Im in the process of kitbashing a Atheran GP40-2 and Im putting Kadee (?) couplers on the shell. Has anybody done it or is there an article that they could post a link to?
Go to Kadee’s web site. Then to conversions, they tell you and have drawings on how to do conversions. They also have a listing of conversion couplers for nearly any type of rolling stock, you don’t want that part for this project.
Good luck,
Richard
The OP is asking for body mounting the couplers on the locomotive shell, Every listing for Athearn GP40-2 on Kadee’s conversion list show the frame mount conversion. The OP has kit bashed this loco so he needs to do some kind of custom install.
The Kadee web site may give him some ideas if he hunts around on it.
Truck.
The way I would do it:
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Mount the coupler, in its box, on the frame, and check the height. File the frame mount as necessary to get the height right . Then remove the coupler from the frame.
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Slip the shell over the frame and determine how much padding you will have to use to make a mounting pad on the shell behind the pilot. Remove the shell and build up a styrene pad glued to the back of the pilot that is deep enough to allow a hole to be drilled to mount the coupler box. It may be necessary to grind/saw off part of the frame extension or the front part of the frame to get enough clearance to remove the shell with the couplers off…
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Drill and tap the hole to mount the coupler, then put the shell on and mount the coupler…
But, that’s just me. Someone may have a simpler and more elegant solution…
I did that years ago and used solid square shape ABS plastic…The good part besides cutting off the Athearn coupler pad with my Dremel the job was a breeze since the ABS was the I bought was the correct size.I used Walthers Goo to fasten the plastic to the shell…
I used three strips of .080x.250 strip styrene from Evergreen Scale Models and glued them together to fit between the pilot braces of a Athearn GP50 I kitbashed into a GP60. Then I drilled and tapped them for a 2-56 screw and painted it black. Earl…
Yeah, I agree with what others have said here about the ways to complete this task.
Another consideration is the use of Jay-Bee Body Mount KD Coupler Mounting Pads.
Rich
So your saying that all I need is 3 pieces of .08 thick styrene glued to the little shelf in the shell and it is the right coupler height?
Yep. The three pieces of styrene, Kadee draft gear box with a Kadee #5 lines up perfectly with the Kadee coupler guage. Make sure the area along that little shelf is flat. I used a chisel blade to cut off the handrail nubs inside the shelf. Earl…