I am stupid!!!!!


FM C liner

FM C liner

Member
Hey guys,
I purchased a IHC Southern Pacific daylight coach and a baggage car from ebay, it arrived today and noted that the coach car is longer than I expected it to be. I have 18" radius curves and noted the coach does not look right on the curves. Also noted the the couplers on the coach are mounted to the frame and the car will not turn and wants to flip over. I feel like an idiot for buying these without looking into it more. I know kadee makes a coupler kit for these #508, it will allow me to put the couplers back on the trucks but I am not sure what to do. I am posting some pics of the cars. Thanks for looking, any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks
Scott

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I could be wrong but I think the Kadee kits for the 4 and 6 wheel IHC / AHM cars mount on part of the original truck mounted coupler box. It looks like they have been cut off the car you show.
 
Even if you were able to adapt those Kadee couplers as a double pivot system (which Walthers does on it's long rolling stock, body mounted), looking at your overhead photo, it's pretty obvious that they would have to swing outside of the car body (on the inside of the curve) which wouldn't look very good, but if you can tolerate that it may be achievable, and they would also have to body mount and have a support strap across the end nearest to the coupler to prevent droop. Long shank couplers would also probably be needed.

All in all, a lot of work for a not very satisfactory looking/operating result. We've all made errors of judgement in purchases, so don't beat yourself up about it too much.
 
You aren't stupid, you're learning! We have all made these mistakes at some point. At least you learned your lesson with some inexpensive used passenger cars and not an expensive six axle diesel or an articulated steam engine! Trying to get too much train around too small a radius is a common problem. We all imagine our layouts to be bigger than they truly are, then one day reality slaps us in the face. Welcome to the club! ;)
 
Iron Horseman said:
...

Sell them and try again?
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I think that is your best bet.

Don't feel bad, I bought an N scale locomotive thinking it was O, Imagine my surprise when I opened that box?

I check listings very carefully now.

I kept the little locomotive, it works and I sit it under the Christmas tree on my Thomas the Tank Engine table, my grandson gave me with the N scale Bachmann Spirit of Christmas set. Chessie colors are Christmas colors under my Christmas trees.
 
Thanks guys,
I have purchased some roundhouse harriman kits for a pretty good price, they are 60' so they should be ok. I now will have to sell the IHC cars to see if I can get some of my money back. My wife was super happy to hear that I spent money on the wrong cars. I will call it a learning experience. Thanks for all of the replies.

Scott
 
The frown with seething eyes, eh! Don't ever retaliate when she makes a wrong purchase then, or you'll know what the heat from a flamethrower feels like.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
Well, heck. Now ya have to build a bigger layout.
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Haha, that is kinda what we had to do, with purchasing larger steam power, we took the O scale off of the bottom section and put in double track main. Anyways, I would go ahead and get some of the truck mounted couplers off of Ebay, that should allow you to run those cars on 18" track! Nice cars though!
 
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