I need some help. I have an old E7 (can’t recall who made it but would guess Athearn) which for better or worse I am converting to a dummy. I need to replace the old plastic h/hook couplers with Kadees.
The old couplers fit over a little post in the box under two tiny holders and stayed in place with no lid etc…
Is there a Kadee that will fit over the post and under the little holders with a shank long enough to work? What are other good options?
I am not into redrilling into this little post area etc. but am open to all suggestions. In the past Kadees (though good products) have driven me to the ibuprofen bottle!
Thanks very much. Hope to get the old E7 back in action!
I went out to the Kadee website and failed to find an Athearn E7, which leads me to believe that some one else manufactured your E7. Anyhow, go out there and use the coupler that Kadee recommends for your locomotive.
This was a very heavy undecorated E7. The gear wheels in the trucks are red plastic. The engine is very heavy and was loud–a grumbler. Could have been Model Power, was not Rivarrossi.
Yup, you’ve got a Model Power. They were made by Roco, and later sold by Con-Cor. I don’t know if any changes were made or not, but I would think that they’re the same.
Ditto to the previous postings… Athearn never made an E unit, and I strongly suspect you have a model power loco. I had two and never could get them to run right. Anyhow, the recommendations are spot on…
I have a pair of those Model Power E7s. Originally I was going to sell them since I already have a small fleet of P2K E-units, but after looking at Doc Wayne’s photos of the Model Power E7 that he beautifully painted, detailed, and weathered I’ve decided to “hop them up”.
Both of the units I have are equipped with the HUGE motor that was also used for O-scale locomotives. Quite a bit of muscle, even with an 8-wheel drive set up.
Doc,
if you’re reading this would you mind posting that photo again please?
I got the couplers, now how in the world do I assemble them to the frame without first losing my mind or my vision? I got the couplers and all those little black gizmos but none seem to fit thru the hole in the existing box with the built in pin. The coupler goes in over the pin but I can’t figure out how to secure it with these parts. Help! Thanks.
If there’s room for the #5 box, grind away the existing pin/ box and mount the Kadee box w/ a 2/56 screw. If the #5 box won’t fit, the 30 series should work. Shimming or an offset coupler/ longer shank may be required.
Have you considered remotoring this unit? these run rather well done this way. If the rest of the drive is intact, check into replacing w/ a can motor. The “Doc” can help you out w/ it. His Es are done quite nice.