Kadee couplers for Walther's Standard heavyweight passenger cars

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I found this quick fix to replacing the Walther’s provided Kadee clone couplers with Kadee #5s on their standard heavyweight passenger cars.

  1. Turn the car over and remove the trucks.

  2. Remove the coupler attachment screw and coupler box cover.

  3. The existing coupler will pull out through the end of the car by gently lifting uo one at a time each of the 2 cast wing-like springs and gently pulling the coupler free.

4.Leaving the brass spring in the box, drop the #5 kadee coupler into the coupler box and push back into the end of the car. Then replace the coupler box cover, screw tight and reattach the truck.

  1. Finally check the coupler height using a couler gague.
2

Did you use the shelf type modified for passenger cars?

3

Welcome to the Forums Santa Fe [#welcome]

Number 5’s are not shelf but if there are any dips in the layout, long cars don’t like it and will often uncouple. Shelf couplers work great to stop uncoupling.

4

You are correct–shelf couplers are great at stopping uncoupling. But, if there are dips or humps in your track, they are also great for derailing the cars. The also make breaking down the car consist very difficult. Better to correct the track problems.

Good luck!

5

He did say #5s, didn’t he. I put the shelf type on my Walthers. Also put them on on my locos taking off the top lip, leaving the bottom. Took the tops off the ones on the Walthers too.