Metal Knuckle Couplers compatibility issue when working with Kadee #5's

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I have an HO scale Proto 2000 Diesel EMD GP 20 Low Hood w sound and DCC engine approximately 1 year old. The engine runs fine. The issue is when using this diesel, which has Proto Maxtm Metal Knuckle Couplers, the diesel couplers do not seem to relate well to Kadee #5’s which are on all of my freight cars when I am trying to uncouple over Kadee Magne-matic uncoupler magnets. The engine coupler responds but the cup on the coupler itself seems to large for the #5’s and will slip out. Both engine and freight couplers have been checked against the coupler height guage.

I was wondering if anyone has experienced this and found a resolve. This is in a remote siding and cannot be reached easily, the reason for the magnets. Should the engine couplers be replaced for something that would work better with the Kadee 5"s.

Thanks in advance for your involvement in this issue.

John Dionne

2

Ummm, methinks you just answered your own question. [;)]

I might be biased here though, since all of my stuff has Kadee’s on it. But think about it. Apples & apples, oranges & oranges etc…Kadee & kadee, McHenry & Mchenry, protomax etc …etc seems logical if you don’t want a fruit salad.

3

Just replace the diesel couplers with Kadee #5s. Now that was simple wasn’t it.

4

I never seem to have compatabillity issues with mixed brand couplers except on engines, weird.

5

Thanks for the input. I have just put Kadee 5’s on the engine and tested the engine in operations and it works 100 % better. Thanks again.

John Dionne