Couplers

[jbone]

I have a combination of older HO scale cars and some new. I'm having a hard time getting some of the couplers to hook to each other (couple). I'm thinking of going with one type of coupler, so does anyone have any advice/comments on which style to use.

 Thanks again in advance

 

 

[loathar]

http://www.kadee.com/

The standard...

[Anonymous]

Make that "The GOLD standard."

I use 148 whiskers myself. Old number 5 is dead long live 148's

[Mr. SP]

ONLY the genuine Kadee's here as well. Be sure to mount them as per the prototype and use the Kadee gauge to set the height. Also be sure to allow for repair should you break a coupler.

[desertdog]

I generally concur with what the others are saying.  However, if you buy a new RTR car with some other brand, I wouldn't bother to change it out immediately.  Most of the failures that are experienced with brands other than Kadee appear to be with very long, heavy trains.

John Timm 

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

KADEE #5 or #58

[Anonymous]

The plastic wanna bes WILL fail eventually.

When they do, have spares in place. I usually buy about 30 dollars worth a year, less if the rate of breakage is not great.

Spend the money and BUY the necessary guages and testers. Anything you can do to maintain the couplers in the field or at the workbench easily makes you a happy modeler.

[saronaterry]

Kadee 5's.

I have GOT to try the 148 whiskers,tho!

Terry

[Tilden]

Yes, Kadee's.  The #5 is the "old standard" with the seperate box type spring and can be fit to just about anything.  The #148 is the "new standard" with the whisker springs, it too will fit about anything.  The #58 coupler is a "semi scale" (read smaller) version of the #5 and the #158 is the "semi-scale" version of the #148.  There are many others with offset shanks etc.  The newer coupler boxes snap together, which is nice.  The least expensive will be the #5's.

You can go online to Kadee and view/download their conversion charts which recommend a specific coupler for use in a given application(car or engine).

Also purchase a coupler height gauge and trip pin pliers.

Tilden

[ICRR1964]

[jbone]

You guys are awesome. Thanks so much. I'm going to the hobby shop tomorrow to stock up on tools etc. This free train set is costing me a fortune. Best $$$$ I've spent!

 

Thanks Again 

[loathar]

You guys are awesome. Thanks so much. I'm going to the hobby shop tomorrow to stock up on tools etc. This free train set is costing me a fortune. Best $$$$ I've spent!

 

Thanks Again 

Just like my brothers new "free" dog that's he's spent $2000 on already!

[Anonymous]

Dont be Seduced by imitation couplers. Make sure it says KADEE on those packages.

Other couplers may be cheaper and they are, for a reason.

[jamnest]

What they said!

[bogp40]

You guys are awesome. Thanks so much. I'm going to the hobby shop tomorrow to stock up on tools etc. This free train set is costing me a fortune. Best $$$$ I've spent!

 

Thanks Again 

You say you have some older cars. If they have the truck mounted, talgo coupler, you should body mount the Kadee #5 coupler boxes. You will need the height guage  http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page120.htm and should PU the drill and tap set http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page164.htm . Kadee also has Acetal 2-56 screws that can be cut off to desired length easily with an Xacto blade  http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page33.htm . I would also advise getting some of the red fiber washers. Most of the Athearn rolling stock will require shimming the truck bolster w/ these washers to bring the Athearn frame/ coupler box up to specs for the proper coupler height.

Kadee Greasum (graphite) would also be good to get. I have been using the same tube since I got back in the hobby 14 years ago. A little goes a long way.

You don't really need the trip pin tool, it's just nice to have. Adjustments can be made w/ a decent pair of needle nose.

[Anonymous]

Actually the trip pin tool is a life saver. Just put the pin into the "Cradle" and put force until it bends to where you want it.

The old way I managed to break shanks and other parts of kadees. Must be the hammy hands that once wrestled a Diamond Reo.

[Lillen]

Do the Kadee #148's come in a 20 packs now?

 I've been thinking of converting to those when mt #5 stash runs out(which it will as soon as I start redoing my taconite cars).

Magnus

[cacole]

When you say "older" cars, exactly how old?  I have several old pieces of rolling stock that are so shoddily built that they are not worth convering to Kadee couplers because the wheels also need to be changed and they're not worth the time, hassle, and expense because the entire truck would also need to go.  Brands such as LifeLike, ATT, Tyco, etc.

[MisterBeasley]

I've converted quite a few older cars, in the 45-50 year old range. They were from my teenage layout, and I'm 60 now. I cut the Talgo mounts off the trucks of some, and body-mounted the couplers with draft gear boxes.  On the old passenger cars, I had to keep the Talgos to make the 18-inch radius curves, so I mounted the boxes directly to the Talgo brackets.

Sure, most of these have crummy plastic wheelsets.  I've got a small layout and run short trains, though, so I can live with the poor rolling characteristics.  If the trucks are too bad, though, well, a new pair of trucks costs less than a new freight car, these days.  (As I recall, though, when I bought some of these cars new, the price tag was 99 cents.)

There is one common factor in all my conversions.  Kadee couplers.  My stash of #5's has run out, and my new installations are all #58's.  For those who don't know the numbers, the #58 coupler is a smaller model, closer to prototype size, than the #5 which had been the standard for many years.  Both of these use the separate metal spring unit, installed in the coupler pocket.  The "whisker" coupler models have the spring built in to the coupler piece itself.

I've been running a mixture of #5 and #58 on my layout for about a year now, and have not had any inter-operability problems between them.