Micro Ace tender steam loco MT conversions.

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Micro Ace tender steam engines

Conversion by: Garth Hamilton

Micro Ace's steam locos have a strong similarity with those made by Kato. The rapido coupler on the tender end can easily be replaced by a MT #1129 or #1128, depending on the curves of your layout. If you have tight curves (less than 30cm or 12 inches), take the longer coupler, in this case MT #1129. It is possible to have an MT coupler at the front end of the engine, but it is rather fiddly. Garth Hamilton describes how he made it.

The MT #1025 coupler as used by Garth Hamilton

On Micro Ace I use 1023/1025 body mount on the tender. For the front pilot I use 1128 or 1129 and cut off the cross bar and shape the shank to fit into the hole in the pilot beam. then use a number 80 drill to put a small hole vertically again the pilot beam down through the center of the coupler pocket
and use a small piece of wire as the pin this allows the coupler come movement but not much. The coupler is suitable for double heading but not very effective in shunting unless you keep a car on the pilot and auto uncouple from it. I have also reshaped the dummy coupler to accept a MT coupler when dropped into place in the jaw and then pin the dummy in place.

On some engines I have put a  North American pilot from MT and as none are designed for this you have engineer this your self. I usually use the either the 1044 or 1043 or 1043-1. I prefer the 1044 and it has a tab which can go under the front deck. This conversion gives you easier shunting, no need to keep an extra car between the loco and the rest of your train.

I tend to body mount all my couplers as I prefer the operation of the body mounted couplers to bogie mounted couplers when shunting.

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