What did you do on your layout today? (N scale)

[Densha]

I really need to get into TN couplers, but they are just so expensive!

[velotrain]

Thanks for this Junior.  I haven't swapped out any couplers yet, but I do have an Osaka Power Loop train enroute.

[JR 500系]

Wow those TN couplers really made a HUGE difference by making a TINY gap!

 

I find most of MA or GM trains can be fitted with the 0336 black or 0337 Grey TN couplers, which makes them highly useful... I have a long list to TN coupler change but just don't have the financial backing to do so...

 

An easy way to calculate TN coupler required for any set is by multiplying the number of cars by 2, and then subtract that number by 2 since the front and rear ends of the cars are not required usually. I often make my calculations this way...

 

A not so nice point about the conversion (aside from the cost), is that during conversion the regular rapido couplers usually needs to be snap off to make way for the TN ones, which makes the process irreversible...

[Pauljag900]

On 07/11/2017 at 1:25 PM, railsquid said:

Blessed be the Squidlet, for he has discovered that watching Daddy "make twees" is most fascinating and almost forces me to sit down and start doing something, so I have actually got some more scenery done.

overview-station-goods-shed by Rail Squid, on Flickr

Do of course be aware this is all work-in-ad-hoc-progress and am slightly hampered by having the Squidlet sit on my lap, and I will soon need to prepare something else which can be done without involving sharp pointy things or noxious substances.

Hey squid,

i ve got one of those too,my five year old grandson who just fires a ton of questions at me and I end up giving a running commentary as I work while he runs "My red train",the Narita express,he can t quite get the Narita bit yet)

he arrived yesterday just in time to track test the thomas trains.

[JR 500系]

Bet he's having a great time!

[Pauljag900]

On ‎11‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 1:25 PM, railsquid said:

Blessed be the Squidlet, for he has discovered that watching Daddy "make twees" is most fascinating and almost forces me to sit down and start doing something, so I have actually got some more scenery done.

overview-station-goods-shed by Rail Squid, on Flickr

Do of course be aware this is all work-in-ad-hoc-progress and am slightly hampered by having the Squidlet sit on my lap, and I will soon need to prepare something else which can be done without involving sharp pointy things or noxious substances.

 

11 minutes ago, JR 500系 said:

Bet he's having a great time!

IT LL BE EVEN BETTER WHEN I UNPACK THE OTHER NARITA EXPRESS AND HE REALISES THERE S TWO OF THEM,HAHA

Sammy,did you get that email buddy?

Edited November 9, 2017 by Pauljag900

[Pashina12]

Wow, those TN couplers really do look super on those sets! My DCs are going to be all Tomix so that means should be no problem at all having them all fitted with TNs. And the couplers themselves look decent, too.

 

Still need to figure out what to do about freight cars and locomotives, though. I really dislike the look of the Arnold couplers. I suppose TNs could be an option - for the Tomix equipment, but I'm gonna take a guess that they're not gonna fit any Kato cars. And, then I've got some Popondetta cars that are gonna need surgery to mount anything other than the Arnolds. I'm leaning towards MicroTrains Z scale couplers... but I'll ask other local N scalers at the local train show this weekend what they're using.

[Densha]

2 hours ago, JR 500系 said:

A not so nice point about the conversion (aside from the cost), is that during conversion the regular rapido couplers usually needs to be snap off to make way for the TN ones, which makes the process irreversible...

Really? I thought that, except for some rare cases, just removing the bulky rapido/arnold couplers from the coupler holder and installing the body mounted TN couplers should do the trick.

[Kiha66]

1 hour ago, Pashina12 said:

Wow, those TN couplers really do look super on those sets! My DCs are going to be all Tomix so that means should be no problem at all having them all fitted with TNs. And the couplers themselves look decent, too.

 

Still need to figure out what to do about freight cars and locomotives, though. I really dislike the look of the Arnold couplers. I suppose TNs could be an option - for the Tomix equipment, but I'm gonna take a guess that they're not gonna fit any Kato cars. And, then I've got some Popondetta cars that are gonna need surgery to mount anything other than the Arnolds. I'm leaning towards MicroTrains Z scale couplers... but I'll ask other local N scalers at the local train show this weekend what they're using.

 

Kato makes replacement knuckle couplers in a few different styles, and for very cheap.  The kato knuckle is also compatible with almost every other manufacture's knuckle couplers, while the tomix version only works with itself.  I standardized my DMUs with tomix TN couplers, and everything else is kato knuckle. 

[Kiha66]

Speaking of couplers, I converted more of my koki's to kato knuckle.  I think it really improves the look of the train.

 

Edited November 9, 2017 by Kiha66

[serotta1972]

6 hours ago, Densha said:

Really? I thought that, except for some rare cases, just removing the bulky rapido/arnold couplers from the coupler holder and installing the body mounted TN couplers should do the trick.

 

Yeah, all the ones I've done - I've had to snip off the coupler holder.  It won't fit otherwise.  I've been getting mine from Amazon JP and it cost 1050 JPY but they always seem to be out of stock, so now when it's in stock I would get more than I need.

Edited November 9, 2017 by serotta1972

[Pashina12]

11 hours ago, Kiha66 said:

Speaking of couplers, I converted more of my koki's to kato knuckle.  I think it really improves the look of the train.

 

 

Yeah, those do look a lot better than the Arnolds!

 

Something I want to keep in mind though - for certain things, I'd like to be able to go in and grab at my LHS at any time. Couplers are one of those things, I think, if I need one on a moment's notice... we'll see. If they prove to be reasonably readily available locally, this could be a definite option.

[Densha]

Because about half of the posts in this topic seem to be about rolling stock rather than layouts I decided to open a thread dedicated to rolling stock: 

 

[serotta1972]

Great call Densha, you're absolutely right.  Thank you for creating the new thread.

[Khaul]

14 hours ago, Kiha66 said:

Speaking of couplers, I converted more of my koki's to kato knuckle.  I think it really improves the look of the train.

 

 

I have fit the good looking Kato couplers to locomotives and to freight cars with bogie mounts. I have not been able to find the ones for the two axle body mounts. I see you have installed them in the brake van. Which type are they?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Pablo

 

[Kiha66]

1 minute ago, Khaul said:

I see you have installed them in the brake van. Which type are they?

 

Actually, I used the same part, kato 11-702, for all the cars.  You just place it in the pocket same as the rapido, and it works great!

[Khaul]

2 hours ago, Kiha66 said:

 

Actually, I used the same part, kato 11-702, for all the cars.  You just place it in the pocket same as the rapido, and it works great!

 

Right, I thought your couplers were of the Kato USA 923500 family. I first changed all of my Rapidos to 11-702s, which is already quite an improvement. The 11-702s fit anywhere a Rapido with a t-shank fits including Kato, Popondetta and even many Tomix freight cars. They are also compatible with the better looking 923500 family. I have fitted 923500s only to the Kato cars with bogie-mounts.

[Kiha66]

22 minutes ago, Khaul said:

 

Right, I thought your couplers were of the Kato USA  family. I first changed all of my Rapidos to 11-702s, which is already quite an improvement. The 11-702s fit anywhere a Rapido with a t-shank fits including Kato, Popondetta and even many Tomix freight cars. They are also compatible with the better looking 923500 family. I have fitted 923500s only to the Kato cars with bogie-mounts.

 

Kato actually made a replacement coupler pocket that matches the 923500 type couplers, but they haven't been available for a few years.  The 702 work very well though, havent had any issues.

[Khaul]

50 minutes ago, Kiha66 said:

 

Kato actually made a replacement coupler pocket that matches the 923500 type couplers, but they haven't been available for a few years.  The 702 work very well though, havent had any issues.

 

I know! And yes, 702s work quite well and look much better than Rapidos.

[railsquid]

Going back to layout stuff, working on integrating the goods platform into the scenery.

 

Goods platform construction-1 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Observant observers will notice the infamous 2-colour 100 yen shop foam board and part of a disposable wooden chopstick helping hold things together.

[Pauljag900]

Spent most of the week wiring in building lights and fixing them down.

Starting to look a bit of a mess underneath😂

 

made a cover from foamboard and covered it in tarmac sheets for now.

Eventually this will be the American section.

[cteno4]

A very pretty mess! 

 

Jeff

[medusa]

Yesterday / today I was running in my new EH800, of course. Gave it a number of loops on an "8" shaped temporary track on the dinner table on diffferent speeds, just watching it.

 

As of the knuckle discussion above, I converted all of my non-European rolling stock to Kato 11-702. Arnold couplers hide only between the buffer plates of the European cars so I left them in place.

I mean, think of the scale. Two coupled Arnolds would in 1:1 be about the size of a desk. Naah...

[Pauljag900]

3 hours ago, cteno4 said:

A very pretty mess! 

 

Jeff

 

3 hours ago, cteno4 said:

A very pretty mess! 

 

Jeff

Spent most of the week wiring in building lights and fixing them down.

Starting to look a bit of a mess underneath😂

 

made a cover from foamboard and covered it in tarmac sheets for now.

Eventually this will be the American section.

[Pauljag900]

Eventually it went dark,