I need to replace the couplers on my Rapido Super Continental Line as I think the old ones are just worn out from all the miles I have put on them. What Kadee’s do people recommend as the replacement. I want to stay with scale size and shank length as I have not had any issues with what they came with until now.
I have had these coaches a long time, can’t remember what year they came out but the coupler plastic seems a little brittle as a couple have broken.
As always thanks.
The Kadee site has an estensive list telling you which coouplers to use on most rolling stock. Since you know the maker, it should give you a match. If not, give them a call.
Good luck,
Richard
Talk to rapido Brent . They have made many of their 'rapido bits " available over the years you might just be able to purchase the same couplers from them as a replacement piece. Looking at their later and current car kits it looks like the same couplers are still being used.
I was always battling with the stock couplers and kept swearing to replace them. Now a couple have actually broken the time has come for an upgrade.
Hi, Brent
I have four of the Continental-Line coaches I bought for my Erie-Lackawanna commuter train. They were awful as far as operating “qualities”. Finally, out of desperation I decided to “tune them up”.
The first thing I did was remove the trucks and shave away much of the piping around the truck-swing area. Then I replaced the trucks with later version Rapido trucks, which have electrical pickup [Y]
I think I bought a pack of five. THEY made a big difference in running quality. I also carefully cemented the walls to the car floor using mini bar clamps and a thicker-bodied styrene cement.
Finally, couplers. Since they werent in a swing-style draft gear I went with the 146 long-shank Kadee whisker coupler (IIRC).
They now run fine. I have 32" radius curves. Maybe a few short runs of 30". If your curves are tighter, I would go with these 451s:
Good Luck, Ed
[quote user=“BATMAN”]
Her sounds like as good time as any for a change. I’m luckey enough ( in some ways ) to live an hour or so from Toronto so when I make my once or twice a year forays to the big smoke to George’s trains I will stop by rapido ( plaza is accross the road fronm rapido ) They will sell their bits from their front counter. another thought for you is look up a Canadian modeller named Bob fallowfield. He has a great facebook page for his layout ( the Galt sub ) he modelles CPR in the 1970’s in South Western ontario it’s a ghreat layout. He is all in with scale couplelers forhis freight / passenger equipment. He writes up little how toos every once in a while and I seem to remeber most of his couplers are Kadee’s all 800 number series…
rob
Ed, Most of my curves are 34" or above sneaking down to 32" in a couple of 30 degree turns. Do you think the #148 whisker coupler will do the trick?
Thanks, Rob I’ll take a look and maybe bend his ear as well.
Hello All,
The first thing I do with any of my rolling stock; including locomotives, is swap out the stock couplers to Kadees.
If you are considering Kadees then the #158 would be more appropriate.
That depends on the coupler pocket or draft gear box.
As has been mentioned Kadee has an extensive list of coupler conversions.
Hope this helps.
Can’t hurt to try. Even if they get a little “snug” on the curves, as long as they don’t put too much lateral stress on the carbody. Switches and S curves you’ll have to keep an eye on, though.
Most of my brass passenger cars have the long shanks, too. Don’t recall ever seeing any kind of swing-type draft gear ever used on those.
Some modelers use a long shank on one end and a short on the other to split the difference, if you run the cars as a group and don’t plan on truning them around.
Good Luck, Ed
Yes do that he is a wealth of knowledge,very good with realistic weathering. The photo’s of his layout don’t do it justice either . many of his shots I have had to look twice tio see if they are not real.
Rob