# Couplers for Tyco engine



## spicercars (Sep 12, 2012)

I cant find replacement couplers for a Tyco engine. Is there something else out there that I can use without breaking the bank? Thanks


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## Prospect193 (Nov 30, 2011)

do you want original couplers or Kadee replacements??

Pat


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## Prospect193 (Nov 30, 2011)

Here is some info I found!!!!

"Most model railroaders use the prototypical appearing Knuckle Couplers in regular layout operations. TYCO supplied X2F-style Couplers with its locos and rolling stock with very few exceptions. The Transformers train set of the mid-'80s is an example of a TYCO item that did not come equipped with X2F's. Again, the vast majority of TYCO pieces may not be easily compatible with today's operations due to this coupler issue.

One very simple suggest is to take a piece of rolling stock and put a Knuckle Coupler at one end and install an X2F Coupler on the other end. This single piece of rolling stock suddenly allows you to operate both Knuckle and X2F Couplers together on your pike.

Another suggestion is to purchase a pack of IHC-Hobby's Magic Mate Couplers. These couplers, stock number 19001, are a unique item that is a cross between an X2F and Knuckle in appearance and can mate with either type in operation. IHC offers them in sets of 4-Pair that may be simply constructed and sell for about $5.

For the more determined operator, Kadee has done most of the research and trial-and-error work for you and offers a listing of replacement Knuckle Couplers for TYCO items. The following information is taken from Kadee and is provided for your information.

TYCO HO-Scale Kadee Coupler Converstion Listing

0-4-0 Steam Booster -#37 on the Pilot and #5 on Tender
0-6-0 Little Six -#37 on the Pilot and #5 on Tender
0-6-0 Big Six -#37
0-8-0 Chattanooga -#5 on the Pilot and #27 on Tender
2-6-2 Prairie -#37
2-8-2 Mikado -#38
4-4-0 General -#5 on Tender
4-6-2 Pacific -#39 on Pilot and #37 on Tender

Century 430 -#27 fits truck mounted coupler pockets
F-9A -#33 on front pilot and on rear truck mounted coupler pocket
F-9B -#33 on both truck mounted coupler pockets
GP-20 -#9 on both truck mounted coupler pockets
GG-1 -#26 on both truck mounted coupler pockets
Diesel Switcher -#5 fits both ends

Most Brown Box Era TYCO Rolling Stock accepts a #28 into the talgo truck coupler pockets

Older TYCO Rolling Stock may require a #9 to fit properly

Steamline Passenger Cars take either #5 or #58 couplers

Old-Time Passenger Cars use the #9 couplers

Those wishing to replace broken or missing TYCO's talgo truck coupler on Rolling Stock selections, may try Life-Like's Bettendorf Trucks. These trucks include a coupler mounted to the truck and should fit many TYCO items. The Life-Like Bettendorf Truck Couplers come equipped with an X2F and are part number 1413 in the company's product line and sell for around $5 a pair.

Kadee does offer a very nice running Bettendorf Truck with talgo-style coupler mounted to the truck. One problem with trying to use them on TYCO Rolling Stock is the lack of prongs on the truck. TYCO trucks snapped into the underframe and Kadee has designed these trucks to accept a screw or possibly a plug. These Kadee trucks, stock number 502 selling for under $10 a pair, could be used but would take about as much work and simply mounting your own coupler pocket to a TYCO underframe.

One my best suggestions for operating yesterday's toy trains on today's layouts is to switch out underframes. It may take some minor work to the underframe, but you'll find that the current Bachmann HO-Scale Rolling Stock comes very nicely equipped with body-mounted knuckle couplers and great running metal wheels in nice trucks. When you consider the cost, you can pick up a Bachmann Box Car for around $10 and take its underframe and put it under a TYCO Box Car for about what you might spend to get new metal wheels and replacement knuckle couplers. 

I recently acquired a set of Lionel-HO 50' Beer Reefers that I wanted to run and I simply swapped out the underframes from the old Lionel-HO with plastic wheels and talgo X2F's and put in a new Bachmann 50' Box Car's underframe and off and running great my Coors Box Car went!"


Pat


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## spicercars (Sep 12, 2012)

Original for now I have too many to replace to switch to Kadee


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## rrgrassi (May 3, 2012)

Although it can be more expensive to convert Tyco rolling stock, what I do is glue in a piece of sprue into the hole where the snap in truck goes, drill and tap with a 256 and screw in a new truck with metal wheels. Then I remove the wheel set, and body mount a coupler using the Kadee body mount pocket and a #5 coupler. In the case of the six axle tankers, I use a Kadee adapter and insert a whisker coupler into the talgo truck.

The Tyco converting is good to practice and keep modeling/repairing/rebuilding skills current. 

I still have my Tyco stuff from when I was a kid in the 70's, Including my Tender Driven Chattenooga consolidation. I am working on a plan to swap out the drive with a Varney drive from a SW1.


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