Hi everyone, Merry Christmas first of all!
So I'm fairly new to the model railroading hobby, and to date, the only trains I have owned have been my kids Thomas and Friends Bachman HO's that use what I'd call an "easy" style of coupler. These Walther ones are frustrating me. I understand how they lock, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how you would do it on the rails? It requires quite a bit of torque to turn that lever. And then when trying to lock couplers together, the levers run into each other. It seems I'm over complicating it, but just can't for the life of me figure it out. Any help would be so appreciated!
There is generally a spring on the side of the coupler head. On the rails the couplers should connect with just a gentle push together.
If they don't, pick up some Kadee #5 (metal) couplers from your local hobby store (LHS) or online and swap them out for the Bachmann plastic couplers. The Kadees will hold up much better than any plastic couplers, too.
HTH,
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Merry Christmas and welcome to the forums, as I see you are rather new here.
Not quite sure what you are trying to lock. Usually when the couplers push togather they stay coupled until you want to uncouple them. It sounds to me like that is what you are trying to do. What are you trying to turn that takes a lot of torque?
There are a number of ways to uncouple and I am a master of none. Rix makes a magnetic wand, many people use a pointed skewer and twist it successfully to uncouple cars and Kadee makes several between the rail magnetic ones.
Do you have a Kadee coupler gauge? It will help you set the little dangling arm (trip pin) under the coupler at the right height and position. You say yours hit, sounds like you are trying to turn the wrong spot.
My suggestion would be to get a gauge and trip pin pliers to be sure all things are in the right position, then try some of the methods to uncouple the cars.
My computer skills are suspect but I'm sure there is a tutorial somewhere on youtube or Kadee's web sight that could help you too.
Good luck,
Richard
Hello All,
Kadee was the original patent holder of the scale "knuckle" coupler.
When the patent ran out other manufacturers produced Kadee "Compatable" couplers or clones.
To this day they do not perform as well as the original- -despite their appearance.
Your best solution is...
tstage...pick up some Kadee #5 (metal) couplers from your local hobby store (LHS) or online and swap them out for the Bachmann plastic couplers. The Kadees will hold up much better than any plastic couplers...
I buy them in bulk to convert all my locomotives and rolling stock!
To answer your question...
When scale model couplers are in the Draft Gear Boxes they should swing freely side-to-side.
To test this lateral mobility, put your finger on the coupler head and move it to one side.
When you release your finger the coupler should automatically center.
A common issue when upgrading to Kadee's is the post in the draft gear box has a smaller diameter than the hole in the Kadee coupler shank.
This "slack" can produce coupler droop. This can lead to unreliable coupling at the worst possible time.
Kadee in their infinite wisdom produces sleeves that fit around the OEM mounting post to remove this slack.
Simply tightening the mounting screw to remove this slack just puts you back at square one with a binding coupler.
Typically the mounting pin will be a smaller diameter than the hole in the Kadee shank.
If that's not the case then a more complex solution is necessary.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
catfishpaladinIt requires quite a bit of torque to turn that lever. And then when trying to lock couplers together, the levers run into each other.
You might be thinking of Lionel style O gauge couplers where the open coupler would snap closed when coupling together. HO couplers don't work like that.
Also I think what you're calling "levers" are the uncoupling pins under the couplers. They're meant to simulate the appearance of airhoses. They work by magnets to uncouple the cars; an uncoupling magnet moves each pin a different direction, uncoupling the cars. I suspect by turning them, you've moved them enough that they are hitting each other when you try to couple them on the track. You can turn them back a bit, on these the metal pin is just held in by friction.
Looking at your photos, it appears the CSX hopper car's coupler is missing the spring that holds the coupler shut so they can coupler together and stay together. Otherwise, some just use a molded part of the plastic head to work like a spring, they usually quit working pretty quickly.
As was mentioned, changing them for Kadee No.5 couplers would be a great idea. It's not that hard.
Not to disagree with the above, but I suggest you are trying to move the right parts before buying more couplers.
You said you have Walthers couplers, if they are the newer metal ones, which they appear to be, they are better than the old plastic ones. May not have as many problems with them.
My other suggestion would be to buy #148 whisker couplers, they are Kadees newer model which I find easier to install, and are fully compatable with the #5's.
I did improve my compuuter skills and found information on both youtube and the Kadee site. Hopefully more folks will chime in, now that the Christmas rush should be slowing down, with some more suggestions.
If the hopper's coupler is the same as the box car's coupler, those couplers you are showing us are plastic and have that very weak, stupid, flat plastic piece of junk instead of a knuckle spring on the side. Do like has been said above, get rid of those couplers and put Kadees on.
On that ''lever/trip pin'' pushing thing (left to right?) you are doing, don't do that.
You will make the ''lever/trip pin'' become loose in the coupler and then it will be to far to the left or right of it's original ''factory'' position.
Lots of good advice here. It seems that the OP is confused with how HO scale knuckle couplers work and how the good ones are designed.
Rich
Alton Junction