Hey, I was just wondering what you all thought was the easiest way to mount knuckle couplers on older Atlas and Athearn engines. Is mounting a Kadee #5 with its own box the easiest, or would it be better to use McHenry/Bachmann EZmate self-centering knuckle couplers?
I like the Kadees simply because the metal is more durable. The also sell a drill and tap set to mount the coupler with a 2-56 screw. this is what i do. Regards, andy
I can’t speak to the McHenry, but you’ll be disappointed with the EZmates. They can’t handle a heavy or long train and twist at the shank which allows the couplers to slip apart.
To the original question, I say “yes” to mounting a #5 (or other metal couplers as in the 40 series) in the Kadee box. As stated abouve, get the #50 drill and 2-56 tap to screw mount the box to the coupler tongue.
And as I’ve said on numerous coupler threads, get the Kadee coupler height gauge and use it to check the coupler height and trip pin clearance and adjust as needed.
There’s a Kadee coupler that works well with the Athearn BB’s, maybe a No 27, but check their website for an application list. I think an offset knuckle was required to get the height to work out right on a GP38-2. Also, you need to insulate the coupler from the frame to avoid shorts if two engines are coupled nose to nose or tail to tail. I remember drilling and tapping a 2-56 hole in the frame and mounting the couplers with nylon screws.
Jim
Cool, thanks everyone. I however seem to like the higher end EZmate couplers; I had had the old ones without a spring from when I was a kid and didn’t know enough, really, but i’d found at the one lhs i go to a better version of the series. the name escapes me know, but they dont have those little strips of plastic that act as the spring.
Hi,
I’ve converted a number of older Athearn F, GP, and SD units (and a couple of Atlas units) to KD #5s - and all lasted for a long while (until I sold on Ebay and “upgraded”).
I am not being critical, but I definitely prefer KDs over the alternatives. One thing you might want to consider is the new KD self centering “whisker” couplers. I believe the come in 3 lengths (medium is #5 equivalent) and they should be really easy to mount.
ENJOY,
Mobilman44
I prefer drawbars if they permanently coupled. I use sheet styrene and paint them black. No one has ever noticed they don’t have couplers between engines.
To improve the look of all my Athearn BB. I body mounted the Kadees. This allows to fill in that huge slotted pilot, permanantly attach plows and other pilot details. The frame lugs are just cut off.
If you want to frame mount the Kadee box to the Athearn, you will find the coupler to be a bit low. You need to compensate for the box thickness by filing off frame material to raise the coupler height.
Older Atlas Rocco units have body mounted couplers. If you use the Kadee box the pilot hole just needs to be opened up for the box fit.
I use Kadee #5’s almost exclusively with the exception of my SD40-2’s which require a lower shank coupler, a #37 if I’m not mistaken. I have some cars that have McHenry or EZ-Mate Mark II couplers. I replace them as they fail. All locos get Kadee’s before they even hit the rails, no exceptions. I even fitted #5’s to a Kato RSC-2. That was a challenge.
I’d go with the Kadee’s, and the Kadee draft gear boxes. The boxes are all-plastic construction, so, besides being a perfect fit for the couplers and springs, they also completely insulate the coupler shaft from the engine frame. That’s important for older engines where the frame may be part of the electrical circuit, and is likely to be electrically “hot.”
I have convereted a lot of Athearn BB locomotives to KD #5. KD sells a kit with a drill bit and tap to convert to a 2-56 screw to hold the coupler. I would stick with KDs. I have tried the palstic couplers and had a lot of them fail and ended up replacing them with KDs.
For F units I constructed a plastic draw bar and connected them at the coupler pockets with a 2-56 screw. Many of the prototype units were coupled with drawbars.
JIM
The older Atlas GP’s (Atlas/Roco) didn’t have a separate coupler box, or any provision for one. The hole in the pilot was too small to fit any Kadee box, #5 or otherwise, without enlarging it quite a bit.
What someone came up with back then was to use a short-shank Kadee, no box or spring, and a small blob of silicone caulk. If you applied it right, the silicone would act as a spring since it held it’s shape, yet was flexible. So the coupler could swing, and the silicone would force it back to center. But it was tough to get the silicone “just right”.
Now I’d just use a short-shank whisker Kadee.
HTH,
Steve
I like the Kadee the best.
They do stay coupled better. I have been trying some of the newer wisker spring types lately. They do “center” better.
hey, does anyone know anything about older Atlas S-4’s? I need to know whether they will run on code 70 track or not
Two things here. First as many of the other posters have stated - no it is probably not better to use the other brand. If you want self centering knuckles look at the Kadee Whisker series. I think there stock numbers are #148 and #158.
But the bigger issue is that it depends on the exact Atlas or Athearn loco you are talking about. Some were designed to take a #5 but others were not. For example the front of an Athearn F takes a #5 like a charm, but they won’t fit on the rear. There isn’t enough room between the truck and the mounting hole. So one has to cut off the back of the coupler box blah de blah to make them fit and even then they look stupid because they stick out too far. So one needs to consider the Kadee #30 series that have the springs in the front so that the mounting point is near the rear of the entire coupler pocket. Get a short shank one and they will couple the locomotive much closer together too.
The old Atlas ROCO locmotives always have the coupler mount points too low for normal Kadee couplers. Once again look to the #30 series and get the underset shank. This raises the knuckle up to the right level without having to file away 1/8" of the pilot (which I have done on models back when I was young and stupid). There is also the #40 series that have underset shanks that will fit if one uses the center mounting hole and trims off the two outside mounting holes from the coupler box.
I can make a Kadee #5 coupler work just about anywhere, but with all the wonderful couplers Kadee makes why waste the time. Just buy a coupler that fits at the start, put it on a
the engines are Athearn SD9 and GP9’s, and the Atlas is the SD24. theres 2 SD9’s i’m looking at, and one of them already has kadees mounted, but its missing one of the short handrails at the front of the engine
The SD’s will have some pretty good pulling power, so I’d definately recommend the Kadee metal couplers in the Kadee coupler box. As stated above, use the Kadee coupler height gauge to check the coupler height and trip pin clearance and adjust as needed.
As for the missing handrail, Athearn usually makes the parts readily available, check to see if your local hobby shop can order it for you. The full handrail set for the SD9 is part number 38017 and lists for $6.75. Athearn has a full parts price list on their website:
http://www.athearn.com/Products/Parts/Default.aspx
For parts breakdowns of Athearn Locomotives:
I have one of the Athearn BB SD9’s. #5’s fit it with no problem.
great, thanks. What does BB mean? Bev-Bel? Anyway, I got one of the SD9’s; it was the newer, better looking model that has all the handrails and has them painted in the right colors, it just didn’t have kadees already mounted. I have a couple sets of #5’s already mounted in their box; do you think I’ll have to do any special fitting to get them in? I also have some of the better Bachmann EZmates that have a spring that have self-centering pins, but I think its better to put the metal Kadees on the engines and save those others for cars.
if i use the kadees, can I just use the screw thats already there to hold the horn-hook coupler in?
BB usually means “blue box,” or the original Athearn. Until about 7 or 8 years ago, all Athearn locomotives and cars were kits or at least required you to install the couplers and handrails on the locomotive. These came in the blue box. Athearn’s ready to run line uses a different color box.
Also using the words “better” and “Bachmann EZ Mates” in the sentence is just wrong. As far as saving them for anything, I think they’d be good for scenery along the right of way to show broken coupler knuckles. Kadee also has the one piece self centering couplers and they are much more durable than the Bachmann’s. You’ll save yourself money by just starting with Kadee’s and not using the cheap couplers and have to go back and replace them with the Kadee’s.