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Minimum radius for S Gauge cars and body mounted Kadee couplers

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  • Member since
    December 2020
  • 28 posts
Minimum radius for S Gauge cars and body mounted Kadee couplers
Posted by Hud464 on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 6:51 AM

I am considering a move to body mounted Kadee couplers.   I received my new Legacy Pacific, which is made to accept scale couplers.  What is the minimum radius curves required on my layout to move from truck mounted to body mounted couplers.  Thanks!  

I recently moved from Lionel O Legacy to American Flyer S due to space considerations.   

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • 139 posts
Posted by Laurastom on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 5:43 PM

Take a look at Chuck Kemper's videos in YouTube, the ones on his home layout with FasTrack, not the ones on the Houston club modules. Chuck has body mount Kadees on a variety of engines and freight cars running on 20"R FasTrack. Some of his videos have close ups of the couplers.

The AM E8 and IC passenger cars do not have body mounted Kadees.

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Gettysburg, PA
  • 447 posts
Posted by Major on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 8:05 PM

I have a large number of body mounted Kadee couplers on S-Helper and American Models cars and locomotives and also Well cars from Des Plaines Hobbies. I have had no problems on any car up to 50 scale feet in length negotiating standard 20inch  radius Flyer curves. The well cars will negotiate 24 inch radius but just barely. They do better on larger curves. Passenger cars with scale couplers remain truck mounted.

 

  • Member since
    December 2020
  • 28 posts
Posted by Hud464 on Thursday, December 15, 2022 8:36 AM

Thank you for your information.   I am running Fastrack, and mostly 20 inch radius. thank you!

I recently moved from Lionel O Legacy to American Flyer S due to space considerations.   

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