I picked up some cars at a local swap meet last weekend that are missing some couplers. Thought I could fit some Kadee covers as replacements, but they are too narrow. Does anyone make a replacement, or have some extras, or have any ideas what I could do with these?
Replace the box with a Kadee or make a cover from plastic and attach with a screw.
Jim
That kind of surgury I haven’t done before. I’m a little nervous trying that where the coupler box is exposed and visible. Is it tough to do? Any tips/tricks?
It’s not that hard to replace a stock coupler box with a Kadee coupler box. Take a hobby knife with a #11 blade and whittle away the old coupler box. Be careful so that you don’t cut the plastic around it or your fingers. Next, mount the top section of the kadee coupler draft gear box and mark it where you want the screw hole to go into the car frame. Use a Kadee 2-56 screw drill bit and drill the hole into the car frame with a pin vise. (If the drill bit bottoms out against the weight in the car, you may need to mark it where the screw hole comes thru and hits the metal weight and just drill a hole thru the weight in that location. I usually drill the hole in the weight with a 3/16" bit before re-installing the weight) Once the 2-56 hole for the draft gear box is thru the body, tack glue the upper portion of the draft gear box in place assuring that the two holes (the one in the draft gear box and the one you just drilled in the car body) align properly. When the glue dries, assemble the rest of the kadee coupler and insert a 2-56 screw to hold it all in place. Use a 2-56 screw, not a 2-56 nut and bolt. the screw is a bit wider than the bolt and once it’s snugged down, it will hold securely. I get 2-56 screws from Ace hardware.
Be sure you check the height of the newly installed Kadee coupler with a Kadee coupler height gauge tool or an NMRA gauge. If the coupler hangs too low, add a shim between the car truck bolster and the truck. Kadee sells shims for this but i just use sheet styrene cut as a shim. If the coupler is too high, Remove the draft gear box assembly (that’s why you just tack glue it in place for easy removal if the coupler isn’t aligned.) add some styrene sheet plastic cut as a shim and re-assemble the coupler.
Kadee #5 coupler
2-56 screw bit
Kadee 2-56 screw and tap set #256
