coupler trip pin to be sure there is plenty of clearance above the rail head. If it is too low it will pick the moveable rail inside a turnout.
Con cor smoothside cars. I have not seen or tried the new (late 2010) Con cor knuckle coupler. I replace the original Rapido coupler with an old style Kato passenger coupler (Kato part 11-702, no longer made but sometimes sold on ebay for 3-5 times the original price), or with a Unimate coupler (sold by Red Caboose). The Kato coupler looks like a wider, misshapen knuckle, but it is a two-piece coupler that self-tightens and works well. I put a 5/16� long (approx) piece of 0.010 x 0.060� strip styrene under the Kato coupler to position it vertically and keep it from swiveling up and down. The styrene strip sticks out on both sides, but if you fold the ends up and paint it with a black sharpie pen, it is nearly invisible. This procedure also works on the older Rowa semi-corrugated cars.
The Unimate coupler is installed the same way and the styrene strip is very important to suppress vertical play. Unimates are rigid, one piece couplers. They are very difficult to uncouple, an advantage for a moving train, but they require lifting the car up off the rails to couple and uncouple. Their rigidity means you must mount them in a truck to turn on curves, and body mounting does not give any lateral play for curves. Unimates are available in 3 different lengths for different car separations. I have found medium shanks (sometimes long) works the best on smoothside Con cor cars. A long is required on Con cor Budd cars to use the passageway piece between cars. Short shanks are for freight cars, and especially good between locomotives to keep them from uncoupling as they jostle along the track.
Con cor Budd cars. Like the smoothside cars, I keep the original truck and wheels and replace the coupler with a Unimate. The Kato coupler will work, but it is so short that you must remove the passageway frame.
Model Power (Lima or Atlas) heavyweight cars. I discard the entire truck and replace it with a 6-wheel Microtrains truck and coupler. Model Power cars sit too high above the rails with too much space between the truck and the car. I file down the bolster into which the truck pin is inserted to a height about the same as the car sides. This allows the truck to swivel without seeing much daylight above the truck.
Rivarossi (also Con cor) heavyweight cars. Also old Rivarossi/Atlas smoothside lightweight cars. Remove the metal clip that holds the coupler in place. Straighten (but do not break) the prongs, because you will re-insert the clip in the same place to hold the new coupler. Discard the Rapido coupler and replace it with a Kato or Unimate coupler. A short 5/32� piece of 0.010 x 0.060� strip styrene must be inserted in the coupler pocket, but it goes below the Kato coupler and above the Unimate coupler. Lay the truck flat, upside-down with the wheels up so the open coupler pocket is facing up. If you are using a Unimate, put the styrene chip in the pocket pushing it down so it snugly fits at the bottom (which will become the top) of the coupler pocket. Be sure not to cover the slots in the pocket where the prongs of the metal clip will go. Then lay the Unimate coupler on the styrene chip making sure it faces the correct direction to couple with the next car. Then insert the metal clip in its original place and bend the prongs around the coupler pocket.
If you are using a Kato coupler, put it in the coupler pocket first, and lay the styrene strip on top of it before inserting the metal clip. As you insert the clip, you will probably have to re-center the styrene chip because it might have fallen off as you push on the metal clip. The purpose of the styrene chip with both types of coupler is to position the coupler vertically and keep it from swiveling up and down. Check the truck and coupler on a piece of track with a Microtrains MT-1055 height gauge for the correct height to couple, and be sure you can�t easily pull the couplers apart.
The Rivarossi cars are too light by about � ounce. I use two � ounce self-adhesive lead automotive weights that about �� square. I put one in each vestibule if I can (coaches and sleepers have room at each end), or cut pieces as necessary to fit weight into rooms or on the floor.
Centralia Car Shops (Intermountain) lightweight cars. I discard the trucks on the earlier model cars (the ones without internal lighting) and replace them with Microtrains 1017 trucks. The old Intermountain trucks have a Microtrains coupler, but the sideframes are press fit and can twist around. The superior Microtrains trucks are molded in one, rigid piece. The newer, lighted Intermountain cars have Microtrains trucks installed at the factory.
