Tomix 92240 Twilight Express with Kato 11-702 Couplers

[roadstar_na6]

Hello everyone!

 

I‘ve recently bought a full Tomix Twilight Express 92240/41/42 set on YAJ and since all my other rolling stock is from Kato and equipped with their 11-702 knuckle couplers I got a question regarding the Twilight Express‘ end car. It appears that this car is equipped with a dummy coupler and thus cannot easily be equipped with different couplers.

Does anyone know if this is correct and if there is a cheap/easy fix for this issue as my model train club has a head-station possible to be used in their layout and it‘d be pretty odd to have "Hand of God" turn the whole train around because of a dummy coupler on one end of it.

 

I already sorted out converting the loco to Kato couplers but would also like to know if the gap between cars gets too small once they‘re equipped with knuckle couplers as it seems to me that they‘re already reasonably close to each other.

 

Thank you in advance for reading and I hope somebody could help me.

 

Kind Regards from Germany,

Jan

Edited February 19, 2020 by roadstar_na6

[katoftw]

The original has rapido couplers with pockets attached to the bogies.

 

If these pockets are still there, the you can equip the Kato knuckle couplers in them.

 

If the pockets have been cut away and body mount or dummy couplers have been fitted. Then you'll need to track down some new bogies.

 

 

[disturbman]

You should be able to unclip the whole dummy coupler from the car and then replace it with the correct body-mounted TN coupler. Since this is a Tomix set, I would also replace the locomotive rapidos with the TN couplers provided in the box.

I don't know this set, but later sets accept 0374 TN couplers for short coupling.

[roadstar_na6]

1 hour ago, katoftw said:

[...]

It‘s only about the Suronefu 25-500 car that has a dummy coupler at the end in every photo I could find on it.

 

52 minutes ago, disturbman said:

You should be able to unclip the whole dummy coupler from the car and then replace it with the correct body-mounted TN coupler.

How can I find out what body mount coupler I need?

 

52 minutes ago, disturbman said:

Since this is a Tomix set, I would also replace the locomotive rapidos with the TN couplers provided in the box.

Already sorted out everything to convert the Loco to Kato couplers as I want to keep consistency between everything I have but without the huge and ugly Rapidos 😄

It‘s really only the end car and it‘s dummy coupler that gives me a small headache. There are some photos on YAJ of the underside of that car (and one regular car) which I‘ll attach. Maybe that can give away a clue?

 

Edited February 20, 2020 by roadstar_na6

[disturbman]

What happens if you remove the shell? You should see what holds the dummy coupler to the car. Since there is a part number on the plate holding the coupler, you should just be able to unclip it.

Is there four little pins at each end of all the cars, on the side of the undercarriages? I don't really see the need to equip the whole fleet with Kato couplers if you don't intend to run this set with a Kato locomotive. Kato and Tomix have their own close coupling systems, it's easier to stay with the one produced by the car's manufacturer.

 

If you want to stay consistent with Kato couplers, you might have to source a replacement bogie for the SuRoNeFu.

[roadstar_na6]

The set is not yet with me, I‘ll look into it as soon as I have it.

 

My intention behind using the same couplers everywhere is that I want to be able to put a Kato loco to this and to be able to put the EF81 to my Kato stuff without the Rapidos.

 

Thank you for the help so far, I really appreciate it!

[katoftw]

I have done the same. All my Tomix frieght or passenger cars are fitted with Kato couplers.

 

Judging by the picture you posted. Looks like you need another bogie. As that one has had the pocket removed and a dummy body mount coupler fitted.

 

Set may come with an extra bogie. Most of my Tomix passenger car sets have a few extras for period of running variences.

[roadstar_na6]

11 minutes ago, katoftw said:

[...] extra bogie [...]

There was one pic in my auction that I couldn‘t quite find out what it showed so maybe it‘s the extra bogie in a plastic wrap (see here). Tomix‘ description of the set at least mentions an extra bogie being in the box, but who knows if that‘s still there on a used set 😄

[disturbman]

Looks indeed like two wheelless bogies.

[katoftw]

Yup hopefully those are ones you need and still in the box.

[roadstar_na6]

The set has btw arrived last week and today the couplers and everything else also arrived.

 

As said, the box indeed inclouded two bogies without wheels as a replacement for the dummy couplers which I already replaced. I'll now swap all couplers for the Kato ones on Monday or Tuesday and then consider the set finished 😄 The dining car also already comes with the table lights and everything else also is in perfectly fine running order. Overall I'm really happy with the set and hope, it'll serve me good in the next years and hopefully on some shows the club layout will travel to 🙂

[katoftw]

Great to hear.

[roadstar_na6]

So I got a little spare time today and started the conversation.

 

The locomotive was pretty straight forward with disassembling the Tomix Knuckle Coupler, and replacing the coupler unit with the Kato one. There were no modifications or cutting needed, it just fit in there.

 

Next up were the passenger cars. The coupler in the bogie is held in place with a clipped metal plate to secure the spring and coupler. It took me a lot of tries to get that one off but then the coupler just fit in the pocket snugly. It however doesn‘t move a mm into any direction,  is that correct? I put the spring back in but I‘d say it‘s pretty useless now and doesn‘t do anything 😄

 

I‘ll finish the conversation on Monday and hope to try it out in the evening on the club layout.

 

[katoftw]

Yeah no need for the spring.

[Kiha66]

Wow!  I didnt know it was so easy to swap tomix cars to kato couplers.  This is life changing!  I sense a huge tomix order in my future...

[katoftw]

Yup real easy. When Kato announced the Koki 106/107 sets. I sold all my Tomix kokis and brought Kato. As I wanted to switchvto knuckle couplers. Was a waste of energy in the end. I found out 3 months later the kato couplers fit the rapido pockets.

[Kiha66]

Any tips on changing tomix locos to kato knuckles?  This really opens up a lot more opportunities I wasn't expecting.  I'm excited to get tomix JNR koki's with their large mix of containers now.

[Kamome]

6 hours ago, katoftw said:

Yeah no need for the spring.

I’d say it can help when the odd coupler droops a bit. Keeps tension on the back of the coupler to help it sit proud. 

[roadstar_na6]

57 minutes ago, Kiha66 said:

Any tips on changing tomix locos to kato knuckles? 

For the EF81 I just got the Tomix knuckle coupler, disassembled it and put the Kato coupler in. I suppose it‘s similar for a lot of other locos. There is a topic on that conversation from @emkay_777 here.

 

 

40 minutes ago, Kamome said:

I’d say it can help when the odd coupler droops a bit. Keeps tension on the back of the coupler to help it sit proud. 

They‘re in there so tight and are also held in place with the metal plate that holds the regular coupler and spring in place that they won‘t ever move anywhere 😄

Edited March 8, 2020 by roadstar_na6

[roadstar_na6]

Just gonna give this a final update.

Here is a picture of the Knuckle Couplers compared to the Rapidos.

 

 

Everything works fine and no uncouplings so far.