TT Scale. The Ideal Scale.

To those who have M62s, I'd have a question.

Of the three - Roco, Tillig and Peresvet - which appears would be the easiest to re-equip with Microtrains couplers?

I don't think it's Tillig's M62, because of the mid-placed headlights inside, which would conflict with the coupler sockets when lifting the shell. But if you remove/replace them, 'she' would be perfect for that.

In which height do you want to mount the couplers? The Roco machine has NEM sockets in right position, the Tillig and Peresvet M62s not!

I do not have M62, but as I know some people used Kadee on Peresvet's locos:
http://www.maketmarket.ru/forum/index.p ... 9#msg20719

But, Frank, if you want to use Russian rolling stock, you'd better use BTTB or Tillig couplers.
To say more, on the Peresvet's cars and locos the couplers are UNCHANGEABLE .
My choice is BTTB-style couplers, because the BTTB-style couplers for NEM-shafts and for old BTTB-style "flat" shafts are also available; so I can mount BTTB couplers on any Russian or European wagon or locomotive.

Also you can use "transitional" car, car-adapter - mount the Tillig (or Roco etc.) coupler on one side of wagon, and Kadee coupler on the other side, and use your locomotive only together with such wagon.

Another suggestion: maybe, Microtrains or Kadee couplers, with the "shank" for NEM-shaft are available, compatible with the Kadee 713/714 or Microtrains used in TT ?

P.S. There are new Roco couplers available, they are looking like Russian SA-3 auto coupler too, but they are available only for NEM-shaft; I do not know if they can be mounted on the old cars or Peresvet cars.

LueTTe: I'm not sure what you mean, but I'm guessing: the arrangement of the lighting gear would get in the way... does it use clear plastic "guide-tubes" from a bulb to the headlights? If so, perhaps they can be replaced with LEDs?

My ground-rule: BTTB couplers are too ugly to use! There is an alternative available that is close to accurate, so I would like to use that, even if it means some extra work...

I don't know if Microtrains has couplers with a NEM-compatible shank, but I don't think so. But they do have a large array of other types. I'm not worried about Peresvet freight cars - they are made of plastic, therefore: they can be converted! The tank car, for example, is illustrated in the thread you linked, and the boxcar is a boxcar, so - easy. My bigger concern would be how well adaptable models from Norkin or TT-TT or TT-Modell would be to mounting the MT couplers... but I think even that will be doable. (offtopic a bit - can TT-Modell's sleepers and baggage cars be easily disassembled for repainting?)

Locomotives are a bigger concern, though, I think they could pose a much more significant challenge to conversion depending on their design.

I'd like to mount the couplers in a correct (or nearly so) height that I can standardise across my equipment. I don't quite understand what you mean by the Tillig and Peresvet couplers not being in the right position: a Roco locomotive can couple with Tillig and Peresvet cars, and vice versa, no? If so, they're all in a correct height... or am I missing something?

Marquette wrote:I'm not sure what you mean, but I'm guessing: the arrangement of the lighting gear would get in the way...

Yes. It would have to be completely removed.

Marquette wrote:... does it use clear plastic "guide-tubes" from a bulb to the headlights?

Yes.

Marquette wrote:If so, perhaps they can be replaced with LEDs?

Yes, if you remove a bit of the ballast.

Marquette wrote:I'd like to mount the couplers in a correct (or nearly so) height that I can standardise across my equipment. I don't quite understand what you mean by the Tillig and Peresvet couplers not being in the right position: a Roco locomotive can couple with Tillig and Peresvet cars, and vice versa, no?

Yes, of course. I asked, because the proto coupler heights in Europe and NA are different and also the NMRA and NEM standards.

Tillig's M62 has a different coupler socket/slot, so that the coupler can't be easily replaced.

Marquette wrote:I'm not worried about Peresvet freight cars - they are made of plastic, therefore: they can be converted!

Ok; if so - try new Roco couplers; they are looking like Russian (or American) coupler also, but can be used with NEM-shaft:

http://www.roco.cc/produkteshop/uebersi ... r-set.html
http://www.roco.cc/uploads/tx_commerce/ ... 1_w560.jpg

Marquette wrote:The tank car, for example, is illustrated in the thread you linked, and the boxcar is a boxcar, so - easy.

Those who tried to do it, told, that there were some problems with reefers and "egorov"-type passenger cars.

Marquette wrote:can TT-Modell's sleepers and baggage cars be easily disassembled for repainting?

I do not have any TT-modell's cars. But... "Everything that one man has made, another can always crack" - as the hero of Russian film "Formula of love" said. :)

Marquette wrote:I don't quite understand what you mean by the Tillig and Peresvet couplers not being in the right position: a Roco locomotive can couple with Tillig and Peresvet cars, and vice versa, no? If so, they're all in a correct height... or am I missing something?

I did not say anything about the height...
I was talking only about the couplers and mounting methods.

There are different types of couplers available (we do not talk about old Zeuke, HP, Tri-Ang and so on):
1) BTTB-type
2) Tillig
3) Roco
and
4) Kadee or MicroTrains

And different type of shafts/mounting methods:
1) NEM-shaft
2) Narrow slit with a pin, like on the old BTTB stuff
3) Some "nonseparable" method, like on the Peresvet cars, or some old Zeuke passenger cars.

So, if you have NEM-shafts on your locomotive (you will have it on Roco's locomotive and I hope Tillig's ones) - you can use Tillig or BTTB coupler, as you like, and it will work good. Or Roco coupler too.
But if your cars do not have NEM-shaft, you will have some problem with the Roco coupler.
There are BTTB-style and Tillig couplers available with different "tails", but the Roco coupler is available only for NEM-shaft.

lüTTe wrote:Tillig's M62 has a different coupler socket/slot, so that the coupler can't be easily replaced.

O, really ?! I was sure it has a standart NEM-shaft.

Marquette wrote:I'm not sure what you mean, but I'm guessing ...

Excuse my bad english. I hope the pic helps.

Aha, thanks for the photo!

As for the height, I'm actually wanting to put it at Asian height (don't want to go into further detail than that just yet ;) )... which I'll assume is the same as European, since Russian cars cross borders into some Asian countries...