Nice work B.D. Here is how I have corrected the issue on my Proto 2000 E8s. 2-56 screw and nut to attach the swing arm to the frame and 2-56 screw to secure the coupler in the coupler box.
Hope this is helpful as well.
John R.
Guys,
I appreciate this very much. Martin, thank you for the photo as it's an excellent reference.
I'm still metalizing my passenger cars. Probably after I refinish 7 or 8 more cars I'm going to focus on my P2K E-units. They've been sitting in their boxes for a long stretch so I'll likely have to take them apart, clean, and relube the mechanisms. I'll tackle the coupler issues at that time.
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Here is what I done.
I added three pieces of styrene, One is the white shim under the pivot point, the other is the grey piece above the draft gear box and there is a white piece behind the draft gear box. Fortunately there is enough room that these pieces do not interfere with the truck swinging at all.
Hope this helps someone.
Martin.
Antonio, in my situation the problem was specific to the older B units. On my P2K E7 A unit all I had to do was install a longer shank KD5 and it does ok on 24" curves.
I looked at another E7 B unit that a friend has and his has the pin set up that can be swapped out for a screw as described in this thread. My E7 B unit has a plastic bracket with swinging draft gear fit over a metal pin on the chassis, so replacing a pin is not an option.
I have fixed the problem by adding a shim where the plastic bracket fits to the chassis, this removed all vertical free play, then to eliminate the flex in the plastic bracket I beefed up the corners with additional styrene pieces glued in place, this strengthened the plastic bracket and stopped it flexing.
I test ran at the club pulling about 50 cars and it did not uncouple. I will try my best to post some pictures of how I fixed this so others can see just what I am talking about.
AntonioFP45 Gentlemen, I appreciate the info as I have (at last count) 11 Life Like P2K E-units. I know now that I'll likely have to "play" with those couplers. My shelf layout is going to have 24" radius curves, which I know will be a bit tight for the Es and the 85ft Walthers streamliners. I know it's not prototypical, but as a friend of mine told me years ago "You got ta work with whatcha got!" If you have photos of your E-units and their modifications, (or just the E-units) please consider posting them.
Gentlemen,
I appreciate the info as I have (at last count) 11 Life Like P2K E-units. I know now that I'll likely have to "play" with those couplers. My shelf layout is going to have 24" radius curves, which I know will be a bit tight for the Es and the 85ft Walthers streamliners. I know it's not prototypical, but as a friend of mine told me years ago "You got ta work with whatcha got!"
If you have photos of your E-units and their modifications, (or just the E-units) please consider posting them.
Yo Antonio:
Ya gotta work with what you got: I have 24" on my reverse loop, 26" and 28" on my mains, and the PA1s and Es and Walthers 85' cars all work OK. One thing I did was replace the stock couplers on the passenger cars with the "long shank" Kadee 146 couplers with cat whisker. The older P2K Es are a bit of a PIA, but can be made to work with your parameters. Not everyone has room for the really broad curves all the "experts" recommend.
BTW: I worked on the RR for 42 years. You should have seen the overhang of Amfleets and "Cab " cars on the curves in Penn Coach Yard in Philly, especially going toward the car shop. Not exactly what you see on the "main".
Kadee makes a coupler set designed specifically for the old P2k E8s and E7s. Makes the changeover easier.
Joe
Hello BD,
The excess vertical play you mention is common on your P-2000 E7, the P-2000 E8 and the P-1000 Erie Builts. On my units I removed the press pins that hold the coupler swing arm in place and substitute that with a 2-56 screw and nut. Tighten to the point where the swing arm swings side to side but eliminating the vertical play. I have had trouble free operation since doing this to about a dozen units.
Hope this helps
LION uses draw-bars. If those things come uncoupled then the end of the world is here.
[of course that in itself introduces new issues]
ROAR
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Between E units I used Kadee #118 shelf couplers. If those babies come uncoupled you have a very serious problem.
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If the coupler has a plastic shaft, replace it with a Kadee which has a metal shaft. Body mounting is better, but then you need wider curves. Or shorter equipment.
The location of the bolster vis a vis the end of the car is also an issue, but one that you cannot address without decent modeling skills, a thing that the LION (with big furry paws) cannot do.
I picked an older dummy Life Like Proto 2000 E7 B unit, I have been wanting one for a long time. When pulling a train of more than 6 - 8 passenger cars the locomotive uncouples from the train.
Upon investigation there apears to be too much flex in the swinging draft gear mechanism which allows the KD5 coupler to flex upward and uncouple.
I have tried making a shim to reduce the slop where the draft gear swivels, while it apeared to help some in reality there is just still too much flex in the plastic between the swivel point and the draft gear.
Another solution is to body mount the draft gear to the locomotive body but there is little to mount to and this will affect the radius of curves it will run on, so I am a bit reluctant.
Any thoughts?