# Rolling stock opinions



## Rook (Nov 5, 2017)

Have a Atlas sd24 high nose but no rolling stock. If you were starting from nothing how would you aquire stock? Train show, ebay lot sale, new or used? 

Think the loco has accumate couplers. Would you try to keep all your rolling stock couplers the same or use a conversion car (different couplers on a single car) to switch to MT True scale couplers? What is your favorite brand? Some are magnetic and some are not?

Truck mount coupler on the first car after the loco...then body mount all other stock?

Metal wheels can be used with most any trucks or will the trucks need to be updated also?

Trying to stay with shorter cars for now...36ft tankers, 40ft box. The loco has some nice detail, it would be nice if my cars didn't look like someones first attempt at 3d printing.

What about kits? Tichy had some old boxcars but there must be others.

Thxs for reading.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Older Kadee cars can be picked up for $8-10...well worth it and right within you desired specs. I have about 30 and they are quite nice.just stay away from the special runs and their later ones...but only for pricing reasons.


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## Ko Improbable (Mar 15, 2017)

My experience with buying stuff at train shows has been hit or miss. If you're willing to do a little work to fix minor issues, however, it's not too bad.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Make a list of what you want, figure out it's retail value, and then keep an eye on eBay, vendor sales, train shows, etc. to find what you want.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Cars and couplers*



Rook said:


> Have a Atlas sd24 high nose but no rolling stock. If you were starting from nothing how would you aquire stock? Train show, ebay lot sale, new or used?
> 
> Think the loco has accumate couplers. Would you try to keep all your rolling stock couplers the same or use a conversion car (different couplers on a single car) to switch to MT True scale couplers? What is your favorite brand? Some are magnetic and some are not?
> 
> ...


Rook; I suggest switching to Micro/Trains couplers on your loco. It will never get easier or cheaper than now, when you only have one loco to convert. M/T couplers are the best out there and using the same brand on all your cars and locos is the best way to insure reliable coupler operation. In theory all knuckle couplers are compatible, but the reality is that sometimes they are not. 

Metal aftermarket wheelsets come in several different axle lengths to fit various brands of trucks. Micro/Trains just started selling metal wheelsets and intermountain and fox valley models have been selling them for years. Many N-scale cars come with metal wheels. If you cut off the Rapido couplers from the trucks and body mount M/T couplers you may save some money. A lot of older cars have deep flange wheels. If you are using Atlas code 55 track these wheels will hit the oversized spikes. Atlas, or any brand, code 80 and Micro Engineering's beautiful code 55 flex track will work fine with either deep flange, or the newer shallow flange ones.

Truck mounted couplers or body mounted? I would say body mount them all. You should not need to have the same truck mounted coupler car always behind the locomotive. Body mounted couplers on both the loco and the first car should not be a problem, unless your layout has very sharp curves. If it does, then I would go with all truck mounted couplers. Mixing body and truck mounted types is likely to cause trouble, especially when backing up. Pick one or the other, not both. If you elect to go all truck mounted, the easy way is to buy M/T trucks with their excellent couplers already attached.

Kits are fine, though usually as expensive or more than built up cars, especially used ones. I have some cars for sale in the "For sale member to member section. They are under the title "N-scale cars for sale. You might want to take a look through the photos and see if there's anything you want. 

regards;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## Rook (Nov 5, 2017)

Well I didn't expect a suggestion to update a relativly new loco. Noted.

Am blown away with all the truck/wheelset/coupler options. Need my train to work, if I have to chase it around I wont enjoy it. Didn't know axle lengths varied! My track is ME 55 and some 83 unitrack. Ordered a car off ebay, waiting to see what is has. 9in radius is the smallest curve so far. The ME truck/coupler is on my list. Is there a Non magnetic metal wheel lol? Do they act funny near an uncoupling magnet?

What do the majority of folks do for coupling...manually or remote?


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## Rook (Nov 5, 2017)

shaygetz said:


> Older Kadee cars can be picked up for $8-10...well worth it and right within you desired specs.


At first I thought you meant Kadee couplers...but I did see some cars labeled Kadee. And other brands I never heard of. Lima, Concor and more.

I think I should have ask what brands to stay away from lol.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Rook

Yes, you want non magnetic wheels and
axles. Otherwise, you'll see a car dancing
back and forth at times over one of the
under track magnetic uncouplers. They'll
even recouple if you don't watch them.

Don


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*9" radius? M/E? truck/coupler?*



Rook said:


> Well I didn't expect a suggestion to update a relativly new loco. Noted.
> 
> Am blown away with all the truck/wheelset/coupler options. Need my train to work, if I have to chase it around I wont enjoy it. Didn't know axle lengths varied! My track is ME 55 and some 83 unitrack. Ordered a car off ebay, waiting to see what is has. 9in radius is the smallest curve so far. The ME truck/coupler is on my list. Is there a Non magnetic metal wheel lol? Do they act funny near an uncoupling magnet?
> 
> What do the majority of folks do for coupling...manually or remote?


Rook;

You mentioned "M/E 55" I assume that means you are using Micro Engineering brand, code 55 flex track, excellent choice.

Micro/Trains trucks come with excellent quality, but plastic, not metal, wheels in them. If you want metal wheels (good choice) they are available. 
Yes, there are non-magnetic, metal, wheels, they are simply made of non-ferrous, (non-magnetic) metal. They are sold separately by Fox Valley Models, Intermountain, and now by Micro Trains. The axle lengths are sorted out by brands of trucks the various axles are made to fit. The package has those brands printed on it. The amount of length difference between axles is only a few thousandths of an inch, so bending the truck frames in or out a bit usually works, if the axle does not fit.

You also said " The M/E truck/coupler is on your list. I think you meant M/T for Micro Trains; rather than M/E which would be Micro Engineering. I don't think Micro Engineering makes trucks, or couplers, but Micro Trains certainly does. Probably just a typo. No big deal.

Nine inches is a very tight curve for N-scale. The smallest radius Atlas sectional track available is nine & three quarter inches. Is that what you mean? I would suggest getting your layout's minimum radius up to at least 12" or, better yet, larger, if at all possible. My minimum was 12", but I had to up it to 16" to handle 2-8-2 Mikado steam Locomotives reliably. If you do need to use any radius less than twelve inches. I suggest using truck-mounted couplers on everything. Truck-mounts are able to handle tight curves better than body mounts.

You asked what most people do for "coupling" manual, or automatic. Well, all model couplers couple automatically by just pushing the cars together. I think you may mean uncoupling. The most popular method of uncoupling may be using a stick to manually uncouple the Micro/Trains couplers. However Micro/ Trains couplers also have reliable automatic uncoupling built into their design. Magnets between the rails, below the track, or electromagnets, are used for uncoupling them. The between the rails type will attract magnetic, steel axles used on some cars. The under the track mount, permanent magnet can be hinged, and only tilted up directly under the track when you want to uncouple; and, of course the electromagnet is switched on and off as needed. 

I hope that answers your questions;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Kadee Micro/Trains*



Rook said:


> At first I thought you meant Kadee couplers...but I did see some cars labeled Kadee. And other brands I never heard of. Lima, Concor and more.
> 
> I think I should have ask what brands to stay away from lol.


Rook;

Years ago Kadee and what is now called Micro/Trains, were one company, Kadee. The brothers who owned the company split it into two separate companies with Kadee making products for HO-scale and larger. Micro/Trains now serves N-scale and Z-scale. Older N-scale cars may well be labeled Kadee. Newer ones are labeled Micro/Trains.
The excellent quality and superior detail of Micro/Trains products is seldom, if ever, matched in the ready-to run car market. They are the gold standard of N-scale. The same goes for older cars labeled Kadee.

Con-Cor is more of an importer than a manufacturer, though they do make a few cars of their own. Quality is generally quite good.

Lima is a European firm, and their quality varies all over the place. Most of their cars, and many older Bachman cars, are OK at best. Some are actually pretty bad. Again both firms have their products made in various factories in China. Quality varies with the manufacturer, but in general the cars are fairly rugged, and have basic molded-in detail. 

regards;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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