Greetings! I am turning to this Forum for advice, since everything you folks have told me before has been dead on.
I have just purchased 4 Athearn SD-40 locomotives, 2 are RTR and 2 are Blue Box. They all have horn-hook couplers. I want to convert them to ‘Kadee-type’ couplers, but Kadee recommends #37 couplers for the conversion. Having been born with 10 thumbs and a proven ability to lose the springs from those types, I was hoping that there was some other solution that would be close to Kadee’s. Any suggestions from the experts? I am OK either keeping the existing coupler covers or changing them out. Just no little springs, please!
Just as another piece of information, I would be running 10 - 12 car trains with minimal switching.
Don’t know what spring that takes but there are a couple of tricks:
If it has a coil spring to center the coupler jab it with a jewelers screwdriver to hold it and place it in its slot. Then put a finger over it while you extract the screwdriver.
If it has a square spring like the #5 it shouldn’t be too difficult. Place it over the pin with the open side toward the bottom of the engine then drop in the coupler.
Athearn blue box engines use a spring steel cover. Again I don’t know what yours have but if it does the two slots on either side need to engage the ears on the coupler box. Easiest way to insure they have is to squeeze each edge with a pair of pliars until you hear them snap into place.
I have no Athearn SD-40’s so cannot be held accountable, but …
MOST BB’s accepted Kadee #5’s, #37 were offset shanks to raise the coupler height, and #47’s should also work.,
37’s are plastic which should insulate against shorts. I too have had problems with those delicate centering springs. What I did was to buy a package of extra springs, and practice, practice.
NOW my favorite coupler is the plastic 30 series. 3 different lengths, offset shanks, and two mounting heights.
The coupler is easier to assemble than it looks and can be assembled right side up or upside down. The Athearn SD40-2 has plastic coupler pocket covers which just press on. You won’t have to fight with them. The #37 is what’s called a underset shank coupler. A center shank coupler such as the #5 will have the coupler head too low and will cause many problems (voice of experience) such as snagging in rail joints on curves and catching on turnouts.
At least 10 guys will scream about this - but I would suggest McHenry couplers for your Athearns. 1. They have the whisker spring built in so no fussing with those pesky brass springs. 2. They are plastic so shorting is not a problem. 3. If you only plan on pulling 10 car trains - no problem - I’ve pulled 30 cars with 1/2 & 1/2 Mc Henry’s & KD’s. 4. They are available in long, short, or standard length shanks & raised, lowered & standard height, so a small selection will fit 95% of your likely needs. BTW, if your locos came with horn hook couplers, they are not “new” stock - Athearn has been using KD clones for at least 3 or 4 years. My [2c]
The McHenry couplers I’ve seen are center-set shank couplers and won’t work properly on the Athearn SD40-2. Take it from me, I know. A center-shank coupler will sit too low unless you bend the coupler shank upward.
When working with a Kadee 37 coupler I find that by using two skewer sticks about 3/16 dia. You can impale the coil spring. Then slid it down the stick into place while aligning the two fingers of the spring and using the other stick to hold it in place while putting the cover lid in place. It also helps to be very calm and alone for this as it is very delicate and very easy to lose the spring.
Jeff,Sorry but I must disagree.There is ABSOLUTELY NO NEED to use a off set shank coupler on any Athearn locomotive…If you coupler is sitting to low then your coupler pad is bent…I been using 37s for years on my Athearns the only exception being the ones I mounted the KD coupler box on and those gets #5s.
Wow, that was a lot of information to digest, thanks to the body of knowledge on this Forum. Ivanhen … the units are ‘old stock’. I got them from a garage sale. I don’t know the announce date or Athearn number for them either.
If you reread my post you will see that I said the SD40-2 requires an off-set shank coupler. That’s the #37. The #5’s coupler head will sit too low. I have 3 SD40-2’s and it’s the same on all 3 of them. Are you saying that I have 3 locos with bent coupler pads? I don’t think so.
And all that other baloney that you read about McHenry couplers is just that as well.
I pull 30+ car trains with McHenrys and do not have any problems. I too am fed up with those mexican jumping bean springs of Kaydees, and that is why I tried out The Mc’s and have liked them immensley. No more crawling around on the floor with magnification looking for those KDs. I refuse to do that.
Johnboy out…
Yes they also come in a selection of short to long shanks and underset to overset shanks.
I feel the same way. I have a dozen or so KD #5’s missing the knuckle spring, along with dozens of extra springs saved in an extra #5 package. I have used McHenry #51’s in the past, purchasing them in the 25 pair blister pack, but they are no longer available. An email to McHenry brought a reply to use the equivalent Bachmann EZMate units.
In summary, I have about a 60% KD and 40% McHenry mix on my ‘fleet’.
OLD Athearn BB equipment (I don’t know about RTR) coupler pocketsa are lower than NMRA. Maybe it’s an ‘I WAS HERE FIRST’ THING.
#5’s work best on equipment if couplers are all the same height, so cut off the ‘hoses’. They only work where magnets are used, anyways - unless you think they look realistic.
Kadee developed the #37 offset shank to improve the #5 by raising the height and insulate against ‘hot’ chassis’ (Athearn).
WHAT you are saying is you 'don’t want to acquire the skills/ necessary to assemble a #37. OK, SO DONT.
THE only other alternate is to use a ‘clone’ such as a McHenry’s, or stick with 'horn-hooks. You may $ave .25 per with McHenry’s and even more with the horn-hooks.