Model Railroading > Converting European Equipment to NMRA Standards?

I am wondering if anyone has come across resources for modelers who model using European equipment, but convert it to NMRA standards. Chiefly, I am thinking of changing from deep-flange wheels to RP25 wheels, and from various couplers to kadee couplers. For wheels, I'm wondering if anyone makes RP25 wheels for european models. For couplers, I'm guessing I'll just have to body mount kadee coupler boxes myself. For anyone wondering about the realism of knuckle couplers with buffers, I've found that both Iran and Iraq use Russian SA3 couplers with mostly European equipment with buffers. 

Pictures to come once I figure all this out!

Kadee makes replacement couplers that go into a european coupler pocket.  They are called NEM 362 Couplers.

https://kadee.com/htmbord/coupler.htm

Bruce

Thanks Bruce! That is very helpful.

-Jeff

brfriedm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kadee makes replacement couplers that go into a
> european coupler pocket.  They are called NEM
> 362 Couplers.
>
> https://kadee.com/htmbord/coupler.htm
>
> Bruce

Here is a posible site for wheelsets:

http://www.das-service.de/modellbahn-radsatz/index.php

I have not tried it yet, but was given the link in a comment to one of my YT vids showing my European equipment running on the layout. Some day I would like to replace all the wheels on my European stuff, but that will take a while and I am not sure how to do the loks.

The Kadee #17-20 NEM couplers are good, I tend to use #18's mostly. I think they look "cool" on the European rolling stock!

If you try the site above for wheels, let me know how it goes.

Rob Bennett
Fairview, PA
http://youtube.com/user/SirDopeyTheBear/featured

I too have used Kadee NEM shank couplers on cars without problems. I have used Athearn and Walthers wheelsets on some of my Roco and Electrotren European passenger cars.

More good information! I may only end up with 5-6 cars and one engine, but it seems nearly everything will be from a different manufacturer - Roco, Maerklin, Liliput, REE Modeles, and maybe something else. I realize wheels may be a different solution for each.

One thing I am having a really hard time finding is spare truck sideframes to swap out with ones that are coming on tank cars I am getting. I can't seem to find that as a spare part, perhaps because of a language or terminology barrier.

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brfriedm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kadee makes replacement couplers that go into a
> european coupler pocket.  They are called NEM
> 362 Couplers.
>
> https://kadee.com/htmbord/coupler.htm
>
> Bruce

They do work...I've used them on some  Trix bottle cars....

The other thing to be careful of is shorts across metal axles.

Bob

 

As info, in case needed, the normal Marklin stuff is AC, so the wheel sets need to be changed out for DC sets. Otherwise one gets a nice direct short- trust me on this!

I am not sure of the MFG for your tank cars, but most vendors are very good at getting spare parts out. I recently purchased some replacement gears for the tender drive on a Fleischmann BR18 dampflok. I ordered direct from Fleischamann (who is now actually Roco) in Germany and had the parts in about two weeks. You can order spare sparts for Roco/Fleischmann directly on their web sites. Not sure about others, but most European MFGs seem good in the spare parts support area.

Or you could contact one of the European focused shops here in the US or Canada, and they may be able to get for you. In the past I ordered replacement traction tires for my Roco SBB Re 4/4 thru one of my normal European shops.

inCHI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> More good information! I may only end up with 5-6
> cars and one engine, but it seems nearly
> everything will be from a different manufacturer -
> Roco, Maerklin, Liliput, REE Modeles, and maybe
> something else. I realize wheels may be a
> different solution for each.
>
> One thing I am having a really hard time finding
> is spare truck sideframes to swap out with ones
> that are coming on tank cars I am getting. I can't
> seem to find that as a spare part, perhaps because
> of a language or terminology barrier.

Rob Bennett
Fairview, PA
http://youtube.com/user/SirDopeyTheBear/featured

Thanks again. I'll probably have another visist to Reynauld's where I can inquire about spare parts. Going into a store like that, with all European stock, is intimidating in a way, because there is so much stock and nearly all of it looks unfamiliar. But they were very helpful last time I was there.