I've purchased a couple of Stewart F3 A-Bs over the past few months. The coupler brackets and draft gear boxes that come with the units are too small for Kadee couplers and require a #450 Coupler Conversion pack to outfit them with Kadees.
I purchased the needed conversion packets and everything worked well...except the coupler bracket was a VERY snug fit in the bracket pocket of the chassis the final 1/2-3/4". While I was able to coax most of them into place - albeit with some firm persuasion, a couple of the brackets did break in the process.
Since all the other parts worked fine I contacted Kadee, told them the issue I was running into, and asked them if I could purchase just the coupler bracket - without the conversion kit. Within a few hours Sam Clarke emailed me back and asked me what Stewart F-units I was installing them into and when did I purchase them. Sam told me in a subsequent email that they had "come across a few [Stewart] F3s that have had different bracket pockets mostly in later production models" and didn't "know if it was an on purpose dimensional change or not".
Long story short - Sam mailed me a complete set of four #450 coupler brackets on Monday - no charge! - and they arrived today in the mail. Although I still had to file down the sides of the bracket with a flat file in order to push it all the way up into the bracket pocket of the chassis, I really appreciate the customer service that Sam and Kadee provided to me at no cost.
I emailed Sam back this evening to let him know that I had experienced the same tight fit with the coupler brackets he sent me, as well as thanking him for the free brackets. Sam wrote back saying that he appreciated the feedback and told me to email him if I ran into the issue again.
That's what I call good customer service and I wanted to post this to give praise where praise was rightfully due. Thanks, Kadee!
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
That's a great story of customer service. It's also useful to me because I have a Stewart awaiting my courage to install DCC and new couplers. I will use a file instead of a bigger hammer
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
If you get on Kadee's email list for new product announcements (I suspect I signed up at Milwaukee's Trainfest years ago), those emails almost always include a column by "Sam the Answer Man" - the very same Sam Clarke who was of such assistance to you. He always has something interesting to write about the hobby and the general situation from the standpoint of an important manufacturer.
Heh - one of the nice things about train shows that include manufacturers, as Milwaukee's Trainfest does, is that certain manufacturers are very generous. I can recall being handed a fistful of free Kadee couplers at Trainfest just because I visited the booth.
It would have been rude of me to refuse, right?
Dave Nelson
I had an interesting exchange with Sam a couple of years ago. I contacted Kadee about the possibility of getting some axles for Kadee wheelsets. I had been using a wire brush in my Dremel to remove the blackening from the wheel treads. During this operation, the wheels were still in their trucks, and I failed to sufficiently restrain several of them from spinning too quickly. I was surprised to discover that the ends of the plastic axles had apparently melted enough that they were no longer pointed, with the result that they were no longer free-rolling, either. Since I didn't see any axles being advertised for sale, and the damage had been done through my own carelessness, I offered to pay if they could provide the amount needed. Sam replied, and indicated that he'd forward the requested amount at no charge, then, as an afterthought, "...unless you feel like sending me some semi-sweet chocolate." Pretty-obviously it was written in jest, but I was so pleased to be able to get the needed parts that I thought, "Why not?".I drove to a nearby European-style deli, where I knew that they stocked some really good-quality Dutch chocolate, bought a boxed block of it and mailed it off.While I did get a "Thank You" e-mail, the cheerfully-supplied help I received and the fun of responding to the joking request really made my day.Sam Clarke is as much an asset to Kadee as Kadee has been to our hobby, and I've been using Kadees since the mid-50s.
Wayne
Dave,
When Kadee mailed me the coupler brackets, the envelope also included a price list & order form, as well as a new products brochure with "Sam's Corner" on the back page. This month's entry (#125) is a continuation of his discussion about "Large Scale Modeling".
Wayne,
That's a great story.
I wish I could get customer service like that from Lombards Hobbies. I received an Atlas box car with a broken part and all they did was tell me to send it back, apparently at my expense, and they would credit me the cost of the model. They have another same model in stock - all I want is an exchange. Now MBK would have sent me a shipping label and replaced it the model if they had one in stock, and covered the shipping.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Hmm, I have a few older Stewart F's (pre-Bowser) and now that I think about it, I had some trouble getting the Kadee kit to work smoothly as well. Guess they did change something in the shell molds, the newer Bowser one, it slipped right in.
That old one, that's the one I bought on ebay and the B unit had broken off stirrup steps and no piece to be found, even though it was still sealed in the plastic bag they used to use. Despite the fact that I bought it on ebay, Stewart sent me a replacement decorated shell free.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Here are my experiences with Kadee conversions on my Stewart/Kato F7's.
I have several ABBA sets and learned long ago that the Kadee #450 packet will convert Stewart F units to close coupling. Firstly, all of my Stewarts are the original KATO chassis (pre-bowser and before Stewart brought the molds and tooling to the US). I had no problems installing the Kadee 450 brackets on the chassis I converted, least I don't remember any issues - it was probably 20 years ago.
What I do is install the Kadee 450 bracket on the back side of the A units and both ends of the B units, so I can get the 3' distance.
From memory, the Kadee 450 bracket has two hole positions for mounting couplers, which recommends one for the B units and back end of the A, for that close couplling distance. The instructions recommended the other hole, which causes the coupler be mounted so the coupler sticks out more for the front of the A unit, as the other hole causes it to be too close.
IMO, it's a waste to use the 450 bracket on the front of the A unit when I found the Kadee #5 box (with the ears cut off), will fit in and the coupler will be at a good distance. IIRC, the coupler using the #5 draft gear box is a tiny bit closer than the wide distance hole on the 450 box, but fine. By not using the 450 box on the front of my Stewart F7A's, I can save them for converting more Stewart F units rear ends or B units to close coupling and economize.
Rio,
You are correct about the two holes in the #450 coupler bracket. One is for close coupling; the other pushes the gear box out a little further.
The chassis that I've had to convert are of the newer/post-Kato design. The snug fit issue with the bracket must have showed up after Stewart changed the chassis.
Also, for anyone else reading this for future reference: The #450 conversion kit is only needed for the Stewart F3 and higher units; NOT the FTs. The Stewart FTs use the draw bar between the A- and B-unit and Kadee draft gear boxes, IIRC, work just fine on the front of the A and the rear of the B.
I too have had some very good experiances with Sam and Kadee, 100% top notch in every regard.
Sheldon
When I was single and lived in a apartment, I had a 55gallon garbage can as my main garbage container. It also doubled as a sawhorse, base for a work bench, etc.
I was installing large scale (#1) couplers and using my Dremel to cut off the trip pins. I mistakenly dropped the whole coupler into the garbage can, never to be seen again. I wasn't going through all my yucky garbage to find it.
I reached out to Sam and offered to purchase half of a package, but he graciously sent me a replacement for free. THANKS!
Modeling the D&H in 1984: http://dandhcoloniemain.blogspot.com/
Also, for anyone else reading this for future reference: The #450 conversion kit is only needed for the Stewart F3 and higher units; NOT the FTs. The Stewart FTs use the draw bar between the A- and B-unit and Kadee draft gear boxes, IIRC, work just fine on the front of the A and the rear of the B. Tom
I don't know if the FT chassis will accept the 450 bracket or KD couplers - hopefully they will. Here is why:
Many railroads FT's did have knuckle couplers; IIRC, D&RGW early FT's were delivered with drawbars between the A and B units, but later deliveries (from memory) were delivered with couplers between all units - I'll have to review my copy of Joseph Strapac's Rio Grande Diesels Vol 1 (at home for details). And D&RGW eventually converted all their FT's to couplers and removed the draw-bars.
Here is a link to a treatis on FT's and the early thorny subject of couplers vs. drawbars with Santa Fe being at the center of the story:
http://utahrails.net/loconotes/emc-ft.php
I have a Stewart FT on my bench and two of the #450 coupler brackets left over so I'll verify whether the brackets will fit or not. I was only going by what Kadee had posted on their site about the #450 brackets. And I believe the draft gear boxes will work on both ends of the Stewart A- & B-units.
I don't own any FT's as they are too early for my modeling period, but it would be useful to know if Kadee's can be mounted on both ends, with and without the 450 bracket. There may be folks who are modeling prototypes which abandoned the draw bars and used couplers rather than draw-bars.
BTW, the article on the utahrails.net website on this subject is very interesting reading.
Here's the Kadee recommended conversion for the Stewart FTs:
https://kadee.com/conv/pdf/s283.pdf
Looks like the #35 coupler kit handles the coupler conversion between the A- and B-units.
Okay, Rio, I looked at my Stewart FTs. The Stewart draft gear box and a Kadee #5/#58/#158 work just fine on the end of the B-unit. As mentioned, the #35 coupler kit is what you need if your prototype didn't use the draw bar between the A- and B-unit.
Oh, and the #450 coupler bracket was waaaaay too large for the FT bracket pocket so it won't work at all for that. Looks like Kadee got it right.
Hello all,
I have had many great dealings with Sam either through emails, the Kadee Forums and in person.
Yet another reason I won't use anyother couplers than Kadee!
Great products evern better people!!
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
I needed some parts for Kadee products that were not listed in their catalogue. I sent an email and Sam responded with instructions for how to order the needed parts. I just placed the order.
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Excellent!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I have contacted Kadee on several occasions, and, as a result, have dealt with Sam via email. The guy is amazing.
Bear "It's all about having fun."
SeeYou190 I just placed the order.
My stuff was waiting for me from Kadee when I got home. I had the mail held for three weeks while I was away. They got me everything I needed.
This is great service. Getting a customer obscure parts that are not even listed in your catalogue. Thank you Kadee and Sam.