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I have added electro couplers to a couple of Weaver brass engines, an 2-8-0 and 4-6-2 but it required a lot of fabrication. I doubt one could be added to a diecast engine without having it stick out a 1/4 mile due to more metal in a diecast frame.

The proximity of the pilot truck to the pilot is what prevents installing an electro coupler.

Pete

I have added both dummy couplers for doubleheading and operating electrocouplers for switching to several of my steam locomotives.  The ones I have done are all brass by Williams, Weaver and 3rd Rail.

Here is a dummy coupler added to a Weaver 2-8-2.

ogr_coupler1

This Williams 2-8-2 has an operating electrocoupler added to the front.

ogr_coupler2

I use Atlas electrocouplers that are meant to fit their Erie Built (and other) diesels.  These are the shortest I have found.  The coupler screws to the top of the pilot truck after drilling and tapping the truck for a #6 machine screw.  That's the easy part.  To provide room for the coupler to swing, the bottom of the pilot beam and the scale front coupler box must be removed, along with the inside vertical bars the support the pilot foot boards.  I work carefully with a Dremel to do this.  The coupler swings enough to allow the locomotive to run on O54 curves.  Some of them derail on O42.

The first locomotive I did was the Williams 2-8-2 above.  I only paid $225 for it, so if I ruined the front it was not a huge loss.  After this one, I did another Williams 2-8-2, a Weaver 2-8-2 and a Weaver 2-8-0.  Finally, I did a pair of 3rd Rail 2-10-0's.  Even with the experience gained on the Williams and Weavers, it took some guts to take a Dremel to 3rd Rail locomotives! 

Not every locomotive can be fitted with an operating front coupler.  I have a couple of small 3rd Rail 2-8-0's that would be great on local freights, but the way they are constructed I cannot create swing room for the coupler without removing the mounting bar for the entire front end.

You might be able to use these methods on a diecast locomotive, but you'd need to check the pilot trucks to see if an electrocoupler could be mounted and the diecast Dremel work would be more difficult than on soft thin brass.

I'm very happy with how my conversions came out and use them regularly on local freights and coal mine jobs.  I plan to do a few more.

You can see the Weaver 2-8-0 in local switching action if you watch the episode on my layout in OGR's Great Layout Adventures volume 11. 

 

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Last edited by Bob
Bob posted:
You might be able to use these methods on a diecast locomotive, but you'd need to check the pilot trucks to see if an electrocoupler could be mounted and the diecast Dremel work would be more difficult than on soft thin brass.

I've done a lot of chopping on diecast with the Dremel, I have a couple sets of Carbide bits that make short work of diecast.  Biggest issue is making sure you don't take too much.

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