The latest Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette arrived recently and I was perusing it this morning when I found a very welcome surprise. Kadee is now offering a #705 coupler for HOn3!
This is massive good news for HO narrowgaugers. We now have a modern all metal coupler that will take the often massive slack action away that is inherent to trains equipped with the old #714 design. Instead of the old split-shank used in the 714, the 705 is made - by the looks of it - like its big brothers in the standard gauge couplers Kadee offers.
It is compatible with the 714, so you can start converting your fleet without needing to do it all at once.
While I've considered Sergents, their lack of self-centering and incompatiablity with the 714 ended up killing that idea. I've got around 300 pieces of narrowgauge rolling stock, so this new 705 will allow me to improve the fleet at my own pace.
Notably, the 705 will easily fit into the footprint of any 714 install that used the full 714 draft gear. The 705 is the same width, 15/64", but rectangualr instead of tapered like the 714. The draft gear is actually a full 1/16" shorter or 23/64" versus the 714's 27/64". In some cases, I've had to hack down a 714's draft gear and there might be an issue in fitment.
The 705 comes preassembled.
Very much looking forward to trying some 705s. Anyone get there hands on some 705 goodness yet?
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I haven't gotten my hands on the Kadee 705 coupler yet, but I want to see how it "stacks up" against the Kadee 713/714 in terms of fitment on my TT Scale equipment.
I really do not mind assembling the Kadee 713/714 couplers, actually I kinda enjoy it, but there are applications where having a preassembled coupler would be helpful.
So many scales, so many trains, so little time.....
A friend of mine got a hold of the #705's when first revealed at the National Train Show. He is using them on his standard gauge equipment to represent early 1900's couplers.https://www.facebook.com/924599314374614/photos/pcb.1289182774582931/1289182151249660/?type=3&theaterhttps://www.facebook.com/924599314374614/photos/pcb.1289182774582931/1289226701245205/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/924599314374614/photos/pcb.1289182774582931/1289180921249783/?type=3&theater
Mike,
Good news indeeed!! Jim Vail would have loved this product. I have never been a big fan of the 714 personally, but I have only dealt with them a few times, being mostly a standard gauge guy...
I'll ask around at the narrow gauge convention in a couple of weeks...
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
I am on the Kadee new product email list (something I suggest others do as well) and the latest "Sam the Answer Man" column said this about the National Train Show at the NMRA national convention:
Dave Nelson
We attended this show because we could drive to it and to introduce our new #705 HOn3 coupler. The #705 is fully assembled all metal coupler in a snap together plastic box. It retails for $5.95 for a package of four (4) each. It is fully compatible with our older #714 HOn3 coupler and will fit anywhere the #714 will fit. Please remember it's not meant to be taken apart but only used in it's own box as assembled as the centering system's design only works in the #705 draft gear box. The package includes 00-90 x 3/16" brass mounting screws. We are currently assembling these couplers as fast as we can to build up a reserve stock and until we have a built up stock of these we can not offer the centering and knuckle springs as after market products. Be patient this stuff takes time as well as the time it takes to fit a new product into our already busy production schedule.
Thanks for the updates and reports, fellows. I didn't see them listed yet as in stock, but looks like very soon they will be. That's a decent price and even better with typical discounts.
Most likely, the 705 will end up on motive power and cabooses first here, then will be applied as I get funds and time to most of the rest of my rolling stock. I will probably never get to a 100% conversion, but with them being compatible with the 713/714 not a problem.
The fact that they're basically a drop in will help. The tricky part may be filling the hole from the standard self-tapping Kadee screw to provide a firm base for the 00-90 used with the 705.
I found a package at the LHS a few days ago...
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge