I have been considering whether it is worth it to convert from the old Kadee #5 couplers to the more prototypical sized #58. There is an obvious appearance advantage with the #58 but is it really worth the expense and the time to convert a fairly sizeable fleet of cars and locos. I also have questions about the reliability of the #58. Are they more prone to unwanted uncoupling because of vertical movement of the couplers due to elevation changes or passing through turnout frogs and crossings.
I know the #58s are advertised as being compatable with the larger KDs but I would really like to settle on one size. It is easy for me to overlook the large size of the #5 but that would be harder to do if I have the #58s mixed in. On the other hand, some of Walthers passenger cars are already sold with the #58s in place and if this is going to be new industry standard in the next 10 years, I might as well bite the bullet now and convert my whole fleet. Will the smaller couplers do to the #5 KD what it eventually did to the horn hook couplers or do the #5s still have decades of life in them. Opinions?
I made the change to 58 several years ago and I have been happy with the decision. The 58’s are more sensitive to flaws in trackwork. Ultimatley the decisions is yours but I suspect the the Kadee #5 will eventually be dropped in favor of higher fidelity couplers.
Maybe the thing to do would be to initially put them on cars that usually run together, such as my milk trains and see how well they handle my track. If they work for those, then I could consider switching everything I have.
2 of my cars have the 58’s. Way more sensitive to track flaws. They don’t seem to hook to a #5 very well.(they hook to each other just fine.) Probably be a one OR the other deal. I wouldn’t mix them.
I use #5’s on everything with the exception of DCC locomotives with metal coupler pockets. For those I use the McHenry coupler with the metal spring. It has a plastic shank.
That’s what my original thinking was. I do think it is worth the effort to experiment with the #58s on my milk train rolling stock since those cars will always run together but will also get switched in route and at the main dairy. That should give me a good test to see how well they will work on my layout. If all goes well, I can make the switch on the rest of the fleet and if not, can easily go back to the #5s.
To a limited extent I use the #58s for locomotives that are consisted together. The 58s just look better when I take photos of the trains. Also if a model is a contest car it gets the 58s for the showing. But to just run trains the tried and true #5 works great for me.
If I was modeling Transition Era like 90% of mrr’s do, I would probably use the 58’s. However, since I do modern era stuff with 89’ autoracks and other long freightcars, I feel compelled to stick with the #5’s. In spite of my best efforts to avoid dips and bulges, they always seem to find their way into my trackwork. I can keep the 89-footers together with the #5’s, but not with the smaller 58’s.
On a similar note, I heard that Athearn has reverted to selling their Genesis freightcars with the wider [less-prototypical] wheels. Apparently many people were complaining that they couldn’t keep them on the track.
They work together fine. I usually put the 58s on engines and cabooses, where they can be seen. The rest of the cars get 5s. The 58s are less forgiving of bad track and tight radius curves. 58s do cost a bit more.
I would recommend getting a second Kadee coupler gauge. Put a 58 on it, there should be one in the package. Make sure the cars match the gauge exactly, as there is less tolerance in heights.
I doubt Walthers is using Kadee couplers. Most likely it is the scale size McHenry, which have knuckle springs. The last Walthers car I bought was so equipped.
I have about gotten hooked on #158 (scale whisker) or #153 (?Scale whisker short shank). Wish to heck they were all available in bulk. Due to that, McHenry has gotten some of my business. Too early for the jury to render a verdict yet, but looking pretty good so far.
I now have the 58s on about 100 freight cars and 25 passenger cars. I have had no problems even on one bridge with some vertical waves in the track. I also love the appearance, especially in “cosmetic” places like the front of a diesel or the rear of an “obs.” I am #58 all the way: for new cars and for old ones as I get the chance to replace the couplers.
FYI I’ve run #58 couplers with the #5 on some of my fleet, but found #5 more reliable against uncoupling. Also I can buy the #5 couplers for 1.92/pk (4 couplers/pk) so haven’t found a reduced cost for the #58 (±2.45/pk). Your decision to change w/b quite costly & challenging BUT who really looks at the couplers if you run you trains at a RR club? Only those who are “rivet counters” w/check out the coupler type.
Our club standards require the #5 unless cars need a longer shaft for some diesel locos. Standards state all members units MUST align w/#205 height guage including the ‘hose wire’ so uncoupling is at minimum. Then ALL rolling stock must tilt at 1/8" by touching top of car. This prevents uncoupling/derailment while traversing the layout. If uncoupling is problematic, make sure the coupler ‘hose wire’ is not below the top of the track, thus the height guage aids this problem. Hope this helps your decision…Regards…
I’m sticking with #5’s for now. They are accurate enough for my tastes and a known quantity as far as quality / reliability goes. I might be tempted to switch, however, if there were more shank types. I find myself using #4’s fairly often for oddball situations (namely steam locomotive pilots) - the #58 family doesn’t have that type of shank yet.
as far as I am concerned until KD comes out with long, short shank and upper and lower coupler heads in the 58 line. I am going to mix them with regular #5 type coupler. For example 58’s on some of my Kato locomotives are just to low and stick out to far. # 43’s or 44’s fill the bill fine for these engines and make them couple real nice and close. The #58’s on these type of locomotives do not look right.
So I am trying to move to # 58’s for the scale aspect but not at the sacrifice of the operational needs of the trains.
I will add the # 118 look good on passenger equipment and should really be on them not a # 58.
I emailed Kadee back in December asking them if they had plans on bulk-packaging Whisker couplers. They replied the same day and said they were putting in new new machinery to give them the capacity to do just this, although they said it would be quite some time till they’re ready.
I’m converting most of my loco’s to 58’s but I’m not going to bother with the cars. The #5’s are more “forgiving” and I really don’t want the expense of converting over to 58’s. All new stuff that will run together will probably get the 58’s and all my cabeese will as well.