I want a non conventional steam engine with electro couplers on tender and front end. TMCC,Legacy, Lion Chief,but not transformer. I want to be able to haul and switch mixed freights on the main. Any road name. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Blayne
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Lionel made 0-8-0’s in both TMCC and Legacy
MTH 0-8-0, 0-6-0, and 0-4-0 (although I think the 0-4-0 in premier only)
As well as Kline
Virtually any 0-4-0, 0-6-0, or 0-8-0 with command control can do this.
At any one time time there are dozens available on the auction sites or dealers shelves.
Pete
Older K-Line 0-6-0 with electro-couplers. Larger steam, front electro-coupler , not as easy to find, IMO
These older Weaver models had the electro-couplers added, as part of the electronic upgrades.
I have the Lionel Legacy B6b, the Lionel Vision Line CC2s, and the K-Line TMCC A5, all of them have couplers on both ends. I'm pretty sure the LionChief Plus A5 also has two couplers. Lots of other examples exist as well.
Thanks to all. Hopeing I would get some leads on something with leading and trailing trucks. My mindset is 30 years of HOn3 . Think K27 or K36B. but I'll get over it. Blayne
In other words, you want a non-switcher. I seem to recall that some Premier road locos coul;d have a coupler dded to the front, but don't know of they were operable.
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.
This Williams 2-8-2 has an operating electrocoupler added to the front.
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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You're right, Pete. I have a feeling I can't have my wish. My OPS friends figure I must live to 106 to finish all the kits I own and there are more pressing things than this front end thing. Blayne
You can not find a front electrocoupler on an O gauge steam engine unless it is a switcher. I wanted to have a local freight engine (non-switcher) with a front coupler so I had one installed on my K-Line Mikado (die cast) and Weaver H10 (brass). They work well but limit curve size unless you want to remove the front steps.
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The closest would be a "road switcher" like the CC2, it's a pretty good sized steamer with a coupler on the front. Here's a pair of the CC2's on my display shelf, they're 23" long not including the coupler projection, so they're a decent sized locomotive if you're looking for something larger with the couplers.
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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.