Kadee couplers

Hello modelrailroaders. I was wondering if Kadee couplers would work on Athearn freight and passenger cars. I went to a hobby store and the little packets come with more pieces than I thought there would be. Have you tryed putting them on Athearn cars and have they worked.

Sincerely

Ryan LaPlaca

If you’re talking about the original “Blue Box” Athearn cars they"ll work fine w/ a simple (and cheap) modification. Athearn cars (and engines) in the original format all have low draft gear boxes. To solve the problem shave off the plastic hub on the body bolster that the truck swivels on and replace it w/ the flat half of the KD cplr box (the one having a similar hub on it). You’ll have to cut off some of the rectangular base on either side of the hub. Cement it in place of the original hub and the thickness of the base will raise the cplr hight to the proper level. I haven’t bought any recent production Athearn kits so this might not apply to newer ones. Maybe somebody who’s tried the newer ones can chime in.

I’ve got both quaint and curious Athearns (40+ years old) and new ones I bought a couple of weeks ago. The old ones generally require the Kadee “draft gear box” but the new ones just need the coupler and spring, and they are a perfect fit. I’m referring to rolling stock here, not locomotives. The draft gear boxes are very inexpensive, by the way, and really make your life easier if you are doing coupler upgrades.

I’ve only done old locomotives. They were a lot of work, involving machining out the old coupler boxes (yay, Dremel tool) and fitting in a plastic Kadee box. That’s important, because the metal frame of the locomotive will conduct electricity through the metal Kadee coupler shaft, leading to potential shorts. The draft gear boxes are all plastic, which completely insulates the coupler electrically and prevents these problems.

It depends on what type of Athearn cars are being discussed. It also depends on which Kadee coupler, as they now make more kinds than ever before.

The Kadee #5 and #58 are designed to be a drop in replacement for the old Athearn BB and now many of the RTR. The only parts needed out of the package are the coupler and brass spring. Put the brass spring into the coupler pocket, put the coupler in, and close it back up. All the extra plastic boxes that come in the package are not needed.

If I understand you correctly then KD #5’s are a drop in replacement on most Athearn RTR rolling stock? I am just getting into HO and have purchase a few RTR 40’ boxcars and was wondering what KD couipler to use for replacement.

They just came out with the #148 whisker coupler that is suppose to be a replacement/upgrade to the coupler Athearn supplies.

As far as the shimming issue,you can also use the Kadee washers.I use a couple of the red washers on each truck to get the correct height.You can buy them where you get the couplers.Unsure of part number.Also get the Kadee coupler height guage.This will pay for itself ten fold.Dan