Can anyone recommend an appropriate knuckle coupler (brand and model) to replace on my HO Kato BN SD40 and rolling stock? And if it’s not asking too much, can anyone recoomend a good internet business to purchase them from?
Cheers,
Roscoe
Here’s a good place to start:
http://www.kadee.com/conv/list.htm
It DOES matter is it’s an SD40 or an SD40-2. And sometimes the list is wrong, , to get correct height sometimes you have to use a over- or underset shank coupler instead of the plain old #5. But for the most part the list is correct.
Kato rolling stock is kind of wierd, have a set of their covered hoppers, a #5 fits and comes out the correct height but the box is too tall and it flops around too much. I need to add small shims to make them work correctly.
–Randy
I used Kadee #5 couplers on my Kato SD40s and SD40-2s (GP35s too). I mounted them in a trimmed down Kadee #5 coupler box. Basically cut off the “ears” on the sides and trim a bit off the back end for clearance, then file the sides, top, and bottom smooth so that it fits inside the pilot.
It helps to glue the coupler box together first with some liquid plastic cement, it stays together while you’re filing that way and the solvent type cement won’t stick to the metal coupler or centering spring. The standard Kato plastic push pin or coupler mounting screw on newer models goes through the center hole in the coupler box.
Describing it makes it sound like more work than it is. It takes just a few minutes.
Use Kadee and you will rarely if ever have to replace one. Use the others at your own risk. I believe that sentiment is pretty accurate for most of us. Kadee is the Rolls Royce of couplers as far as I and mnay others are concerned.
I couldn’t agree more. The ONLY couplers that work reliably over my magnets, or with the Rix U-shaped magnets on a stick, or with bamboo skewers - are Kadees. I’ have bins full of Accumate and EZ-Mate couplers now - a lot of kits come with those, but I repalce them when building. Also I removed allt he P2K couplers from my locos and put real Kadees on. When I have enough I’ll put them on eBay, I’m sure someone will buy brand new Accumates. I pity them.
–Randy
Some of my Kato engines are going on 15 years old and I don’t think any of the Kadees have ever broken or failed. The only problem is that once in a great while I’ll lose the knuckle spring, but fortunately those are easy to replace.
I’ve had a lot of failures with the plastic couplers that come with the models these days. They uncouple when you don’t want them to. I’ve become a big fan of the Kadee #5 bulk packs.
Wow! Thanks guys for all the goss and tips. Kadee here I come. I know I’ll have a bit of work ahead of me as my rolling stock is varied (brand wise) but with advice like that how can I go wrong?..err…don’t answer that!
[;)]