Hey everyone. I found some trains while rummaging in my basement the other day and wanted to run them. The problem is that half are horn style and half are kadee. I took them to a local hobby store Nd asked for some help since I’ve never done any modeling and am just now getting into it. I’m trying to put kadee couplers on a Burlington northern 4258 four axle engine. The guy said I need to build up the hitch area with plastic then drill a hole and put in the no 5 coupler. I’m sure this is easy as pie for all of you but I have no idea what to do. Any help would be great. If you need pictures I can do that. Thank you
Gidday, [#welcome] to the forum.
Here’s a link to the Kadee site.
http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/coupler.htm
Under the HO Scale Couplers Heading you will see links to the “HO Conversion List”', “HO Conversion How Tos”, and HO Coupler Charts.
Hope these help you but if in doubt post a photo of your loco and I’m sure you’ll get the right advise.
Cheers, the Bear.
I built a coupler pad using three pieces of .080 styrene glued together. I drilled a hole and tapped it for a 2/56 screw. I then installed Kadee #5 couplers. Earl…
I’m not sure I would take that advice. Kadee makes a humungous selection of couplers, long, short, medium length, high low and center set, metal, plastic, and all combinations there of. There ought to be a Kadee coupler to fit anything ever made, without shimming, filing, or hacking. Find out who manufactured your locomotive. Tyco, Lifelike, and Bachmann are all likely possibilities. The name ought to be molded into the bottom of the locomotive. Burlington Northern is a real railroad, not a model manufacturer.
Given the maker’s name, check the Kadee list of “what-fits-what” (address was posted in his thread by some other good Samaritan) and see what Kadee recommends to fit your locomotive. The hobby shop may have to special order the recommended coupler, but it’s worth the wait.
It sounds like your hobby shop is suggesting ways to fit a common #5 Kadee coupler (everyone has #5 couplers in stock) into your model. This is doable, but to need a coupler height gage to insure it comes out right. For a beginner, I’d recommend getting the recommended coupler rather than warping a #5 into the engine.
Welcome to the forum…
If you have the locomotive shown below, an Alco C-425 that was released by Atlas (Yellow Box) than the conversion guide at Kadee.com shows you should use a Kadee #5, or # 148 which are categorized as medium center set couplers. If the locomotive has been damaged over the years or is from another manufacturer posting some pictures for possible solutions or checking the conversion guide at www.kadee.com should help you.
Good Luck
John R
If you are new to Kadee couplers then one thing you will want regardless of how this particular project turns out, is a coupler height jig that kadee sells.
It is – as you have now learned – difficult for any of us to give really useful advice without having the locomotive on our own workbench. For example, is it the Atlas engine? or some other make? I suspect if we were in the room with you all of this would be quickly resolved. Which in turn brings up the possibility that your local NMRA division might have a “help for beginners” team that you could call on.
When first reading your question I assumed the engine has couplers mounted on the trucks, so they swing when the track curves, and the hobby shop was suggesting that the better approach is to mount the couplers to the body itself. That calls for exactly the kind of creation of a solid mounting pad that you describe. It also calls for clipping off the truck mounted coupler mount and for someone who has never done the project that can be a daunting “it’s now or never” step
It is very likely possible to simply swap out one or another of the many Kadee couplers on the truck mount. The conversion chart that Kadee publishes probably covers that.
As to the hobby shop suggestion of a #5, that is the standard Kadee coupler and most of us who use the “standard” size KDs probably have several packets worth of #5s sitting around. As a result many of us tend to view any given project from the standpoint of what it takes to get a #5 in place. But there are other options. Kadee makes dozens of coupler types and each has its specific use.
Sometimes to get the right coupler height you want a shank that joins the coupler head near the top, and other times near the bottom – both are called offset shanks.
It all seems like a lot to learn but each of us had to do it for the first time, however l
Thank you all for your help. It has been great. The locomotive is made by Kato which is a company in Japan I guess. I took a few photos and now cant figure out how to post them. If you buy the coupler from kadee do they send you the little screw as well?
Welcome to the forums.
The Kadee list will not only give you the correct coupler to use, but there is a section that will show you what you have to do if your loco needs modifying. (How much to cut and where.)
Cutting couplers off from trucks is a rather common practice. You can buy coupler boxes fully assembled with the coupler in them. Just glue or screw them in place.
Good luck,
Richard
How do I post pictures on here so I can show you all what I’m looking at?
Hey again. Thanks for all your help. How do I post pictures so that you can see what I’m working with?
Gidday, Here’s superbe Bobs instructions regarding posting photos. There are other good instructions out there, its just that Bobs instructions actually managed to sink into my non computerised brain!!
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superbePosts :905 |
RE:Procedure to include digital camera jpeg pics in a post?
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superbe replied on Thu, Feb 9 |
Wangdangdoodle!
First, welcome to the forums!
Second, Kadee does not supply mounting screws with the couplers, but they do sell the screws separately
http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/screws.htm
Third, if superbee’s picture posting explanation isn’t clear enough for you, I did one a while ago for real computer dinosaurs (like me!):
http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/p/181001/1981556.aspx#1981556
It is long winded but it works.
Have fun with your trains, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. For example, you may have a bit of difficulty with engines that have been in storage for a long time because of grease that has solidified or contacts or wheels that need cleaning. We can tell you how. Just ask!
Dave
What you have is an Atlas locomotive produced by Kato. It will be listed by the Atlas name not Kato. The locomotive is an Alco C424 or 425 marketed by Atlas and made by Kato. If you look it up on the Kadee site as an Atlas Alco C-424 you should find that it will take a #5 or # 148. The #5 has a separate centering spring, the #148 has integral “whisker” springs that eliminate the need for the separate spring, I recommend #148 rather than the #5 for that reason. Either will slide right into the opening in their draft gear box. The Atlas locos of that time came with a black friction pin to secure the coupler box in the opening (sorta looks like a phillips screw but without threads), this can be replaced with a 2/56 screw, available at you hobby shop or a Radio Shack.
Thank you all for your kindness and patience in answering a novice’s questions. I greatly appreciate it. I’m just not real anxious to step out and screw up one of my only engines so far. It sounds easy enough and very doable. Model railroading is something I can see myself getting further into as I learn more.