Converting a Tomix n scale train coupler to Arnold/Rapido

 Bought a really nice new n scale train car from Tomix to run with my 25+ year old KiHa trains. Just getting back into model trains after all these years, I assumed that not much had changed. Boy was I wrong. Over these years the old standard Arnold/Rapido coupler has been disappearing on new model trains in favor of smaller, more prototypical, and nicer looking couplers. 

Tomix body mount coupler on the left, old Rapido on the right.

So my dilemma, with the nice new train car, became how to run it with my vintage ones. Tomix seems to offer a replacement bogie (train wheels) with the old style coupler, but that would mean ordering from Japan with $20 postage for a $5 part. Not an option now, and I’d rather not wait to piggyback on my next order whenever that will be. The only way to go seems to be to remove the Tomix TNs body mount coupler and try to fit a Rapido to the bogie.

Rapido coupler glued onto the Tomix bogie.

I ended up gluing an old Rapido coupler onto the Tomix bogie with epoxy. Works great! So great that I might just keep it this way.

Glue up on the left, an old car with original coupler on right.

So that’s about it. Seems to run great, so I’ll keep it this way until I decide to either update all the couplers or get the actual part from Tomix.