Yesterday while breaking up a train in my classification yard, I had a boxcar which failed to uncouple from my BLI SW7 switcher. I noticed the boxcar had an Atlas two piece coupler and in keeping with my zero tolerance policy for Brand X couplers, I immediately took it to the workbench to put in a KD 148. I decided as long as I was there, I might as well replace the coupler in the switcher even though it hadn’t been giving me any trouble up until then. Big mistake!!! After removing the coupler plate and tossing away whatever brand of plastic whisker coupler was in it, I discovered that the coupler pocket was too wide for the whiskers on the 148 to keep the coupler centered. I then tried a KD#5 but discovered the brass thingy was too long for the pocket. It was at that point I had to resort to retrieving the discarded couplers from the trash can which miraculously I found. That’s when the fun began. I had a devil of a time trying to get the old couplers back in, the plate in place and the screw fastened, using at least eleven of the seven words you can never say on television in the process. Twice the tiny screws leaped to the floor and even more miraculously, I found them both times. Finally, with one last miracle, my ham hands got the coupler and plates in place and the screws fastened.
In case I ever get the silly idea to try to replace these again, does KD make a coupler that is compatable with BLI’s SW7 switcher. This is probably a golden example of the adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
I’ve replaced the couplers on my five BLI steamers with #58s and didn’t run into what you ran into. According to the HO-Scale Conversion Information page of the Kadee website, #148 or #158 couplers are supposed to work on all BLI diesels. Maybe send Kadee an e-mail, tell them what happened, and see what they have to say.
Well, they do fit in the pocket but it would be generous to say they work. The pocket is so wide there is just no spring action from the whiskers and the couplers just moved side to side without recentering. I just read another thread and it appears these are probably McHenry couplers and as I said in the OP, have been working fine. It’s probably the only non-KD I’ve come across I could say that about. The plastic whiskers are just a little bit wider than the 148s and they do stay centered.
Jim has the right idea, narrow the “pocket” w/ strip styrene to the width needed. If coupler cover has a recessed lip, take this into account as not to interfere w/ those strips once installed. Not sure if I would trust the “overbending” of the whisker to continually operate properly.
The strip styrene is probably a good suggestion, but given the amount of trouble I had just trying to get the original couplers back in place, I’m not sure I want to tackle that. If KD made a drop in coupler that worked without a modification, I might give it another try, but as long as the McHenry couplers continue to function reasonably well, it’s probably better just to leave well enough alone. To get clear access to the coupler pocket, I’d probably have to remove the powered trucks and that isn’t something I want to do.
Many of the locos I have, the conversion directions at the Kadee site give directions on what you need to cut out or add to a loco to make the coupler they have recommended fit. Could be they have a sketch somewhere in their listing.
Again, more trouble than it is probably worth. McHenry couplers are the only ones I’ve come across that are close to the KDs in performance. Unless they start performing badly, major surgery to the coupler box doesn’t seem to make much sense. If KD had a drop in coupler that worked in the existing coupler pocket, I would probably go for it, but the risk far outweighs the benefits if I start to cut up the existing coupler pocket.
Well, then, as others have suggested, you need to shim the inside of the coupler box to narrow it so that the Kadee spring unit fits inside more snugly.
No, I just need to leave the McHenry couplers as is. If KD made a coupler that worked as-is, which is what I was asking about in the OP, I would go to it, but it just isn’t worth it since the McHenry couplers are OK.