Pilot couplers on BLI heavy Mikado

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi Everyone,

Has anyone installed KD couplers in the pilot of a BLI heavy Mikado? Do you have any pictures or notes you can share? Or do you know of a tutorial on the web?

Appreciate all help,

jcopilot

2

Tony’s had a web page on thier site dedicated to Mikado and similar BLI coupler installs.

Dummy couplers on a 400 dollar steam engine with DCC and sound is automatically rejected by me from consideration in purchasing. I dont mind spending a few more dollars for a factory installed Kadee.

I cannot install couplers in place of dummies without destroying the engine it’s the reality at my workbench.

3

Now that’s really WEIRD–BLI has installed working front couplers on all of their steamers that I’ve seen. Why on earth would they omit them from a locomotive that could really USE them?

Man, that’s stupid! [D)]

Tom [:O]

4

Yup, can’t argue with that. I have four of them and I really need working front couplers. What were the design geniuses at BLI thinking?

Jcopilot

5

Absolutely nothing… (why so few SD7/9s made?)

6

It wasn’t long ago that it was very common for an HO scale steam engine to not have a working coupler on the front.

7

Thanks for the tip Last Chance on where to find the info as jcopliot wasn’t the only one who could use the info. All in all it would have been much easier just to post the web link versus all the bashing and non information on answering the question.

http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/bli282coupler.htm

Rick Keil

8

Last Chance - thanks for the lead. It looks simple enough, but if anything can go wrong …

Redgrey62 - thanks for the link. Sometimes it can be therapeutic to vent and a little bashing never hurt anyone, as long you’re not the one getting bashed.
Better to be the bashee than the bashed.

Thanks again to both of you,

Jcopilot

9

Jcopilot

You’re correct, and I’ve been guilty of bashing as well. It just gets frustrating at times to see 10 or so replies to a question and no answers.

At least now I know how to make my Mike into a more useful engine. Now I just need to swap out the Worthington Feedwater for an Eclesco…

Rick

10

Sorry if I bashed.

But a 400 dollar steam engine without a 2.00 number 148 whisker coupler in box… that just well… STEAMS me lolz.

Cheers.

11

I take it you’re not too impressed with a lot of the brass steamers out there, either. [:-^]

Wayne

12

I KNOW that–I’ve installed my share on my brass steam. But BLI seemed to start the phase of installing them on all of their steam locos. I just wonder how they missed the Mike?

Tom

13

Brass is impressive in speedy divorces in my home lol. It is easier to execute a thousand dollar house repair than it is to buy a thousand dollar model.

BLI has been installing kadees in the fronts of the new steam within the last several releases. Thier upcoming PRR 2-10-0 Heavy should have both ends covered.

14

I’ll vent my frustrations as well about the Heavy Mike. I have 2 of them. I’m kind of like Last Chance…sometimes things get destroyed on my workbench. So has anyone here actually done the conversion?

Interestingly, the Light Mike has a pilot coupler.

15

Without seeing the actual model, it’s difficult to suggest a method for installing a Kadee, or even which particular Kadee to use, but there is almost no loco that can’t be so modified. I’ve even done a brass loco that had a dummy (working) swing coupler - of course, due to the Kadee being so much larger than the dummy, it no longer functioned as a swing coupler. [swg]

Wayne