Kato N-Scale Kinematic Couplers for their Southern Pacific Morning Daylight

[WILSON BILLINGSLEY]

For more than a year now, I've had a Kato N-scale Southern Pacific "Morning Daylight" train at long last. I've finally started test-running the train on a simple oval of track that I've extended using a UniTrack oval as well as the bits of UniTrack that are included in the set. The one major issue that I've encountered is that the cars' couplers tend to uncouple, but with the replacement of the included couplers on each of the eighteen cars with two sets of #923505 kinematic couplers I probably wouldn't have this problem with operating the train. The problem, though, is that Kato USA doesn't provide the instructions on how to install the couplers on each car at their website anymore for whatever reason. Not helping matters is the fact that the pictures on how to install the couplers are also lost with the instructions. While I did manage to save the instructions to a Word document, I couldn't save any of the pictures in time before Kato rebuilt its website. Therefore, I have decided to repost the instructions here at this forum so that anyone who is interested will finally be able to know how to install the couplers. What I would like to see in return is if anyone can provide me with pictures of each step so that myself and everyone else who is interested can be guided through the process of doing this. I feel that this will be the most practical way of dealing with this problem. To prepare, you'll need a small flat-headed screwdriver. (NOTE: This only applies if you've got the 2017-onwards versions of these couplers that don't need to be clipped off of a plastic "tree.")

Step One: The couplers can only be installed while the car’s bodyshell is off its frame. To loosen or remove it, just grasp the car on both ends and gently twist it back and forth until the skirting and underbody pops free of the upper shell. In the case of articulated cars, you’ll need to loosen the bodyshell on both outer ends of the cars, and in the case of individual cars you’ll need to completely remove the bodyshell for ease of installation.

 

Step Two: You’ll now need to remove the trucks so that you can remove the existing truck-mounted knuckle couplers. The trucks are a snap fit, so to remove them you’ll need to slip the blade of your screwdriver between the tabs and gently pry them open while pulling up on the truck. The truck will pull free when you release both tabs. Don’t forget to do this on both ends of each car with the exceptions of the baggage-chair car’s forward end and the observation car’s rear end.

 

Step Three: A similar pair of tabs holds the coupler brackets onto the trucks, so now you’ll need to use your screwdriver to gently pry the sides out and pull it free. With the brackets and knuckle couplers removed, the trucks are now freed for the installation of the body-mounted kinematic couplers.

 

Step Four: With the bodyshell freed from the car’s lower section, you may now install the kinematic couplers. Just slide the couplers straight into the accommodating gaps from the undersides and position them so that the guide pins are in the V-shaped guide slots. Do this for both ends of each car except for the front end of the baggage-chair car and the rear end of the observation car.

 

Step Five: It’s now time to reinstall the trucks, so you just have to re-snap them back into place with the mounting pins in the correct position. Don’t forget to do this on both sides of each car where the kinematic couplers were installed.

 

Step Six: Since the bodyshells of the individual cars had to be completely removed, it’s now time to put them back into place. Similarly, it’s time to snap the loosened bodyshells of the articulated cars back into place. You’ll need to make sure that all tabs line up and that the bodyshells fit snugly without any bulging.

 

Step Seven: The skirting locks into the bodyshells with small tabs, and sometimes they may not lock all the way in and snap into the skirting when the shell is put back on. You’ll need to squeeze and massage the bodyshells and relock them into place for finishing touches that keep everything secure. No tabs should be visible when the bodyshells are correctly locked down.