Close Coupling of Lionel & Williams FT's and F-3's

[NYCentralFan]

Hello again!

I know it may seem like all I do is cause problems and then ask you all to fix them, but these are legitimate questions that run through my mind when I'm not focused.

Maybe someday, I'll write a book on how to fix everything!

Now, here's my question...  How do I get my F units to close couple?

Do I need to make drawbars and permanently couple them together or is there something easier, like a coupler swap, that will work?

Thanks,

Mario.

[phillyreading]

I would not put the diesel engines too close together or they may hit each other going around a curve and cause a derailment.

The way that Williams designed their couplers, there is almost no way to shorten the coupler without replacing the whole coupler arm. I have seen only two types of couplers in Williams line, short and long(usually used for passenger cars). There might be some post war Lionel parts that may work, as some had shorter couplers.

Lee F.

[SantaFe158]

I think the Lionel FT's would be about as close as you'd get. Another option would be to replace them with KD (scale) couplers, which would definitely get you closer but I don't have experience using them. I do know that they don't like rough track transitions, when I was running on a local club layout last weekend, I chased down somebody else's locomotive at least twice because the couplers kept sliding out when on rough transitions between the modules (and he kept leaving the train unattended), cars are the same way.

[phillyreading]

I know what KD couplers are, but I am not sure that you could mount those on three rail trains, it may take some modifying to the frame. Two rail O scale uses KD couplers for more realism.

Lee F.

[NYCentralFan]

My main thought is that if I use a minimum radius of say O-72 or O-63, or larger, do I need all that coupler travel?

From the videos I've seen, anything over O-54 (Like Mario Brienza's MTH Layout on YouTube), doesn't skew the trucks very much, to the point where I believe O-63 or O-72 curves could withstand having the cars close enough together so that the diaphragms actually touch.

Am I way off base?