Changing couplers

[daveR1193]

 Hey guys! When I first got started in the hobby, I used cars and engines with horn couplers. Now, I have bought newer engines with knuckle couplers. I want to switch all of my old horn couplers to knuckle couplers but can't figure out how. Any ideas?

 daveR1193

[B&Le]

First of all you would be better off using Kadee #5 couplers. Now most hobby grade rolling stock will have a coupler pocket covered by a piece of plastic held on by a screw. You need to remove the coupler pocket cover and remove the coupler. Some of your cars may not have a coupler pocket or body mounted couplers. Usually this mean you have to buy a Kadee draft gear box and mount it to the body of the car some how. Most of the time all you have to do is put the new knuckle coupler in the coupler pocket and reinstall the cover. If there is anything I missed other forum members will let you know.

[Mr. SP]

Depending on what you have it should be easy. If your rolling stock is Athearn or MDC/Roundhouse most of the couplers will be a quick switch. I recommend using ONLY Kadee couplers. The imposters are cheaper but are not very good so save your money and by original Kadee's

A coupler height gauge is a must as is a trip pin plier. Walthers cars should use Kadee's as well.

Kadee 5, 58 or the new whisker coupler148 should fit as direct replacements. Other manufacturere might require a new coupler mounting. Be sure to provide for easy access for repair should you break a coupler. 

[daveR1193]

I have mostly Athearn cars and am expecting some Walthers cars soon. The cars I have are somewhat oldand the couplers are attached to the trucks. The trucks just snap into the car. Now What?

[CPrail]

Hey Dave

I agree with both posts about the Kadee's I use #5's only on my layout but the #148's

(Whisker) are a very nice coupler,have a look as those,Also another thing to do is as you change your couplers change to steel wheels at the same time I use the Proto 2000 33's they have a nice blackend look to them,Also all my rolling stock are Body mount only, this makes for nice easy non derailing when switching cars into the yard or into spurs Etc.It sounds like a lot to do but focus on a few at a time and before you know it you will have great running freight cars and cleaner track as well.

Have fun..

Mike

[G Paine]

Hi Dave

If you know the manufacturer of your locomotives and rolling stock, you can refer to the Kadee coupler conversion chart to find out which coupler will fit (you did not say what scale you are in, I am assuming HO as a start)

http://www.kadee.com/conv/holist.pdf

Adding to what Mr SP said, the Kadee height gage and trip pin pliers are needed to properly install and adjust the couplers:

http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page120.htm

http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page160.htm

The height gage does 3 things:

1. Indicates that the coupler is high, low or correct height
2. Indicates that coupler trip pin (the curved metal piece under the coupler) is high enough to clear cross tracks, turnouts, etc
3. If you need to install a Kadee coupler box, the back of the height gage measures if the car body is the correct height for the coupler.

The trip pin pliers are used to adjust the height of the trip pin. This is probably the most common adjustment needed. If the pin is too low, it may catch on something and derail your train. 

If the coupler is too low, Kadee makes fiber washers that install under truck to raise the car body. The red washers are 0.015" thick and the gray ones are 0.010" thick

http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page143.htm

http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page144.htm

There is a lot more, once you get beyond the drop-in coupler installation, so start with the simple installations on Athern, Roundhouse, Accurail and similar cars. Once you get some experience with these, try the others. Come back here if you need help or advice!

[Mr. SP]

Dave R

From the comment that the couplers are attached to the trucks that sounds like Bachmann Life like and/or Tyco stuff. In the case of those cars buy Kadee couplers that include the mounting boxes. There are a couple of options regarding the trucks. Mount the half of the Kadee box to the floor of the car with a 2-56 screw being sure the coupler will be far enough out that the cars will be a prototipical distance apart.

The trucks must have the couplers cut off at the bolster and the coupler discarded.Replace the wheelsets with some that are the correct diameter and with an axle that will rotate freely in the truck.

The other option is to discard the complete truck and make a new mounting using styrene rod from Evergreen Plastic. Cement the rod into the hole where the truck attached. When dry and set drill a new hole for a 2-56 screw and replace the trucks with another brand such as Athearn or Kadee or???

Some filing of the bolster might be required and shimming of the coupler mounting as well. A lot of trial and fit is going to be required to get things right.

The best would be to replace the Bachmann-Life like-Tyco cars with better rolling stock.

 

[rogerhensley]

Here are three URLs that should help you. 

http://www.nmra.org/beginner/consist.html
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/couplers.html
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/retrucking.html

[kog1027]

I would like to respectfully point out that not everyone on the MR Board is a member of the "Kadee Brigade".

I've been using a mix of Metal & Plastic Knuckle couplers for the past 4 years with no significant issues.

Kadee couplers are good, but so are the others.  It's nice to have a choice.

Mark Gosdin 

[Mr. SP]

When the Kadee Imposters hit the market some of our club members equipped their rolling stock with them. The Imposter equipped cars were quickly bad ordered account too many train in two's with the imposters. The club's coupler standard requires genuine KADEE couplers. Rolling stock not so equipped is not allowed on the railroad.

The Longview Kelso & Rainier Ry. layout runs extremely well for a portable layout. We routinely run 40+ car trains during shows and are one of the few layouts that can run trains of that length.

The club standards regarding couplers, wheels, and weight are the reason the layout operates as well as it does.

[TomDiehl]

Dave R

From the comment that the couplers are attached to the trucks that sounds like Bachmann Life like and/or Tyco stuff. In the case of those cars buy Kadee couplers that include the mounting boxes. There are a couple of options regarding the trucks. Mount the half of the Kadee box to the floor of the car with a 2-56 screw being sure the coupler will be far enough out that the cars will be a prototipical distance apart.

The trucks must have the couplers cut off at the bolster and the coupler discarded.Replace the wheelsets with some that are the correct diameter and with an axle that will rotate freely in the truck.

The other option is to discard the complete truck and make a new mounting using styrene rod from Evergreen Plastic. Cement the rod into the hole where the truck attached. When dry and set drill a new hole for a 2-56 screw and replace the trucks with another brand such as Athearn or Kadee or???

Some filing of the bolster might be required and shimming of the coupler mounting as well. A lot of trial and fit is going to be required to get things right.

The best would be to replace the Bachmann-Life like-Tyco cars with better rolling stock.

 

Before recommending that he cut off the truck mounted coupler boxes and body mount everything, you need to ask how sharp his curves are and how long the cars in question are. 18 inch radius curves and 50 foot or longer cars don't work well together if you body mount the couplers. The less costly method (remember, most people starting out, start with a limited budget) would be to convert the existing truck mounted X2F couplers to Kadees in the same box. Kadee makes adaptors for this. Wheelset and complete truck replacement would come under the same financial consideration, just like purchasing newer rolling stock.

As recommended above, get the Kadee coupler height gauge, even if you decide to go with another brand. Standardized coupler height, trip pin clearance, and a good solid mounting will contribute to relaible operation and is well worth the effort compared to the headaches it will save you in the future.

The Kadee replacement chart is a recommendation, and should not be considered gospel for which coupler to use. Check the final installation with the Kadee gauge and adjust as needed.

[dstarr]

 Hey guys! When I first got started in the hobby, I used cars and engines with horn couplers. Now, I have bought newer engines with knuckle couplers. I want to switch all of my old horn couplers to knuckle couplers but can't figure out how. Any ideas?

 daveR1193

Good idea.  The magnetic knuckle coupler is the industry standard now, with the NMRA horn hooks becoming obsolete.  The knuckle couplers look better, couple. and un couple more reliably. Kadee invented the knuckle coupler and still makes the best ones.  The Kadee patents finally expired in the 1990's, which allowed rolling stock makers to use knuckle couplers without paying royalties to Kadee.  By now knuckle couplers are standard on new stuff.

   McHenry and some others make clones of the Kadee coupler.  So far I have not seen clones offered for less than the genuine Kadees.  If you are buying replacement couplers you might as well buy Kadee's since they cost no more than the clones, and are somewhat more rugged.

A lot of freight cars have body mounted coupler boxes.  These can be converted to Kadee couplers by merely opening the coupler box (un screw or pry off the lid) and swapping the coupler.  You can install #5 Kadees which have been in production since the 1960's and are trusted thruout the hobby.  You can install the newer #58 Kadee which looks pretty much like the #5 but the coupler head is smaller and closer to the proper size, for better looks.  Or you can install the very new (so new I haven't seen them yet) #158 "whisker" couplers which have the centering springs attached to the coupler.  The traditional #5 Kadee's come with a separate flat bronze centering spring.  

For cars with truck mounted couplers there are two ways to go.  You can convert to body mount.  Clip off the truck mounted horn hook couplers and install a Kadee coupler box, or you can stick with truck mount and order special Kadee's to fit the truck mounted coupler boxes.  The body mount conversion looks better and stays on the track better when backing up the train.  

   Couplers on all cars must be at the same height above the railhead.  If one car is high and the next car is low, the couplers will come undone as the train is running.  You need a coupler height gage, either store bought or home made,ir to inspect your cars and get things right.  You will find that the Athearn blue box cars always need hardware store #6 flat washers under the trucks to raise the couplers up to the proper height.  If the coupler is too low, the magnetic glad hand will hang up on turnouts.  The gladhands come from the factory just right, so if you find them hitting on turnouts it is a good bet that the coupler is mounted low and needs to be raised up. 

Passenger cars and locomotives may not accept the standard #5 Kadee.  However Kadee makes dozens of different styles, one of which will fit anything ever made.  Kadee publishes a list of what-fits-what, both on their web site and in the big Walthers book.  I always check the list before converting anything other than a simple freight car.  Although a #5 Kadee can be made to fit anything, using the Kadee recommended coupler can save a lot of filing, shimming, bending and bad language.   

[modelmaker51]

Also another thing to do is as you change your couplers change to steel wheels Mike

The wheels are NOT steel!! They are either solid nicklesilver or nicklesilver plated brass or plastic or a comination therof. Model wheels need to be non-magnetic so as not to get stuck on magnetic uncoupling ramps or pick up metalic debris from the roadbed.